What to Wear to Paintball
There is a lot of gear required to have a safe and fun paintball game. Here are the most important things to know to wear to paintball (and what NOT to wear).
Full Face Mask
A full paintball mask is one of the most important pieces of protective equipment to wear when playing paintball.
The mask will provide protection not only to your eyes, but also to your face, mouth, and ears. The mouth and ears are susceptible to damage because they are delicate structures that are not protected by bone or muscle.
Without a mask, your face would be covered in cuts, bruises, and paint and probably be missing a few teeth.
Make sure you are using a full facemask designed for paintball.
Elbow and Knee Pads
Often times, you can find yourself sliding on the ground or hitting into cover hard in the middle of a match.
The only way to really keep your knees and elbows safe is by using protective padding.
This can also help protect your skin from the damage of a direct paintball shot to your knees or elbows which you will be very thankful for.
Without pads and protective gear, you will find yourself scuffed, bruised, and beat up after a long paintball match.
Gloves
Paintball gloves are worn on the hands to provide protection against the paintballs that are shot at the participants.
There are many different types of gloves that are available for purchase, but most paintball gloves are made of materials like neoprene, nylon, or leather.
Gloves can be designed to be tight-fitting for maximum protection, or they can be designed to have a looser fit for better maneuverability.
Groin Protection
When you go to the paintball range, it is not uncommon for opponents to get shot in the groin, which is an area that is often not considered when paintballing.
Consider wearing a cup or other groin protection methods, just in case. Your future children will thank you.
Shoes
When you are attending a paintball game, it’s important to wear the appropriate footwear.
It is not recommended to wear any high-tops, because paintballs can easily get inside the shoe. It is also best to have closed-toe shoes, because it will protect your feet from getting hit with paintballs.
It is usually best to wear tennis shoes that you are comfortable getting down and dirty with. It is also common to see players wearing cleats out on the field for better traction.
What NOT to Wear to Paintball
Many people don’t think about all of the different things that they wear and how it might affect their paintball game.
Loose Fitting Clothing
Loose fitting clothing can easily get caught on cover in the field, or trip you up and cause you to injure yourself.
Avoid wearing clothing that has zippers, buttons, or strings that could easily get caught on something and rip or tear your clothes.
Another issue with loose fitting clothing during paintball is keeping track of when you get shot. With loose clothing, your clothing can get hit by a paintball even though your body was clear.
This will still count as getting shot / disqualifying to you, as this is the only real way to track who’s hit; by the paint on their gear.
Jewelry
One reason is that things like rings, bracelets, earrings and other jewelry can get lost easily in the hustle and bustle of a game, whether it’s indoors or outdoors.
Another issue is keeping your things clean. Getting paint in your jewelry can be difficult to get out and potentially ruin your favorite accessories.
ONLY Goggles
A big mistake sometimes made by noobies to the paintball game is by wearing ONLY goggles, instead of a full-face mask.
This is a huge problem and the first paintball to the face will show you how bad it can be, and you’ll see it in the mirror for a few days afterwards too.
Other Items to Bring to a Paintball Game
Here are a few other items you should consider taking with you to your next paintball game.
Snacks
Paintball is an intense sport and can expend quite a lot of calories.
When you’re out shooting paintballs, you’ll want to have snacks with you. The protein bars will balance out the sugar and carbs of the snacks and will keep your energy up while you’re running around.
If you don’t want to worry about carrying a snack, make sure that there’s a concession stand at the venue or that there is a nearby store where you can buy food.
The best thing to bring with you for a day of paintballing are high-protein snacks like nuts and protein bars. These foods will help maintain your energy level throughout the day, which is important when you’re running around on an active field.
Additional Paintballs
There is no worse feeling than being in the middle of a paintball game and having no paintballs left.
If you are at an indoor paintball arena, generally you can purchase additional paintballs there (at a premium price of course).
However, at an outdoor arena or on a paintball game with your buddies, you will not have that luxury.
Hundreds, even thousands of paintballs can get run through pretty easy, so I suggest you make sure you have plenty of backup ammunition.
Modifications / Accessories
You want to show up to a paintball game with your best stuff and what better way to do that than bring your paintball upgrades and modifications with you.
Bringing your paintball upgrades and modifications with you means that you’ll be able to better defend yourself against the other teams’ players. You’ll be able to shoot more accurately, reload more quickly, and have an edge in speed.
If you’re not sure what paintball upgrades and modifications are allowed at any given event, it’s a good idea to ask the organizers before showing up with any of these things in tow. Some events have restrictions on certain items or bans altogether.
If you are playing in a league, it is important that you follow the rules. Not only will you be ruining the experience for other players if you don’t follow the rules, but if you do not follow them, then the person running the event might need to kick out some of your teammates and penalize them in order to enforce it.
You should remember that following these basic guidelines will keep your game as fair as possible.
Plenty of Water
Packing water is always a good idea when you are going out paintballing.
This may seem obvious, but people forget to bring plenty of water when they go out for a day of paintballing.
If you’ve ever forgotten to bring water and drinks with you, I’m sure you’ll remember to not make that mistake again!
Now You’re Prepared for Your Paintball Games
So there you have it, the do’s and don’ts of what to wear when showing up for a paintball game.
Remember that safety is key when playing this sport or any other.