Paintball Gear: Just the Basics

You might have heard of paintball, an exciting sport that anybody can start playing. If you want to play, you will need some basic gear first. This article will outline this gear and help you get out the door and start playing.

Safety first! You don't even want to consider playing paintball until you have yourself a good paintball mask. Be sure that your mask is design for paintball and paintball only. No SCUBA or other mask types, these are not design for taking paintball hits. Any paintball shop should be able to outfit you with a good mask. Be sure that the mask fits you well, since you will be wearing it all the time.

You will also need a marker or a gun. This is what you actually use to shoot the paintballs when playing. There is a huge range of different types of markers available on the market, designed for all different budgets. Pick one that suits you and your budget.

In order to actually shoot your marker, you will need to have an air source. For this, you will be using either CO2 or compressed air/nitrogen. CO2 systems are cheaper, but air based systems provide better performance and reliability. Choose the right system for your marker and budget.

Your next purchase should be a hopper to hold all of your paintballs. I highly recommend getting an agitated/motorized hopper if at all possible. This will greatly reduce the incidence of chopped and jams balls in your marker, which is a great help when playing a fast paced game like paintball.

You will also need many other random accessories, such as squeegees, ball pods and holders, marker repair kits, and many more. Be sure to get a good sturdy set of clothes and shoes for paintball, and be aware that they can stain. Otherwise, though, you are basically ready to play with the gear listed above.

This outlines your basic gear kit to get started playing paintball. Now, all you have to do is get out there, buy some, and start playing! Check by your local or online shop today to start getting the gear you need.