GEAR: HELIKON LADIES GEAR

HELIKON

AND ON AND ON!

THIS MONTH WE’RE VERY PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY ONE OF THE QUIETER MEMBERS (UNLESS YOU KNOW HER WELL!) OF RED CELL - AND THAT’S ALLYSSA MILLS. “LYSS” IS A FABULOUS PLAYER, AND ONE THAT WE WOULD HAVE ON OUR SIX EACH AND EVERY TIME! HOWEVER, IN THE PAST SHE HAS BEMOANED THE SCARCITY OF DECENT LADIES TACTICAL CLOTHING, SO WE SET HER UP WITH HELIKON-TEX TO SEE WHERE THINGS WOULD LEAD!

Weyhey! I’ve finally done it. The impossible! Wait... No, the improbable!! Thanks to Helikon-Tex, I’ve finally got a BDU that fits the female form and I cannot emphasize enough how excited I am about this!

I, like many of my female counterparts, have struggled endlessly with finding something that is nearly a female cut. Sure, I’ve got and had full BDU systems but none of them fit well around the lower half of my body. The problem for us ladies is we have curves. Fabulous, glorious curves. Curves that should be celebrated and men’s gear, or more accurately, unisex gear doesn’t fit that profile. While many might be rolling their eyes at that comment, hear me out.

Guys tend to be of a boxier, rectangular shape, especially from the waist down. You need freedom of movement, given the extras you have down there, and that’s fine. You also move in a different way to us, it’s just evolutionary biomechanics. The problem with that is, we end up with excess material that snags on the environment around us and tends to move about or makes us look like wannabe gangsters with a crotch line by our knees. Some of you guys and girls rock that look but for me it’s just plain frustrating.

I understand why the industry caters predominantly for males, they make up the bulk of the military and the tailoring is suited to their needs. It makes sense but with more women moving into roles within the armed forces and the frankly awesome uptake of airsoft by my female comrades, manufacturers are going to be forced into catering for us more. I’m what you would call petite, I’m 5’4” and a size 6 (that’s 26-28” waist for the fellas) so finding something in my size is hard.

After months of hunting around (and I do mean months), Jon noticed something that resembled a female cut range of clothing when skipping through websites for gear to review for the magazine. As he’s the magazine’s apprentice gear guru (under tuition from The Oracle) I trusted his advice and then Bill contacted our friends at Helikon-Tex...

CPU OR UTP?

Today was the day, the postie arrived with a pair of

“I, LIKE MANY OF MY FEMALE COUNTERPARTS, HAVE STRUGGLED ENDLESSLY WITH FINDING SOMETHING THAT IS NEARLY A FEMALE CUT. SURE, I’VE GOT AND HAD FULL BDU SYSTEMS BUT NONE OF THEM FIT WELL AROUND THE LOWER HALF OF MY BODY. ”

Helikon-Tex CPU (Combat Patrol Uniform) and UTP (Urban Tactical Pants) pants amongst some other Heli goodies. As you would expect from Helikon-Tex, they’re built very well. The stitching is uniform, neat and tidy and the finishing is great. I couldn’t find a loose end anywhere. Even Jon was impressed (and that’s saying something).The waist band is not only adjustable with the two pull toggles on the rear of the pants but also angles down at the navel which gives a comfortable fit.

The belt loops are 2.25” on the CPU and 2” on the UTP which means you will comfortably get a rigger belt or hook and loop insert in there. I run a shooters belt so for me, it’s ideal. The loops also have little loops at the bottom for Karabiner or D-Rings which is handy too, it’s somewhere to clip my Type R keys safely. The seat and crotch are reinforced so they won’t wear through. The rear, as you’d expect has two ample size pockets that are double button closures and can comfortably fit a STANAG mag or two in each. Down the front there are two open mouth, angle entry deep pockets, you’d fit a mag and change in each. The fly is a button front, which I find difficult to operate and would have preferred a zipper but it’s a minor point of note.

There are also two EDC pockets that would fit a knife in on the upper thigh, just in front of the main pocket. This has a re-enforced lip to slow the wear through of a clip. The mid-thigh pocket is large, with the flap angling from the rear to the front. This is fixed with both hook and loop panels and a button and loop. These are big enough for two midcap mags. Another nice feature of the pocket is the adjustment toggle and elasticated cord that closes the pocket. The knees also have inverted pockets with hook and loop closures for protective inserts. Down on the calf of both legs is a pocket big enough to fit my Huawei P30 Pro Mobile Phone and this has a flap which is closed with a hook and loop strip. The pockets are made of the same sturdy and durable material as the rest of the pants, which is a 60/40 Cotton/Polyester Rip Stop material. They finish up at the cuff with traditional draw string closure for securing around the boots.

