HELIKON-TEX WINDRUNNER
WINDSHIRT & FIRESPARK “STEEL”
At IWA earlier this year we were introduced to some
great new additions to the Helikon-Tex line, and it’s
great to see those starting to filter through to the
market now. Bill has been testing a couple of items
from their “Outback” and “Bushcraft” collections and
brings you his initial findings.
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I really like the fact that Helikon-Tex have started to
categorise their clothing and equipment as it makes life far
easier when you’re looking for a particular item. As a keen
outdoorsman I’m therefore every bit as interested in what
they have in the “Outback” and “Bushcraft” categories in
addition to the “Range” and “Patrol” lines as good outdoor
equipment can act as the backbone for any situation.
The “Outback Line” is their technical clothing and
accessories line concept; everything from baselayers
through all intermediate levels of insulation for both
dynamic and static activities to outer layers including
windshirts, softshells, hardshells and Climashield parkas
is included in this category. Accessories developed for the
Outback Line will focus on travel, gear packing and outdoor
expeditions.
It’s that time of year where I live where the north
wind is starting to pick up, and although I’m not yet
ready to transition into a fully-fledged hardshell I do want
something that can be worn over a microfleece to add an
additional layer against wind chill, and ideally I look for
garments that are lightweight and have a minimal pack size.
The new Windrunner windshirt is an ideal carry item
because of its minimum weight and size when folded. At
just 190g (size XL) it’s ultralight, tight-woven Nylon fabric
protects you from the wind, and if the DWR coating is
regularly maintained, also from light rain. The Windrunner
would also be an ideal garment for any kind of outdoor
training. Mesh ventilation slats in armpits allow increased
air circulation for when you’re really working hard, and
on a cooler day, worn on top of a fleece, it keeps your
all-important core warmth from escaping and protects
against wind chilling. A large front channel pocket easily
accommodates a cap, gloves or a buff , and two small flat
pockets inside the larger pocket help to organize small
items like smartphone or ID.
Additional features are sparse and minimalistic in
that there is a lightweight hood, elasticated cuffs and
a drawstring hem, and that’s it. On a garment like this
though you don’t need a massive amount of features as
that just increases bulk and weight.
The Windrunner has been with me a little over a month
now and I have to admit that I absolutely love it; it’s a
superb piece of kit that gives you just that little extra
protection when things start to get cooler, and therefore
I would thoroughly recommend it to you.
Body heat of course is all important when it comes to
your efficiency, and another recent release from Helikon-
Tex is their “FIRESPARK” firesteel. Designed and tested by
specialists in bushcraft and survival techniques, a new
FIRESPARK firesteel is a modern rendering of classic piece
of equipment. A hollow aluminium handle may be used to
house water purification tablets, tinder or rolled banknotes.
Instead of the traditional carbon steel though the
FIRESPARK makes use of a long Ferrocerium rod; While
ferrocerium “steels” function in a similar way to natural
flint and steel in fire starting, ferrocerium takes on the
role that steel played in traditional methods; when small
shavings of it are removed quickly enough the heat
generated by friction is enough to ignite those shavings,
converting the metal to the oxide, i.e., the sparks are
actually tiny pieces of burning metal. This long spark rod
with durable handle make starting a fire with FIRESPARK
and knife a breeze; combined with my favourite bushcraft
knife created for me by Josh Curry of the Athena Knife Co.
in the USA, the FIRESPARK is absolutely awesome, sending
an array of sparks away with every stroke!
I am really enjoying the roll out of the new Helikon
categories, and rest assured I’ll update things just as soon
as another test piece arrives in the office!
For more information please visit www.helikon-tex.
com for country stockists, and in the UK check out www.
military1st.co.uk for the very latest brand updates.
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