In today's review, we would like to present shorts from the brand HELIKON TEX: HELIKON Urban Tactical Rip-Stop 8, 5”. In my opinion, for a start, an overall great product of an interesting sandy color polycotton coyote, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. I wear them as regular civilian pants, but also as tactical shorts during training at the shooting range, or wandering through nature. They have proven themselves very well to me, from the overall design, material processing and especially comfort in them to the use for various tasks, whether tactical or civilian.
HELIKON TEX
The manufacturer of the pants is the company HELIKON TEX, which was founded in 1983 in Poland. It is a producer and distributor of its own outdoor, but also tactical clothing. Their products are increasingly becoming more popular mainly among armed forces, but also among tourists. That would be just a brief overview of the company HELIKON TEX.
What is RIP-STOP fabric?
But let's move on to the above-mentioned product. The UTS shorts are made of RIP-STOP material (60% cotton, 37% polyester, 3% spandex). Let's briefly talk about what RIP-STOP fabric is. For me, it was also a fairly new abbreviation and I was curious about what it actually means.
RIP-STOP is a common fabric made using a special method. In order to increase its strength, thicker warp or weft threads are woven into the usual textile at intervals of 5-8 mm. This gives the fabric greater durability and a visually more textured structure and, what is important, once the fabric is damaged, the tear does not spread further. RIP-STOP is made from polyamide yarns, but it can also be seen in combination with aramid fibers, in cotton blended with polyamide, which is the case with our UTS shorts. The RIP-STOP weaving method dates back to World War II and has survived to this day.
YKK zippers
Another interesting detail is the zipper on the UTS pants, which is a zipper from the brand YKK. The company was founded in 1934 in Tokyo. YKK is a world-renowned brand, primarily known for manufacturing the highest quality zippers in this field. They achieve this quality by manufacturing their own production machines, using their own materials, even making their own teeth and having their own production processes.
YKK zippers are known for their reliability, even after long-term use, they have a waterproof treatment and are used in extreme weather conditions. In short, these zippers are durable, reliable and last a very long time.
Workhorse for summer
It is very cleverly solved that the button fastening is replaced by hook-and-loop fastener, which is very reliable and quick. The hook-and-loop fastener quickly fastens and holds firmly throughout the entire wearing period. I had no problem with the hook-and-loop fastener loosening or unfastening on its own without a belt. The elastic waistband can adapt to any body shape, since the back part of the pants has a waistband made of elastic material combined with the hook-and-loop fastener. It is a clever combination.
HELIKON URBAN TACTICAL RIP-STOP 8.5" SHORTS
On the waistband there are quite wide and sturdy belt loops. I personally combined the shorts with the HELIKON TEX UT tactical belt in black color, this combination goes together beautifully.
On the loops, on the left and right side of the hook-and-loop fastener, there are smaller loops for attaching a carabiner or for D-rings, the stitching of the loops onto the belt is very sturdy. I liked the pockets with a lot of storage space, of which there are ten in total. The main slanted pockets are stitched on the edges with a layer of fabric that is more resistant to abrasion or in case you often use a knife with a clip.
Interesting are the two pockets with hook-and-loop fastening. They are on the front side of the thigh, which I personally use at the shooting range to store spare magazines for a short firearm during situational shooting. Storing and removing the magazine is very quick, and since it is on the front of the pants, it is fast when reloading while moving.
Alternatively, it is a handy pocket for a smaller radio or a mobile phone. Next to them, on the sides, are zippered pockets, handy pockets for example for tactical gloves, documents, etc. On the back there are two open pockets and two small open pockets, for example for a knife or a flashlight. In terms of cut, the pants fit like a glove, since I am 188 cm tall, I was worried whether size XL would be too long or too short for me. My worries disappeared once I put them on, as if they were made directly for me. I was very taken by the color of the pants - Polycotton coyote, which is really distinctive and above all not overused.
I use the pants for outdoor activities, training at the shooting range, and I also often use them for everyday wear in the city or at work. At higher temperatures I felt comfortable in the pants, they are light, breathable, and the elastic waistband adapts to the body throughout the entire time of wearing, so even the waistband doesn't cut in during physical activities (running, jumping, kneeling), and above all you won't overheat in them during extremely hot days during various activities, and you feel absolutely comfortable in them.
The shorts are somewhat shorter compared to their 11” sibling, so if you prefer shorter shorts, the 8.5” are the right choice for you. For anyone interested in a somewhat longer version, there is the 11” available.
In conclusion
For my part, I rate the shorts very positively, I had the opportunity to try them out and it only confirmed what I thought when I was looking at them on the waragod.sk website. Based on the above, I warmly recommend this model. You will certainly be extremely satisfied with them and you will not regret the purchase, and perhaps it won't stop at just one pair of shorts. They are available from size S up to 4XL and in as many as six color variants: black, polycotton coyote, olive drab, crimson sky/ash grey, woodland, olive green. I must admit that every single color variant of these pants is truly interesting.
