While paintball is a relatively simple sport and it is true that anyone can play, it is very important that if you do decide to get involved that you have all the necessary paintball equipment needed to play the game.
Paintball equipment consists of everything you need to play the game of paintball. Depending on what type of paintball game you will be playing the amount and type of paintball equipment you will need could change. Some scenarios are equipment intensive while others hardly require anything.
At the very least you will need some basic paintball equipment if you plan on playing any kind of paintball. You will need some type of paintball gun also know as a marker, protective clothing, face mask or goggles, paintballs, and an air tank (if your gun uses compressed air or gas).
The proper paintball equipment is crucial, not only to your success, but also for your safety. Paintball is not very dangerous as sports go, but you can still get hurt if you don’t take precautions.
In terms of safety paintball equipment, the biggest must have is a face mask or goggles to protect your eyes. Make sure your eye protection is rated to stop a paintball traveling at 300 feet per second. You will also need some protective clothing in the form of heavy pants and long sleeve shirts. Many paintballers wear heavy one piece work coveralls, as they are comfortable and baggy yet still provide decent padding from the sting of a paintball.
You will also obviously need to include a paintball gun (marker) as part of your paintball equipment. The type of marker you will need is very dependant upon the type of paintball you will be playing as well as your skill level and most certainly your budget. If you are just going to go out behind your house and play with friends occasionally, then you can probably get by with a cheaper gun. However if you plan on playing in paintball tournaments or sanctioned events, you will need a higher quality marker.
Air tanks, paintballs (lots of em), waist pack or backpack, and a cleaning kit pretty much round out the rest of the basic paintball equipment you will need to play this exciting sport.