Paintballing 101

Frankly Paintball is an awesome sport/hobby. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to engage in combat then you shoudl give paintball a try. Paintball is one of the fastest growing sports in the US and in the world. Paintball can now be seen occasionally on TV and there are also several professional leagues around the US . So how does one get started with paintball?

The easiest way to get started with paintball is to roll up to your local paintball facility and rent all of your equipment and gear for the day. This is a great and low-cost way to see exactly what paintball is all about! As a beginner you don't want to buy any equipment yet because it's a much better idea to take the sport for a test drive first and make sure you like the sport first before you start buying up all kinds of gear.

One of the most important pieces of equipment in paintball is your paintball gun or paintball marker. Paintball guns are pretty complex pieces of equipment. All paintball guns are powered by air and they shoot out little balls full of paint that are designed to burst upon impact. In paintball you eliminate your opponents by shooting them with your paintball gun! Seriously what could be more fun?

Does it hurt to get hit by paintballs?

It does sting a little bit but no where near as much as you're probably thinking. The important thing in paintball is to wear the proper gear to prevent any serious injuries from occurring. I strongly recommend you get yourself a paintball mask to protect your eyes, ears and face. If you're concerned about getting popped in the face by a paintball I would recommend you call your local paintball facility ahead of time and make sure they rent out paintball masks and not just goggles. You'll have a much better time if you can "cut loose" on the paintball field and that's easier to do if you don't have to worry about getting hit in the face.

Paintball is great because you basically get to run around and shoot at people while trying to avoid getting shot yourself. The other great thing is that all paintball fields are different. I play at a local paintball field where it literally looks like the paintball field is in the middle of a junkyard! But that makes it fun becasue there's all kinds of stuff and junk to hide behind and run around.

There are different kinds of games in paintball and they're all different in some way or another. Some of the more popular games are Woodsball, Speedball and my favorite Capture The Flag.

Paintball is a fun hobby that provides thrills and excitement for individuals of all ages. To play paintball you'll need some necessities like a paintball gun and some paintballs which is the "ammo" in paintball. Other equipment is also needed if you don't want to have any accidents at the paintball battleground. While paintball isn't considered hazardous it can be if you don't know what you're doing out there. Paintballs are relatively harmless until they hit you in the eye and that's why you need to wear protective gear over your eyes. Wearing the right gear while playing paintball will almost assure that you won't get hurt and you'll still get to feel the adrenaline rush and excitement of the sport without the fear of getting seriously hurt. The following are what we consider necessities to play paintball.

Paintball Mask. Some hardcore, tough guys will tell you that all you need to play paintball is a good set of goggles but I personally don't enjoy getting hit in the face with paintballs going 250-300 feet per second and sometimes faster! I consider a paintball mask to be a necessity. A good paintball mask will protect your face, ears and eyes, it will be comfortable and lightweight to wear and hopefully it will have lenses that don't fog up easily.

Paintball Gun. Obviously you need something to shoot your opponents with right? If you're just getting started with paintball the best thing you can do is rent your paintball gun the first few times out since paintball guns can get pretty expensive. If you've already decided you want to buy a gun then I highly suggest you do as much research online as possible and read as many reviews about the paintball gun you're planning on buying.

Paintballs. Paintballs are the "bullets" in paintball. Basically you just want to make sure that the paintballs you have are the right size for the barrel fo your paintball gun. Using the wrong size paintballs can really mess with your accuracy.

Hopper. The fancy looking widget you load your paintballs into is called the hopper.

Air. paintball guns use air as their power source and most folks use CO2 because it is cheaper then nitrogen and pretty damn effective. You don't have to worry about hoppers and air supply if you plan on renting your equipment.

Protective Gear. The only thing I consider to be a necessity is a paintball mask but there's a ton of other stuff you can wear to protect yourself out on the paintball field. Elbow pads and knee pads will,help prevent bruising. Paintball pants will allow you to slide around without tearing your skin off. Gloves will protect your hands and important trigger finger. A good jersey will protect your arms from the sting of a paintball.

Paintball can be a lot of fun but the fear of getting blasted with paintballs get sometimes take away from that fun. Wear the right gear and you'll be sure to have a great time.

It is imperative to wear the proper clothes while playing paintball. Wearing the appropriate gear not only makes the experience of paintball more pleasant however it also makes it safer. A lot of folks think that you have to wear clothes and clothing specifically for paintball and that's just not true.

Every now and then I'll see someone out there playing in shorts and a t-shirt and that's just not enough protection to be frank. Of course you'll also see the folks that are all decked out in the latest paintball clothes from the most popular paintball apparel manufacturers. Unfortunately for the folks who spend a small fortune on all of the latest paintball gear, it doesn't make them a lick better at playing paintball. It's important to know that what you wear out on the paintball field will have very little impact on how you play on the paintball field... Focus on covering as much skin as possible.

The most important thing when considering what to wear when playing paintball is to cover yourself from head to toe. Wearing casual clothes is ok for paintball just stay away from any light-colored clothes because they could get stained due to the paint from the paintballs. Your best choice, if wearing your own clothes, is to wear some dark colored clothes that won't be permanently ruined by the paint.

