Paintball 101 (Part 1)

Some time has past since I've written an "intro to paintball"-type of post. Since my last post of this type, some of the information has changed and it seems that the target audience has as well. While I still seem to have some younger cousins that are showing interest in paintball, I have had a bunch of people, 20 & 30-somethings, that have shown some interest as well. Typical questions usually range from 'what equipment should I get', to 'where are good places to play', to 'how do the games work?'

For young and old, no matter what style of paintball you decide to play, the one thing I would stress is choosing to invest in play-time over marker and equipment upgrades. Getting sucked into wanting the latest 'this' or best 'that' can be WAY to easy and in the end your equipment is only as good as you can effectively use it. It's best to first get some experience and then see what equipment you would like to use. Usually, for any first timer I would recommend renting a marker. By marker, of course I mean your paintball air gun. Most of the industry decided to call paintball guns markers. It was the user friendly / politically correct way of not getting disapproving looks from non-players when paintballers were talking about their sport. Personally, I think it probably had more to do with making paintball more attractive to soccer moms shopping at Walmart for their kids. (No disrespect to soccer moms) The term 'marker' is generally more digestible to many than the term 'gun' especially when it comes to kids.

Make no mistakes regarding a paintball marker though. It is not a toy and it can cause serious damage if handled without caution and used without the proper protective gear. By far the most important piece of that gear will be your facemask. Eyes, ears, noses and mouths do not take well to paintball hits. All of the rental packages at any of the paintball fields that I've been to have include a paintball mask as standard equipment for good reason.

All fields will usually offer some way to carry paintballs as well. Paintballs are usually carried in a pod and the pods are usually carried in a pod pack (or paintball harness). The rental type usually looks something like this. Marker, mask and paintballs are the basic components of your gear that will be needed for a day of paintballing. Most fields will offer a rental of coveralls so that you don't get your clothes full of paint and subsequently on the ride home, your car seats.

The good part about going to a field and renting is that they will have everything you need to get going and it is their job to make sure you know how to do it safely. They will remind you to ALWAYS keep your mask on. They will remind you to keep a barrel blocking device installed when in a staging area. (This is usually a plug or small bag that goes over or in the end of a barrel). They will lay out the rules of the game and should be making sure players are obeying those rules, making for a fair and safe game. They will take care of any equipment technical issues that may arise with your rental. You should be busy having fun and shooting your friends worry-free. Going to a paintball field, as opposed to backyard somewhere is definitely the way to go, especially for someone just starting out. It's safer and usually more fun. Once you've played a couple times, you will know if this sport is something you then want to invest your time and money on. You will also have a better idea what equipment you'll want.

I have a scenario game this weekend at Strategy Plus in East Hampton, Connecticut. Strategy Plus does offer rentals and is an excellent field for first-timers and the experienced alike. Let me know if you have any interest in coming out to any of the games in my schedule. I have a few more posts in mind to complete my Paintball 101 update, one describing a few styles of play and another covering some basic of equipment.

Following is a list of fields in the area where you can get in some play-time...

Closer (outdoor)
• Liberty Paintball* (Patterson NY)
• Paintball Sports Inc.* (Plattekill NY)
• Hornet's Nest* (Ancramdale NY)
• Cousins (Coram NY)
• High Velocity Paintball (Coram NY)
• Tuxedo Ridge (Tuxedo NY)

Closer (indoor)
• Vendetta Paintball (West Nyack NY)
• Hornet's Nest (Ancramdale NY)
• Cousins (Staten Island NY)

Further
• Strategy Plus* (East Hampton CT)
• Skirmish* (Jim Thorpe PA)

(Fields marked with an asterisk* are the fields at which I have personally played)

So how 'bout it?!