This Thing Called Paintball
Author: David Diaz
Somewhere in life you came across this game we call paintball.
Either you saw it on a sitcom, in a movie, or a sports channel.
Perhaps maybe even a friend told you all about it and invited you along to the next paintball outing.
Whatever the case something that paintball offers has piqued your interest. So what do you do next?
How do you prepare for your first paintball outing?
First and foremost you need to decide what equipment you would want to play with. If you’re going with a friend your friend may have an extra marker and mask. Maybe even an extra pod pack. If not, you can take the plunge and buy yourself the minimum required equipment needed play: a marker, mask, tank, and hopper. A lot of times, beginner level markers come in packages ready to play and are a great deal. Maybe you can ask Santa to give you one of these packages for Christmas. If those two options don’t work for you, you can always use rental equipment offered by the field you will be playing at. Although not the best, rental equipment will get you started in the exciting game of paintball and if it’s a lot of fun for you and you definitely would want to go again, owing your own equipment is something you would want to do.
The next thing you may want to think about is what you will wear to this paintball outing. Camouflage pants have always been a staple in paintball but any type of somewhat baggy cargo pants are always good to wear. The waist should fit well with a belt so that you’re not always pulling up your pants every move you make. I’ve seen a lot of beginner players play in jeans and I would highly discourage that. Denim jeans don’t breath and so on a hot day they can get really uncomfortable. A long sleeve T-shirt is the way to go with a short sleeve T-shirt underneath. Anymore layers of clothing will actually help cause the paintballs to not break on your body and will make that sting of a paintball a little more pronounced. Gloves are definitely recommended as they’ll protect your hands from scratches and take away a bit of the sting from paintballs. Any type of glove that offers a bit of knuckle padding is good but don’t use gloves that would make it hard for you to shoot your marker. Neck protection is a plus as the neck is a very sensitive place to be shot. There are neck guards paintball companies produce however a rolled up shirt or a bandanna will work as well. Head protections such as Hundredth Monkey Turtle Caps are a great way to keep your noggin safe. Lastly, shoes or boots with ankle protection is recommended as a lot of fields to play have natural hazards.
Going into paintball with these tips and recommendations will definitely make it a better experience your first time out. However, the best bit of advice I can give is to go out and play in whatever is comfortable but safe for you. So have fun, keep playing, and see you out at the field!
