Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests paintballing

I play frequently and havent worn a cup yet. I assume ive just been lucky

I haven't worn a cup in 13 years of playing.

Wear long pants, denim preferably. Don't worry about long sleeves...I usually play in black jeans and whatever T-shirt I grab (gray, black, whatever). Paintball games aren't so much about stealth as they are about movement, and a lot of times you won't even be in a place where you can be camouflaged, so might as well dress for comfort. I know guys who play in shorts. A hit on skin will only sting a little more than a hit through an average longsleeved shirt, and you're more likely to overheat in long sleeves.

The field you play at will provide all the required safety gear. You should, however, take gloves, a bandana or hat for your head, and kneepads if you have them. Lycra cycling shorts help control and protect the boys. If you've got a soft cup, it won't hurt to wear it, but you could also just stuff a washcloth or something similar in there for extra padding.

Most of all, get over the fear of being hit. That apprehension is the worst part of the first time you play...let a buddy pop you once from 30 feet or so the first time you play and you'll know what to expect.

I've been playing about 18 years and never worn a cup, even after taking a shot in the jewels. It wasn't that bad... Then again I never woer a cup for football either.

I find that I barely feel the hits from paintballs anymore unless I get shot from very close range. I don't decide what to wear based on that. I suggest wearing something appropriate for the weather.

How much clothes you wear depends on your tolerance to heat and how much running you plan on doing.

If you're like me you'll wear a thin (SYNTHETIC MATERIAL) shirt and shorts. A cotton shirt will hold your sweat and make you feel very hot. I run around the field constantly, never hunkering down longer than I have to to make a few shots at a target. Staying still in paintball is a great way to get lit up unless you stay all the way in the back near the boundary.

If you aren't going to be running around a lot then you might be able to wear a little more, but do have something lighter to wear in the car and bring lots of water. It gets very hot very fast!!

Whatever you do never ever take off your mask unless the ref says it's okay to do so.

Jeb Hoge made an excellent suggestion about knee pads. I love to dive and if you do too, your knees will thank you for it.

With rental equipment expect to have to get within 60 feet of your target to have a decent chance of scoring a hit. Move quickly from cover to cover and aim. If your balls are arcing all over the place you are too far away. If you break a ball in the barrel call a ref over (in the middle of the game) and ask him to clean it out for you. If you don't your accuracy will drop to nothing and you'll keep breaking your paint and make it worse.

COMMUNICATE!!! Yell at the top of your lungs!!! Unless you are trying to sneak up on someone there is no reason to remain quiet once the engagement starts. Let your teammates know where the opponents are, how many there are and when to cover you or where to move to.

Don't cluster together. If you find that half your team has decided to run into the same large ridgeline you are all going to be flanked and shot from the sides. Decide where you're going before the game begins.

There are many different game types you might be playing. Whatever they are try and keep the plans simple.

Have a great time!

Not mentioned, but if you are playing in the woods, camo is a plus. Never used a cup, If you leave your balls that wide open your crouching wrong......a lot of other good points mentioned. Team work is a must, work in groups

getting shot only hurt if your shot close range or they hit bare skin. The paint almost wipes away, its not like you get hit with a gallon of it.

A few more things came to mind.

When shooting from behind cover only expose your gun and as little as possible of your hand and face. Also don't EVER shoot over the top of your cover unless you have no choice. Shoot from around the sides and shoot low, but not so low that you are unable to move about. Don't keep shooting from the same spot over and over. In addition to moving around, this will go a long way to making you a very hard target.

Also remember that you have feet, knees and an ass, and they need to be hidden too. Kindly remind those that forget to do so with a few rounds to the particular exposed body part.

You might be tempted to buy a paint grenade if they sell those things at the field. Save your money and buy more paint if you really feel the need to spend your cash.

If you find that your range is getting shorter and shorter and your gun is making weird noises or malfunctioning, you might be out of air. Get a refill at the next break. At lunchtime, get an air refill or you'll regret running out in the middle of your first game after lunch.

OKAY, I BOUGHT A CUP, just to make me happy and to protect my jewels, im also going to use some "mechinics gloves" (skin tight) and if i find a bandana ill put that around my neck, thank you all for the info, i have im leaving in 4 hours to try it out,
mike

A hard cup is VERY uncomfortable after an hour or two of running, diving, crouching, etc... new neoprene gel (think keyboard wrist pads) protectors have been developed in the last few years specifically for the sport, they work very well, but are costly for the occassional player. A better option is to take a old bathroom hand towel and tuck half of it into your pants and let the other half drape over the general area. This will act as both padding and as a soft catch for incoming paintballs; the towel will actually prevent the balls (either ones) from breaking. (this is an old tourney trick, and is why the rule books still has an excemption that allows for a player to carry a small towel on field with them.)

Male groin injuries incured by unprotected players account for SECOND HIGHEST injury to paintball players, #1 is joint sprains.

Almost all paintball paint is machine washable, HOWEVER just because it is washable does not mean that simple laundry soap will remove it. Many paintball fills DO require the usage of a stain remover to fully remove the paint



As an Ex-International Tourney Player, and as a Field Ref. the most important things to remember are:
1. DO NOT TAKE YOUR MASK OFF UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE WHILE ON THE FIELD, unless all barrels are covered, placed on the ground, and you are instructed it is safe by the REF!!!
2. IT IS ONLY A GAME
3. Have Fun
4. Do NOT take things overly serious and detract from the capability of others to enjoy the game.
5. People will accidentally continue to mark you after you have called yourself out, DO NOT GET MAD AND START ACTING LIKE A CHILD!!!
5. Try to be fair and not mark opponents more than needed.

I could go on, but I digress.

basicly you want to avoid a "bare skin" hit if you get hit directly its going to hurt and likely leave a welt. but getting hit on bare skin is much worse. also wearing thin gloves is good to cover the skin on your hands. Ive heard you can split the skin on your knuckes if hit right without gloves

Definitely use common sense and remain cool headed if you pounce on someone at point blank or they pounce on you.

Put your hands up if they got you, and ask them to leave if you got them. If they are dumb and turn on you, then let 'em have one in the butt.

As Pope said, there's no need to ruin anyone's day.

Help the refs do their jobs. If someone isn't listening and even thinks about touching their gun while the group has their masks off STOP THEM. Remind them that they need to wait until the masks go back on. There is no safe way to touch a paintball gun while anyone is not wearing a mask even if you are just "reloading".

It makes a difference when the refs don't have to be barking at everyone for their own safety.

1. Don't wipe. It's tempting, but don't do it. If you wipe, you are an ass. Just don't.

2. Keep a wad of clean paper towels in every pocket. Things get really messy, and you'll need to clean your goggles.

3. I take a towel and loop it through my belt football player style to guard my junk. It's been tested, and it works pretty well.

4. Neck protection is a must. Any old rag will work, just get some thick, soft fabric on it.

5. Run. Running wins games. Get a buddy and take turns providing cover fire. Against other newbies, run-n-gun will dominate. It may not always work at first, but as the night goes on they WILL run out of paint sometime.

Have fun!