Paintball Protective Gear Guide Although paintball is considered an extreme sport, it is actually very safe to play as long as you take some simple basic precautions. The most common paintball injuries are bruises and scrapes or abrasions. Nothing serious there and with the right paintball protective gear it is no more dangerous than playing soccer or baseball. Paintball protective gear is an integral part of the game, and with out it, most places won’t even let you play. The gear is worn for safety and typically includes protective clothing, goggles or a face mask, sturdy shoes and gloves. Goggles or Full Face Mask The most dangerous part of paintball is getting shot in the eye with a paintball, which could do some damage. To prevent this from happening the absolutely required piece of paintball protective gear is a pair of goggles or a full face mask that protects your eyes and face from being shot. Make sure your mask is rated to withstand impacts from paintballs traveling at 300 ft/s. Face masks are vastly preferred to goggles as they protect your whole face and getting hit on the cheek or ear with a paintball stings quite a bit. Protective Clothing Getting hit with a paintball does sting and the less paintball protective gear you have on the more it hurts. At the very least you should wear a pair of jeans or other long pants and some sort of thick long sleeved shirt. Thick sweat shirts work well in this regard. The less skin showing the better. Many paintballers prefer to wear one piece jump suits made out of a heavy rip stop cloth as they are very comfortable to wear and to not restrict movement and they can be worn over your normal street clothes. Shoes and Gloves Many times a paintball game will take place on uneven terrain where a cheap pair of tennis shoes simple won’t cut it, in that case it is a good idea to have a high top pair of hiking or combat boots that you can wear to provide solid traction and protect your ankles from sprains. You also will want to wear gloves as part of your paintball protective gear to protect your hands not only from paintballs, but also from the vegetation and terrain you are playing in. Also if it is cold outside frozen fingers can’t manipulate the trigger very fast.

Paintball Tip #1 Educate Yourself! There are a variety of books, videos, and magazines that are availabe to help you improve your paintball game. Whether you want to master the game of paintball or just learn more about it for pure enjoyment, there is plenty of information available. Our favorite Paintball Guide can be found here.

Paintball Tip #2 Don't Buy The First Gun You See! Take your time and learn about the different types of paintball guns and their applications. This will better allow you to invest in a paintball gun that you will be happy with and will fit your needs and budget.

Paintball Tip #3 Protect Yourself! Always wear protective clothing when playing paintball. Its true that paintballs are non lethal, but they can still damage an eye and leave a serious welt. So always wear a full face mask, pants, and long sleeve clothing when playing paintball.