These, unsurprisingly, are solid, well-built trousers that will stand the test of time. As I mentioned earlier, Jon looked over these and he was impressed too. I’m so happy that I’ve got a pair of pants that are comfortable and fit a woman well. I’ve worn these as daily drivers for well over a month now and I’ve got to say, I’m super happy with them.

FIT FOR PURPOSE!

Helikon were also kind enough to send me over some other items. Another favourite item is the Wolfhound Hoodie Jacket in Taiga Green. The last few weeks has seen the temperature drop on the South Coast and this jacket has been an absolute Godsend. The Womens Wolfhound Jacket is a reengineered version of the Men’s Wolfhound Jacket, and it features the same DWR water resistance technology (it will hold up fine in light rain) and the excellent Climashield Apex insulation that has kept me toasty warm for the previously mentioned cold spell. The jacket itself is (as you’d expect) is another extremely well-constructed item, no loose ends, snags or frays anywhere on it.

Starting at the top with the hood; it’s tailored with a draw string and toggle to tighten down in stormy conditions and features a small, reinforced peak. A microfibre piping chases the hood front to reduce any rubbing that may occur when the hood is deployed. There is a large single action YKK zipper down the front which zips all the way up to my chin completely protecting my neck

from the elements and has an internal gusset behind it to stop any cool air entering the jacket. On the front left breast is a 6” YKK zippered, fleece lined pocket which fits my Bolle glasses in comfortably.

The two main pockets are both 6” YKK zipper pockets that are big enough to fit my Huawei P30 Pro mobile phone and my keys in. Internally there is a 6” pocket on the right that fit’s my phone or purse and keys in. The armpits have a single skin, tight weave polyester mesh to allow for ventilation and temperature control. The right sleeve features a 3”x 4” loop panel for deploying morale patches, like the Helikon-Tex one featured in the pictures. The waist and wrist cuff are finished with the same microfiber piping to keep things comfy and warm.

The really impressive bit in my eyes, is the design and fit. It’s a perfectly cut jacket that suits my shape well, it cinches nicely at the waist and flared at the hip and bust allowing me to move freely and proactively. There is no “dead air” either due to the cut of the jacket, so it provides full coverage warmth. It works well under my Warrior Assault Systems Recon Carrier and works well over my Viper Buckle Up chest rig. The major upshot for me is that I can wear it at a game day and to pop to the shops without worrying about wearing a camo pattern. It also packs down into a provided waterproof stuff sack that results in it measures in at a compact 9”x 5” so it won’t take up too much room in your kit bag. Multi-Purpose gear FTW!

EVERYDAY CARRY

Finally, I received the EDC Sidebag in Adaptive Green. This is a cool, compact little shoulder bag that is packed with features and will be super durable as its constructed with 500D Cordura. On the face are some laser cut molle/pals compatible cut outs for additional pouches. There is a small YKK zippered pocket out front, that will hold a “mans” wallet, small bottle of BBs, power bank, etc.

Behind that is a larger pocket that is 6”x 7”, has internal organisation and 50% top mouth opening, fastened with another 2 YKK zippers. Above that sits a 6”x 3” loop panel for morale or ID patches. On the left side of the bag is a large water bottle/ jacket holder which is really useful as you don’t have to use the internal storage for such a bulky item. My water bottle is approximately 800ml/25oz and it sits securely in place thanks to the elasticated draw strings and toggles. On the right is a small pouch that is closed with 2 YKK zippers and you could fit a basic first aid kit with a dressing and some gauze in.

There is a larger 7”x 10” compartment with two internal pockets. You’d easily fit a bag of BBs and a speed loader in here or if you’re using it as an EDC item, it is ideal for power banks, leads, wallets/ purses/keys etc. Behind that is an even larger pocket which is designed with the Helikon-Tex VIS (Versatile Insert System) in mind. You can comfortably conceal carry a full-size pistol or revolver (obviously where this is legal) but I did think it’d be super useful at a MilSim where you could wander around and have a platform on your person but out of sight. I tested it with Jon’s Army Armament R17 and my ASG MK23 (without suppressor) and it fit perfectly. There is a detachable, adjustable waist strap and it has a single quick release (by buckle) padded shoulder strap. I love it so much that it’s completely replaced my “traditional” handbag and will see many years of use.

I also received a Helikon-Tex womens T-shirt that is super comfy and to compliment it, I added my Helikon-Tex Truckers cap as it closely resembles the one my character wears in Fallout 76. I must say kudos to Helikon for stepping up to the plate with the redesign of their female cut range of clothing. It’s comfy, it fits better than I expected, and I just hope they continue to evolve their female cut range.

Thank you Helikon-Tex. AA