Combat Patrol Uniform from Helikon-Tex

The Designed To Fight Crew Review the Helikon-Tex Combat Patrol Uniform™.

For several months the DTF crew has been wearing and tearing Helikon-Tex tactical apparel. In this review we’ll focus on Helikon’s enhanced everyday duty clothing, the Combat Patrol Uniform™. Most of You already know Helikon-Tex, but for memo, they’re based in Poland and have been a manufacturer of Military and Law Enforcement apparel for more than 30-years.

Combat Patrol Uniform™? So is it for combat or is it for patrol? The CPU™ design was is intended to integrate a variety of practical solutions that would make the uniform suitable for both tasks. Here’s what we tested…

Patrol, reconnaissance, long days spent on the path. For this particular task the most important concerns are skin comfort and breathability, crucial for the user in every climate. The Combat Patrol Uniform™ features a loose but articulated cut that follows body’s anatomic movements and maintains good airflow. But, the cut is not everything. Extremely important are raw materials used in the construction. CPU™ is delivered in various colors and camouflages including A-Tacs, a Pencott series, Polish Army standard issue camo and others. All the materials are manufactured with the Mil/LE end user in mind, which leads to a high degree of durability and breathability. The DTF team was wearing CPU™ in three compositions: a NYCO (50/50); a 60% Cotton 40% Polyester; and a 65% Polyester 35% Cotton set.

During a two-week period of constant use in various activities (including sleeping), all users were satisfied with the final effect considering durability and moisture management. This is not some intelligent membrane all weather setup, but a duty uniform designed for soldiers. From this point of view, CPU™ is good piece of clothing.

Technical Data

Weight: Shirt 730 g – 750 g; Pants 800 g – 860 g (depending on raw material)

Available colors: Black, Olive Green, Coyote, Camogrom®, PL Woodland, PL Desert, A-Tacs FG Camo™, A-Tacs AU Camo™, Pencott™ Greenzone, Pencott™ Badlands, Hellenic

Sizing: Shirt: XS – XXL Pants: XS– XXL / Regular; XS – XXL / Long

Warranty: 2 Years (covers only damages caused by manufacturers fault)

Combat. Combat this, combat that. We do hear a lot about combat adapted clothing but what does it mean exactly? Personally I don’t believe that any apparel can enhance my fighting skills, but for sure it can make hard life much easier. CPU™ is a uniform, and for sure a uniform suitable for combat. When S.H.T.F, abrasion and tearing resistance is of high value. The garment must protect the user’s body from any damage caused by crawling or prone shooting position. As mentioned above, the materials used in CPU™ construction fulfilled DTF expectations in matters of durability. Another important feature is the pockets. Both shirt and pants feature a set of various, spacious pockets that keep the crucial gear close at hand.

The shirt features several symmetrical pockets – flapped, angled on the chest, zipped on the biceps and flapped on the forearms. Pockets placement was adapted for use with tactical rigs or backpacks. Chest pockets are perfect for a carrying flat objects and documents, and thanks to the side zipper opening, they stay accessible even when the vest is on. We really like the zipped bicep pockets. The access is quick and easy, the capacity feels really useful and they feature standard soft Velcro for personalization.

Combat Patrol Uniform™ Pants feature 10 pockets in general. That’s a lot, but everything in this world has its purpose. Here we found two important factors: adaptation and capacity. We especially liked the pocket placement on the hip and thigh areas. Standard front pockets have reinforced edges for keeping EDC gear clips tight. On the front part of thigh, small a slide-in pocket can be spotted – they perfectly fit one AR magazine each. Extremely wide side cargo pockets have smart retention – their construction enables using them as a dump mag pouch. The calf pockets are small, Velcro flapped compartments that hold either personal dressing or one magazine. The pockets are seemed easily accessible when sitting in a vehicle, too.

Combat Patrol Uniform™ features also many standard solutions, known from modern uniform constructions. The shirt is equipped with a standup collar (lined with pleasant grid fleece) and reinforced elbows with protector compartments and adjustable wristbands. On the chest are soft Velcro panels for personalization and a rank tag. CPU™ Pants have adjustable an waist, buttoned fly, and reinforced knee parts with protector pockets and bottom retention.

CPU™ is delivered in sizes XS to XXL. Regular sizes for shirts and a long size option for pants. I’m 190 cm tall, a slim, long legged guy, and unfortunately Helikon-Tex does not offer a perfect size for me. The pants are slightly too short (even in the Long option) but that’s still acceptable. However, the shirt topic is a bit worse. I wear the L Long size usually, and without this size option the sleeves simply end in the middle of my forearms. Hopefully more tall guys will buy Helikon-Tex gear, as I would love to see them offer a long-sized CPU™ set of A-Tacs.

DTF tested the CPU™ sets in operational scenarios, during live fire trainings in real field conditions. They passed our exam. Helikon-Tex products has gained quality points with us over the years, but this is for all of You to decide now.

Download the Helikon-Tex product catalog for more information. Be sure to find Helikon-Tex on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HelikonTex. Or, visit the Helikon-Tex YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/HelikonTex.