11 Tips To Pick The Right Gear For Your Next Paintball Game
Paintball is a fun activity that also requires you to have the right gear. The number one rule of paintball is safety, so if you don’t own your own set of protective gear, make sure to rent it or borrow from a friend before heading out on the battlefield. This will help ensure you avoid injuries and stay safe while playing.
Tips To Choose The Right Gear for Paintball
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when choosing protective gear.
1) Make sure your paintball mask fits properly. You can’t be too safe while playing paintball, especially since you will constantly be running around and dodging the opposing team’s players. Paintballs travel at a high rate of speed, so one hit to the face could cause some serious damage if you don’t have a mask.
2) Make sure to wear proper clothing. While playing paintball, it’s important to wear clothes that will keep you protected from any possible injury. You can never be too careful when you are behind enemy lines trying to complete your mission objectives. It should go without saying that wearing long pants and a shirt is the best way to protect your skin.
3) Make sure your shoes are comfortable and you can run in them without much hassle. You may be running for hours, so make sure you have the right shoes on while you play paintball. Also, make sure they provide decent support in case you step in anything sharp or painful, which could happen if you’re running through the woods.
4) Feet are very important when it comes to paintball, so make sure you have the right footwear on. You don’t want too much or not enough protection, so sandals or flip-flops are out of the question if you plan on playing paintball.
5) Wear durable clothing. If you’re on the field, chances are there is going to be a lot of action going on all around you. You don’t want your clothes getting in the way or tearing when you get shot at while playing paintball. If you wear more protective gear, your clothing doesn’t have to be as durable because it will have some added protection.
6) Make sure to wear protective gloves. Paintballing can be a fun and safe activity, but it can also lead to injuries if you end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. When you’re in close-range combat with an opposing player, your hands will be exposed and could easily get hit by a paintball. Gloves are a good way to protect your hands while playing paintball.
7) wear knee pads, elbow pads, and gloves. These three items will help keep you safe while playing paintball. Make sure they are comfortable, or else it could cause some problems while you’re trying to dodge the opposing team’s shots.
8) Make sure you wear clothing that provides you with enough protection. You can’t be safe and comfortable if your clothing restricts your movements and makes it harder to dodge paintballs. It’s important to find the right balance between safety and comfort.
9) Make sure any equipment or weapons you bring into the field are clean and in good working order. If they’re not, you could end up injuring yourself while playing. You don’t want to be anywhere near a paintball gun or other equipment that isn’t working properly, so make sure everything is clean and in good condition before you play.
10) Make sure your mask has enough breathing room for you to see clearly. Some masks are too tight around the face, which will greatly restrict your field of view. This could cause some serious problems while playing and should be avoided at all costs.
11) Make sure to avoid wearing too much protective gear while you play. You want to be safe and secure, but you also don’t want to prevent yourself from running or dodging the paintballs while playing.
What Gear Do You Need for Paintball?
Before you go out and purchase your own set of paintball gear, check with the fields in your area to see if they have rental equipment available. Chances are, most fields will have everything you’ll need to play.
If they don’t have rentals, go ahead and purchase your gear. Most gear can be bought at paintball specialty shops in your area or online at Amazon. Here are some essentials you’ll need when playing:
Paintballs
These are the most vital pieces of equipment you’ll need, so make sure you have plenty on hand. I recommend investing in a good paintball loader hopper to go with your marker so you can shoot more paintballs throughout the game.
Mask
This is one of the most important gear items you’ll need for playing paintball. You don’t want to buy anything that isn’t multi-layered since this will reduce your chances of getting hit in the head by paintballs. Be sure to buy some anti-fog spray as well.
Hoppers
These are also commonly referred to as magazines or loaders, and you’ll need one for each paintball gun that you bring onto the field. Most hoppers will hold 200-500 balls so be sure to pick something with enough capacity for the number of paintball guns you’ll bring onto the field.
Paintball Gloves
These are important because they will help protect your hands from getting hit, which can hurt quite a bit if you get hit by a paintball at high speeds. They work similarly to motorcycle gloves or batting gloves that baseball players use. Make sure you invest in some good paintball gloves to save your hands.
Paintball Pants
These are mandatory gear items that you MUST WEAR if you don’t want to get hit on the lower body. If your waist is around 36″ or more, then you’ll need to buy pants that are men’s size 34 or more.
Paintball Shoes
You need to wear shoes that are good for running on the paintball field so you can quickly get around the area without slowing yourself down with heavy boots. Besides, most shoe companies make durable paintball sneakers, so it shouldn’t be hard finding something that works well for you.
Paintball Vest
You won’t strictly need one of these, but in my opinion, they are super cool to have when playing. It’s a great way to store your paintball hopper and marker so you don’t have to carry them around with your hands. Plus, some vests come complete with storage pouches that can hold extra markers and other important paintball gear.
Paintball Marker/Gun
Last but not least, you’ll need to buy a good marker. You can either buy one or rent one when playing on the field. It’s always best to buy your gun though since it will give you more freedom in choosing what kind of marker to use in different games and situations.
