Hako IRR Combat Shirt Ripstop, M05

#M05hakoteillä

Hako is an around four centuries old Finnish word that means havu, a sprig or branch of an evergreen tree. “Hakoteillä” is an old Finnish proverb, which, in essence, means that not all who wander are lost. Sometimes it is more important to wander around for a while and only then step on the right path rather than to walk the line and see and experience nothing.

Havu, a sprig of an evergreen tree, is an old symbol in Finnish Military lingo: it was the first IFF symbol of the independent Finnish Army and is still the symbol of Finnish Recon troops. This is what we want our Hako to stand for: the ability to vanish into the landscape and esprit de corps among those outside the wire.

Features

Comfortable collar – inner lining made of knit fabric, which feels pleasant against skin even when your gun sling is trying to strangle you. When the zipper is fully closed, the collar is almost hugging the neck. The goal of this is to make heat management easier: on the move, the zipper should be open to allow heat to dissipate easier. When movement stops, the zipper can be closed to cover the neck’s large blood veins so that less body heat is lost.
Partial lining on shoulders – the fire-retardant torso material extends over the shoulders and upper arms. This makes carrying heavy loads more tolerable and gives better protection against incendiary weapons.
Lateral bicep pockets – easier to operate and dig into for items inside. The pocket flap is secured with a fold-down-over-itself style opening, which prevents items from forcing their way out. The size of the pocket is 13.5 × 18 cm. There is a 10 × 15 cm loop Velcro area on both pockets for identification and showing your sense of humor.
Form-fitting internal elbow pad pockets for inserts – discreet and low profile. The pockets are designed to fit most of the protective inserts on the market. If an insert is too large, many of the so-called “mouse pad” type inserts can be cut smaller to fit in. The pocket opening is facing the sleeve cuff and closes with Velcro. The inner dimensions are approximately 14.5 × 28 cm
Velcro adjustable sleeve cuffs with a slit – heat load management has never been easier! The 15 cm long slit practically closes shut when the Velcro is fastened. If, however, one has to look cool, the slit helps with rolling up the sleeves!
IRR protected materials – don’t shine, fade out. Threads, Velcro and zippers included, all materials meet the IRR requirements of the Finnish Defense Forces, which by the way are more restrictive than their NATO equivalents.
FR protected torso – don’t burn, flame out. The flame-retardant area extends down the upper arms and up the collar, shielding all the most vital areas. In addition, the fabric is moisture-wicking.
A more flexible and longer cut than usual. The hem is a few centimeters longer than in many other models to prevent the hem from being untucked by the tummy of a reservist enjoying the higher quality of life. In addition, the cut has been designed with the northern temperate zone in mind – in the fall and springtime an additional shirt fits snugly right under the combat shirt. Sleeves are raglan cut, so they allow wide range of movement and have less seams to press against user.
50/50 NyCo ripstop fabric on the sleeves. Fabric on the torso is a 60% modacrylic, 40% viscose blend.
Weights are approximately on this scale: X-Small 500 g – Medium 540 g – XX-Large 610 g.
Painot vaihtelee välillä: X-Small 500 g – Medium 540 g – XX-Large 610 g.
Designed in Finland, made in the EU.

Features in detail

FR – don’t burn, flame out

The primary material of Hako combat shirts is FR protected, so that if it catches fire, it will self-extinguish when taken away from the flame. In addition, the material simply chars while burning and will not melt or drip, preventing build up of melted polymers. So if the situation goes really awry, combat medics/paramedics/surgeons have an easier time performing an escharotomy when eschar formed by circumferential torso burns compromises respiration. Back surface of the zipper is protected by the very same fabric.

The sleeve material, a 50/50 NyCo ripstop fabric, is not FR protected. But during our own tests, we found that the fabric is somewhat self-extinguishing and produces only small amounts of melted polymer.

IRR – don’t shine, fade out

Hako combat shirts are manufactured fully from IRR protected materials, in accordance with the IRR requirements set by the Finnish Defense Forces. For us, this means that the garment can be safely and quite reasonably worn in military exercises, actual combat and any other demanding environments – that is what the Hako combat shirt is made for. Hanger loop in the neck is not FR, but it can be easily removed if needed.

As an example, IRR characteristics of the M05 fabric have been designed to have the IR range reflectivity as close as possible to comparable colors/materials found in nature. In practice, this means that when viewed through a night vision device, the view is closer to a typical boreal forest without an unnaturally non-reflective blob sticking out like a sore thumb.

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.

Care and Washing Guide

The garment’s IRR characteristics are baked into the fabric itself, so the only way to prevent them from doing their job is by washing the garment with laundry detergents containing optical brighteners (or tarnishing its surface with reflective substances.) In practice, this means that the garment cannot be washed with typical detergents from your local supermarket or in a washing machine that has been used for years with detergents containing optical brighteners.

If IRR characteristics are not important to you, you can of course wash the garment in a more regular fashion:

Wash in 40 degrees or lower.
Use gentle wash and tumble dry cycles (If you ignore this instruction, the garment will most likely frizz and fade out sooner.)
Dry clean with tetrachloroethene only (so the typical dry clean – We only recommend this with some of the toughest stains.)
Iron at low temperature (Yes, you can iron it. Does not mean you should.)
Do not bleach.

If you do want to retain the best possible IRR characteristics, follow these instructions:

If the washing machine (is used or) has been used with laundry detergents containing optical brighteners, first run an empty cycle up to several times and wash with the extra rinse setting. If you’re planning to go against enemies using night vision equipment, we suggest you to check the IRR properties through a night vision device.
Get a new washing machine or one that has not been used with laundry detergents containing optical brighteners.
Wash the garment by hand without detergents or by using soap nuts or other detergents that do not have optical brighteners.
Embrace the fact that the garment is meant for field use. Get used to just airing it out and freezing it instead of washing. However, it is advisable to wash the garment every now and then, as all kinds of debris like sand and other dirt make it wear out sooner.

One-Year Warranty

We grant all Hako products a warranty of 12 months. The warranty covers all manufacturing and material defects, so it does not cover repeatedly butt sliding on a cheese grater or other self-inflicted damage. On the other hand, if the stitching comes undone by itself or a zipper pull and slide have a break-up during normal operation, we will repair the garment or replace it with a new one.

Unpicking the additional seam in belt loops or the sacrificial piece in knee pad pockets doesn't affect the warranty, but if those measures are taken the pants can not be returned.

How To Choose The Size Of Your Combat Shirt

Combat shirts are great, because you don’t have to worry about pulling in your stomach and chest, because the material of the torso section stretches several centimeters. When choosing your size, you should first measure the distance between the neck and wrist when your arm is extended to the side, and after that check that the length is sufficient from the back. In the back make sure that the length of the hem that is tucked in to the pants collar is long enough, because combat acrobatics and gear tend to pull your shirt up.

Letter size	Chest circumference	Sleeve length from collar bottom to sleeve cuff	Torso back length from collar bottom to hem
XS	96 cm	79 cm	74 cm
S	102 cm	80 cm	75 cm
M	108 cm	81 cm	76 cm
L	114 cm	82 cm	77 cm
XL	120 cm	83 cm	78 cm
XXL	126 cm	84 cm	79 cm

These are the absolute measurements of the garments. A handy way to measure fit is to take measurements from one of your garments that fit you well and choosing the size with the measurements closest to it. Also, make sure to choose a size that has bigger measurements than yourself! Unless of course you prefer really tight shirts.

Long sizes add an additional 4 cm to the sleeve and hem lengths.