AS WE DRAW EVER CLOSER TO THE END OF WHAT HAS BEEN A TRULY LONG AND HOT SUMMER OF AIRSOFT AND OUR THOUGHTS START TO TURN TO THE DARKER MONTHS AHEAD, IT’S TIME TO REFLECT ON WHAT WE’VE BEEN USING BOTH ON THE RANGE AND “OFF DUTY”, AND NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO PICK UP SOME BARGAINS TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR NEXT YEAR! MIGUEL GETS STRAIGHT TO THE LONG AND “SHORT” OF IT…

Summer for many in the Western hemisphere is already a fading memory and games here in Portugal have been few and far between during our mid-summer recess, especially as with thermometers hitting 40ºC and due to the wildfire warnings, in many locations it has been even forbidden to be out in woodland areas.

I know this review will reach you all later in the year, and by this time things will be better (I hope) and we will all be back in the field. But, during the summer months it has been the best time to test certain items, and we can all start to plan for next year!

Are you that type of player that likes to keep it a bit tactical outside the field? But without exaggeration, of course! I’m not talking about walking around in full camouflage pants and tactical boots, or full softshell jacked filled with patches, I’m talking about something a bit lighter and better to use during the heat. And it’s thanks to our friends at Military1st that sent us these “tacticool” pieces.

Bottoming Out

Let’s start from the bottom and check out the tactical shorts that I’ve been using in the past months; both are from the well-known brand Helikon Tex, who have a huge selection of tactical shorts, with plenty of different models, colours and patterns.

This pair of shorts are my favorites, hands down…. And just maybe because I just love M81 woodland! So I’m kinda biased... I’m sorry!

These are the Helikon BDU Shorts US Woodland, which are basically a short version of the normal, older BDU pants. They’re built with cotton and polyester and come with our wellknown and tried and tested rip-stop. And I must say, the construction is solid and really well done! So, what other features can we find? Pockets and Buttons! Lots of buttons, like in any good BDU pant, and we have a full button fly, two buttons for each side pocket and two more for each back pocket, for a total of twelve buttons! So, you will get plenty of practice using them!

When it comes to pockets, like expected these shorts won’t let you down. You have your normal hand pockets at the waist, and they are big enough to carry any day to day item (phone, wallet, keys, etc.). The two side cargo pockets can even carry more if you need, and with the ability to close them, you can keep what you need safe, for example, it’s where I carry my wallet. And then there’s the normal two back pockets, which I don’t find that useful, mostly because they also have buttons to close, and it’s a bit too much work to close them without being able to see.

One thing that I really enjoy with these (and the next item) is to bring them to the field and change into them after a game or range session. Overall, a great addition for anyone that likes to have some airsoft spirit off the field!

KNOW THIS REVIEW WILL REACH YOU ALL LATER IN THE YEAR, AND BY THIS TIME THINGS WILL BE BETTER (I HOPE) AND WE WILL ALL BE BACK IN THE FIELD. BUT, DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS IT HAS BEEN THE BEST TIME TO TEST CERTAIN ITEMS, AND WE CAN ALL START TO PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR!”