Helikon Genuine BDU Pants

​I got the Helikon BDU pants because they were not only inexpensive, but also promised to be a faithful recreation of the original US BDU pant. I wanted a good BDU pant that would withstand the stresses I typically put on my pants. They need to allow me a good range of motion, survive being frozen, wet, and hot for long periods of time. The stitching needs to withstand strains of my movement and friction from impacts, snagging brush, etc. These are the standards I set for these BDUs to pass.

NOT SO GENUINE

​​The original US BDU pants had only 6 pockets on them, but these BDU pants have a hidden pocket at the top of each cargo pocket. The pockets are just big enough to take a Steyr AUG magazine comfortably, which means PMAGS will work too.

Also, the pants are made of a 40/60 Polycotton (40% Polyester/ 60% Cotton) ripstop instead of a 50/50 NYCO (50% Nylon/50% Cotton) ripstop. Yes, there is a good amount of difference in these materials to make a difference. Other than that, these pants are very much what you would expect from a US BDU. You have the drawstrings on the leg bottoms,

​the metal waist adjusters,

​button fly,

​knee and seat reinforcements,

​and all the pockets have buttons in the right places. I know that this is being a bit odd, but if they were going to change the original specs on the BDU any more, I would have asked that they leave an opening in the knee reinforcements for pad insertions. Those things are M.O.N.E.Y.

MATERIAL PROBLEMS? 

​I am not going to say that Polycotton is a worse material than NYCO, but I will always take a NYCO due to several advantages. NYCO dries faster, breathes better, and seems to last well enough. Polycotton on the other hand does indeed have advantages in the sense that it wears longer and the colors resist fading better. Generally speaking, you have a lower polyester content because it is relatively heavy in comparison to cotton, but it is stronger than Nylon to make up for the difference. Generally, Polycotton blends are not very breathable, so they tend to insulate well in the winter. But not to worry because Helikon also sells this BDU format in a full cotton ripstop variant which should work out for summer use if you really need a good amount of breathability.

WINTER CONVENIENCE

I think I am in love with these pants for winter usage since they have proven to insulate my lower region incredibly well. The Polycotton ripstop material used in these pants is definitely ideal for helping insulate you well enough in the winter. I was able to stay out in -10 degree weather consistently whilst laying completely still in the snow to practice tuning into my environment (practicing SLLS) for at least 10 minutes at a time. I will note that Helikon does sell a twill version of the pants that I tested here. It has the same material makeup, but twill being a tighter weave, may prove to be a better insulator for the winter time, and even have better wear tolerance depending on your uses.  

​The drawstrings at the bottom of the legs really are necessary when walking through knee high snow as well. Don’t be the type of person who tucks their pants into their boots. Just use the drawstrings and it will keep the snow and wind out better and create a seal for the leg warmth to stay in. And if it rains, tis will also protect your feet from being victim of soaking by funneling the falling rain down your boots. Also, with sealing in the heat from your lower half with the drawstrings, I have found that polycotton ripstop pants will dry much faster if you just wring them out and put them back on and seal your body heat in. This is not my recommendation for how to dry your clothes after falling into a frozen lake, however.

STORAGE SPACE

​One thing that I have always associated with BDUs was the vast amount of storage that they offered. The pants on the other hand were not that impressive. A couple big cargo, hip, and butt pockets don’t really give the user all that much versatility. However, the extra pockets at the top of the cargo pockets will actually securely hold a tourniquet each. This is a game changer for me since this puts my TQs in a more intuitive spot for quickly reaching and deploying them. This minor addition was enough to allow me to have everything I wanted in my pants and in a place where I wanted it.

​The buttons on the cargo pockets are not exactly symmetrical in their placement, but they do allow options. For example, in my left cargo pocket, I carry my monocular and I leave the front button open, which keeps the pocket closed unless I fish my hand under the flap and squeeze in. The USMC BDU pants answer this by just having the rear button and putting elastic all along the top to allow for my specific usage technique, but with more security.

​I generally don’t find the hip pockets to be all that useful except for the utility of hand warming. The pockets are decently deep enough to let you curl your hands in between your legs and keep them warm.

​I only use the back pockets to store small things like my butt wipes or something I won’t have to worry about if it gets smashed, but they definitely are a respectable depth suitable for something like a wallet or even a small rite in the rain notepad.

RANGE OF MOTION/MOVEMENT

​BDU pants are designed to have enough slack and be loose enough for nearly full range of motion. For these pants, I definitely get full range of motion. The slightly baggy pants allowed me full range of motion, despite having things in my pockets. For comparison, ACU style pants seem to be a bit tighter, restricting movement and stressing the pants at the legs and buttocks. These pants seem to glide relatively well due to the extra slack even when you have been sweating heavy up against them. That is a quality that makes or breaks a pant, in my opinion.

WRAPUP

I spent a good part of my winter testing these pants and making sure they stood up to the types of conditions I needed them to work in. Fortunately I suffered no tears, rips, or big stains. If you want these pants to feel less like cardboard, give them a good wash before you begin using them.

​For a pair of new BDU pants under $40, Helikon has not failed to please. Granted they are using a different material blend and pocket combination than the real deal, the pants still have equal merit. I also appreciate the added pockets and was pleasantly surprised to see them there when I first got the pants. Overall, a great investment for me and I look forward to testing the other weaves such as the twill and 100% cotton ripstop.