Basic Paintball Gear and Accessories

As in any sport, proper gear, outfitting and other accessories are always necessary. Paintball gear and accessories not only ensure the safety of players, but they also allow the player to be comfortable. Correct paintball gear is needed to perform safely and effectively.

Prior to paintballing, some gear and accessories should be considered before you actually play the game. Many people are tempted to purchase cheap paint ball gear, however this does come with personal risk to your safety, especially when it comes to buying paintball masks. My advice is to ensure that you purchase a good quality mask, even if it means that you have to settle for a less expensive paintball marker than you would like to own at first. A marker can be upgraded or replaced, but not your eyes!

1. A fundamental part of your gear needed to play paintball is the paintball gun or marker, which is used to fire paintballs at your opponents. There are many paintball guns to choose from. They come in various sizes depending on the needs of any player. You don't have the have the "best" to play and have fun! In addition to the marker you will also need a container or "hopper" to hold your paintballs and an air source to propel the fired paintballs towards your target.

2. A player must have and properly wear a paintball mask as they are required in playing since they ensure the safety of players. Paintball masks are not just ordinary masks, but are masks specifically designed for paintball games. An extra mask would serve as a replacement should you need it. As mentioned above, this piece of equipment must be of good quality, and is arguably the most important piece of gear you need to have if you value your safety! This is not the piece of paint balling equipment that you want to be stingy on if looking to buy cheap paintball gear.

3. Proper paintball clothing is needed when playing paintball. The clothes need to be heavy-duty and the colors are usually those known as “camouflage” so that you cannot easily been seen, especially if playing a type of paintball known as "Woodsball". Players are also required to use shoes intended for running since paintball requires a lot of running, but heavy-duty boots may be used as an alternative if you like to play "Woodsball". Your choice of paintball clothes may vary if you play another type of paintball game called "airball" or "speedball", where hiding from your enemy is not as important. In fact most airball teams seem to prefer bright coloured clothing so that you can easily identify your team-mates during the game.

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4. Squeegees are also recommended equipment for players when out on the paintball field to clean out the barrel of your paintball marker should a paintball break, which often happens. Any type of clean rag or paper towel may also be used to wipe off any paintball hits on the body. Just don't do this body wiping of your paintball clothes during the game as it is very unsportsmanlike and is CHEATING!

5. First-aid kits must also be part of the equipment. Accidents and injuries are sometimes unavoidable and it is better to be safe than sorry.

6. Other tools and gear may be beneficial once a player gets used to the game. You may find that screwdrivers, tweezers, pliers, and even cotton swabs would come in handy. Spare batteries for the guns should also be considered. I have seen many players have their paint balling day ruined due to not having the correct tools or spare parts to fix their paintball marker.

7. A barrel plug or barrel "sock" is generally mandatory at most paintball fields to prevent accidental discharge of a paintball from the paintball gun when the player is not involved in a game. Just remember to take out the plug or remove the barrel sock when you are ready to play, and put them back on or in the barrel when your game is done!

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So to recap, this is what you should be looking at with respect to basic paintballing gear, minus the type of clothing you decide to wear, which will be largely determined by the paintballing course you are playing on.

Correct paint ball gear and accessories are necessities for all paintball players. Some fields do not allow players to play the game if they are not wearing the proper paintball clothing, shoes, etc. Players must always consider their own safety as well as the safety of other players. Protection of the eyes is a priority when playing paintball. All players must observe the safety rules and policies set by the field to allow them to have an enjoyable and danger-free game.

Generally the first item most new paintball players will wish to buy is a paintball marker or paintball gun. It's a "buyer beware market" out there, so before you start looking at the many paintball guns for sale, it is wise to get some buying tips that may save you both money and possible grief later on.

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