What to Wear for Paintball: Everything You Need to Know
Are you gearing up to play paintball for the first time? If so, there are some essential pieces of gear that you’ll need to have to ensure your success on the field. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about clothing and equipment when playing paintball.
Wearing the Right Gear
When you play paintball, being able to conceal your position is a crucial element of success. You can use clothing and gear to help achieve this goal. Here are some considerations:
Face Protection
When you are playing paintball, face protection is an absolute must. Although paintballs are non-toxic, they can leave painful welts on your skin if you are stuck in the face. You should consider wearing a full-face mask or goggles with a foam lining to protect against errant shots. This will also keep dirt and debris from entering your eyes.
Avoid Bulky Clothing
Wearing ill-fitting or bulky clothing can cause you to get tangled up in the brush, slowing you down and lowering your effectiveness on the field. Instead, wear lightweight, breathable fabric that won’t restrict movement. Likewise, avoid wearing loose jewelry that might get caught on tree branches while you are running.
Hats and Bandanas
A hat or bandana to cover your head can help conceal your location, too. You should avoid wearing hats that are white, though, since this is often the color worn by hunters to conceal themselves. Instead, wear a hat in earthy tones like green or brown that will blend into the background.
Other Clothing Considerations
You should choose clothing that helps you blend in with the environment and helps conceal your movement:
Dull, earthy colors like green and brown, as opposed to bright white or black Excessively baggy or loose garments; leave these at home since they can be tripped over or snagged by trees or branches No exposed skin since this can make you more visible Try to avoid revealing body movements through clothing
Paintball Clothing Essentials
Although the right clothing is an important element of playing paintball successfully, it’s not the end all be all. You should also own some essential pieces of gear that will help you get the most out of your game.
Paintball pants are an excellent choice to wear over your clothing since these give you the freedom to crawl through bushes and brush without getting snagged, ripped, or otherwise damaged. Many paintball pants also provide additional features like knee pads for crawling along the ground and padded areas where you might be landing after a jump.
Paintball gloves can protect your hands and wrists from scrapes and bruises while you play. When choosing paintball gloves, make sure to get a snug fit that won’t interfere with your ability to grip the gun.
Finally, wearing the right shoes is essential for playing paintball. Running shoes are best since they provide traction on multiple surfaces and help you avoid slipping. You should also opt for a lightweight shoe that won’t slow you down or interfere with your movement.
Other Essential Paintball Gear
In addition to clothing and paintball pants, there are some other items of gear that you’ll need to have in order to be fully prepared:
Paintballs:
Bring plenty of paintballs with you to avoid running out midway through the game. It’s best if you can purchase your paintballs in bulk so that they are ready to go when you need them.
Paintball gun:
If you want to play, you’re going to need a gun. Pick one that feels comfortable and bring lots of spare parts so that it doesn’t malfunction mid-game.
Paintballs and a paintball gun are essential for playing paintball, but if you want to be fully prepared you should also bring these items with you:
Goggles or sunglasses:
Make sure to protect your eyes by bringing goggles or sunglasses with clear lenses. You never know when something might fly into your eyes or bounce off of them.
Deck of cards:
Sometimes you might end up sitting out for a round or two, either due to injury or weather conditions. Bring some entertainment with you like a deck of cards, a book, phone games like “Candy Crush” or something similar to help the time go by more quickly.
A drink:
Thirst is pretty common when you’re running around on the field, so bring along some water or sports drinks to help rehydrate.
Wet wipes:
Having wet wipes on hand can help keep your hands clean after crawling through the dirt. If you don’t like using wet wipes, consider bringing baby powder or hand sanitizer to help with cleaning up.
It’s also a good idea to bring along your phone in case you get separated from your group or need to make an important call. Even though paintball is an active sport, it seems like there are always some people who end up injured or unable to continue due to injury or weather conditions.
If you need to call an ambulance, police, or your parents for a ride home, having your phone on hand can help speed up the process and keep you from getting too stressed out.
Paintball may seem like a simple sport at first glance, but there’s much more to it than simply shooting at another person with paintballs.
Being properly dressed in the right gear will help you enjoy this sport, but it doesn’t compare to preparing your mind for an experience that’s equal parts action and strategy. Learning how to play paintball effectively takes time and practice, but the result is well worth whatever effort you put into it.
If you found this article helpful, please let us know. We love hearing from our readers!
In the meantime, happy painting!
