MBDU® aka “Modern Battle Dress Uniform” is an excellent vision for a modern field uniform by Helikon. The shirt is a hybrid of more traditional field jackets and combat shirts: lightweight and breathable, but the torso consists mostly of material used in field jackets. The real stunner is found in the armpits and below them: ventilation panels in the armpits and from the armpits to the bottom hem there are approx. 15 cm wide stretch fabric panels! Features: Chest pockets open with zippers. The profile of these pockets is pretty low – the idea being that the user is wearing a combat vest most of the time. Sleeve pockets also open with zippers. Inside there are cord loops for attachment. Two velcro panels on top of each pocket, the lower panel is 9.5 × 10 cm and the upper panel is 6 × 4 cm. On the chest above both chest pockets there are velcro panels for ID tags, dimensions 9.5 × 2 cm. In the center there is a closable rank panel. Collar can be worn casually open or as a stand-up collar which is closed with velcro. The collar is not particularly tall but does nicely protect the neck from slings. The shirt is closed with Canadian-style buttons. Thanks to their somewhat large size it’s surprisingly quick to use the buttons and they are easily repaired in the field. Ventilation mesh in the armpits and stretch panels reaching down to the bottom of the hem. * The fabric in the stretch panels stretches in four directions and has been given a water repelling treatment! Form fitting double-lined elbows. Sleeve cuffs adjusted with velcro Primary material is ripstop reinforced fabric, which is 52% nylon and 48% cotton. The zippers are manufactured by YKK. Lightweight: size S weighs 620 g, size M 650 g, size L 670 g, size XL 690 g, size XXL 710 g and size XXXL 730 g. Ripstop Ripstop refers to a special treatment stage during which fabric-reinforcing threads (e.g. nylon) are sewn horizontally and vertically into the fabric forming a net of small squares, around 1 cm in size. This treatment stops the fabric from ripping, which means that it extends the life span of the garment. The ripstop treatment can be made to almost any fabric.