Whatever you do don't wear anything new or anything that you do not need to lose because not only do you risk getting paint all over it but your clothes could also get torn from rolling around on the ground. Your best bet is to wear clothes that are comfortable and that cover your arms and legs.

I get a lot of questions about camouflage and all I have to say is that paintball isn't real combat so camo may be overkill. What's more important is to wear a long sleeve shirt or sweater that will protect your skin from bruising and welting due to paintballs. A really savvy paintballer will wear something to cover his neck or just apply sunscreen to protect the back of his neck from sun burn.

Probably the most important piece of gear you will wear out to the paintball field is a paintball mask. Getting hit it the eyes with a paintball that is traveling at about 300 feet per second could result in a serious injury unless you're wearing a good paintball mask to protect your eyes, ears and face. Under no circumstances should you play paintball without a minimum of goggles but I strongly recommend you wear a paintball mask. If you take anything away from this article it should be that you can get seriously injured if you don't protect your eyes out on the paintball field.

At the end of the day you want to be comfortable in your gear and you want to cover your legs and arms if at all possible. Something else you may want to consider is wearing some gloves to protect your hands. When choosing your clothing just make sure to remember that you may be doing some crouching, rolling and crawling out on the paintball field and that paintballs will be shot at you at a speed of about 300 feet per second on average. If you plan on playing paintball, wear clothes that are functional and follow the advice in this article and you should be ok.

Regrettably when numerous beginners set out to choose their first paintballing gun they inevitably choose a semi-automatic or an automatic paintball gun. Pump paintball guns have gotten a bad rap and should be considered heavily by anyone who is just learning how to play paintball. The concern with pump paintball guns is that you'll be at a disadvantage against users of electric paintball guns. True enough playing with a pump paintball gun will put you at a disadvantage but it will also give you the chance to hone and improve your overall game as well.

When playing paintball it is often the players who have practiced with pump paintball guns that have a distinct advantage on the paintball field. Sure electric guns fire a lot faster but will they help you become more accurate? Not only will using a pump paintball gun force you to be more accurate but most paintballers also believe that pump paintball guns are more accurate then electric paintballs guns as well. Automatic paintball guns have a kick to them and that kick can and often times does produce errant shots. When you combine these things to gether it usually leads to a paintballer who is pretty accurate on the paintballing field.

For paintballers who are having trouble with their accuracy, I always recommend practicing with a pump paintball gun. Using a pump paintball gun will make you more accurate and it'll make you a more patient paintballer. Paintballers that practice with pump paintball guns often become better strategists and tacticians since they can't rely on their weapons to take out their opponents. Using a pump paintball gun will offer you an entirely different perspective on how to approach the game of paintballing and I guarantee you'll be a better player because of it.

All paintballing playing areas are various in what they provide and how the playing areas are laid out.It is well worth your time to check ahead of time and ensure that the paintball facility you plan on visiting has and offers everything you expect to have a good time. Checking out or looking into the following items is a good idea.

Amenities

Visit the pace online and see what there paintball field looks like. What kind of obstructions do they have on the field to make the battle more fun? Do they have an indoor battleground in case it's raining on the day you plan on going paintballing?

Equipment

Most paintball facilities will have the basic gear you need to play paintball. At the very least most places will provide you with a paintball gun and a set of goggles. You may need a little more like a mask and some elbow and knee pads if you plan on taking your family and it's a good idea to call in advance and check to make sure that they rent all of this other gear.

Prices

Obviously you'll also want to check and compare their prices and make sure you're getting good bang for your buck. a good place to go to is pbreview.com because they have reviews of a lot of paintball facilities there.

If you've ever gone paintballing then you know how fun it can be. Most people don't realize how much fun it can be to go out to the local paintball field and blast away at friends and family. Ok I can't tell you how much fun I had shooting at my wife... I kept shooting at her even as she walked off the field! And dads if you have boys you know how competitive those kids are getting as they get older and older. Got a pair of boys like I do? Then you have to know how much those two guys would love to take some shots at each other and don't even get me started on how much older sisters would like to take out their annoying little brothers on the paintball field! Paintball can be fun for the entire family so long as you take a few precautions.

The most important thing when taking your family out to the paintball field is safety. Most families won't be paintballing every single weekend so it's probably best and most economical for you to rent your equipment. That being said not all paintball facilities will rent out all the gear you will need to fully protect your younguns. It's best to call in advance and ensure that they will ahve all the gear you need to have as good time.

The most important piece of equipment on the paintball field is the paintball mask. A good paintball mask will protect your eyes, ears and face. Goggles will do but your wife or kids are going to be pretty upset if they get hit in the face with a paintball going 250-300 feet per second! Better to face and get them some paintball masks and everybody will have a much better time if they don't have to run around scared of being hit.

Next on the list are things that aren't necessities so you have to judge what you think the family will need to not hurt themselves out there. Paintball paints are nice especially if you're going to be sliding around. Elbow and knee pads are also nice to prevent any bruising from crawling around on the floor.

Paintball can and should be a lot of fun and if you take the proper precautions I can virtually guarantee a great time for you and your family!