REVIEW: MTEK Flux Carbon-V

From time to time, one needs a new helmet. This one comes fresh from across the pond and has landed at ACTinBlack. They are now the representative for MTEK from the USA and serve Europe, Africa, and Asia. And us: we got our hands on the MTEK Flux Carbon to take a closer look at the helmet. In addition to this variant made of lightweight carbon - the entire helmet weighs 0.9 kilos with 0.34 of that weight attributed to the carbon shell - there is of course the Ballistic version, a fully-fledged military helmet for ballistic protection.

At first glance, one can differentiate between Carbon and Ballistic: one has holes in the helmet. Although, that's not entirely accurate, there is also a Carbon-S model that is closed and has the exact same helmet shape as the Ballistic. The variant in the picture is Carbon-V.

The helmet, according to the manufacturer MTEK, is the "result of several years of design and development work" for an advanced, modular helmet system: "The word FLUX is an acronym for Future, Lightweight, Undercut, eXpandable, derived from the Latin fluxus, meaning 'flow.' Every aspect of the FLUX has a very specific and deliberate purpose while maintaining design continuity - everything 'flows' together." Superficially, the MTEK helmet may appear to be a standard helmet, but upon closer inspection, the observer will recognize that this helmet has unique features.

It all starts with the Rail. MTEK was the first manufacturer to switch to and produce an M-LOK rail. This mounting standard is quickly gaining popularity in the USA, after NSW Crane rated M-LOK better than KeyMod in field tests.

The helmet rails on the FLUX helmet provide space for an endless selection of possible accessories and attachments. The rails use the patented Magpul® M-LOK slots, just like on rifles, representing a sensible standardization. There are multiple attachment points available for routing cables over or around the helmet. The O2 clip attachment is compatible with most center-release buckles.

The stable 3-point mounting system of the rail provides a solid, adaptable platform for mounting a variety of accessories and devices.

And this is how it looks from the inside. In fact, the rail appears quite massive, but due to its hollow structure, it is lightweight.

A detailed look. First screw in the front...

...second screw at the back, with two M-LOK slots in between. You'll need M-LOK adapters for the Comtacs, if you want to mount the active hearing protection on the helmet.

The slot for the oxygen mask.

At the bottom, the third screw and another M-LOK slot. As mentioned, the rail appears more massive than the Ops-Core rail.

Top view of the helmet. Here we see not only the Mohawk patch that extends over the helmet. This is not part of the standard design but an addition by ACTinBlack: The GearSkin Pre-Cuts are laser-cut adhesive Cordura pieces that can be attached to the helmet instead of a cover and can be removed. It's practical and looks great. Here, as you correctly noticed, in Multicam. But it can also be in any other pattern available from GearSkin.

Back to the helmet: here is an exploded diagram that helps understand how the FLUX works. The shell itself has no drilled holes; the screws are mounted in their own slots. This makes the helmet more stable. The intermediate piece between the helmet and the rail can be swapped out, with larger ear pieces available, particularly for the ballistic helmet, to increase protective coverage.

Head slightly tilted, top view of the MTEK Flux Carbon. Velcro and GearSkin cover the entire head protection.

As expected, there is also a nice piece of bungee cord that comes from the sides to the shroud, serving as a stabilizer for a mounted night vision device. It is attached to the front of the shroud until used.

SPARTANAT is the online magazine for Military News, Tactical Life, Gear & Reviews.
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