Do you not have a lot of time to hit the gym during the week? Are you trying to lose weight and reduce your stress levels? Paintball might be right for you.
The problem is knowing what to wear to play paintball. Getting hit doesn’t hurt, but it can sting a little when the paintballs make contact with your bare skin.
That means you have to cover up as much as possible. Putting on the right headgear is essential as well.
Some paintball companies supply things such as coveralls, but in most cases, you’ll have to bring your own stuff. Keep reading for a complete list of things that you’ll need.
Headgear
The main thing that you need to protect when playing paintball is your head. For the most part, nobody should be aiming at your face, but accidents happen.
Paintballs aren’t necessarily dangerous, but anything can be a problem when it makes contact with your eyes fast enough. If a paintball manages to hit you on the top of your head, it’s going to sting.
Many people wear a mask or a pair of goggles from paintballdeals.com to shield their faces. If you don’t want to worry about washing paint out of your hair later, we recommend a full-coverage helmet.
Upper Body Protection
Running around outside with a long sleeve shirt gets hot, but it’s a necessary evil if you’re going to protect your arms. Having that thin layer of clothes can be enough to stop the paintballs from stinging your skin.
If you really want to block out the pain, you can wear a hoodie or sweatshirt on top of your long-sleeved top. If you decide you don’t need the extra layer or you get too hot, you can always take it off.
Lower Body Protection
As is the case with most outdoor activities, shorts are a no-go. When you’re trying to avoid paintballs and hide from your competition, you may end up having to walk through a bush of some kind.
If you’re wearing shorts, the branches will scratch up your legs. You also leave yourself vulnerable to nasty bug bites.
Even if you’re playing indoors, pants should be part of your paintball essentials list. You’ll be doing a lot of crawling and diving. It can cause some serious damage if you’re not wearing long pants.
Protection for Your Hands
For the most part, the people you’re playing paintball with are going to aim for your hands. You don’t have a lot of padding there, so getting hit will hurt. A lot!
It’s for this reason that gloves make the best paintball gear. Note, when we say gloves, we don’t mean winter mittens. Wearing them would make it too hard for you to squeeze the trigger on your gun.
Fingerless gloves will do. They provide enough protection to stop you from taking the brunt of a hit while allowing you to feel your trigger.
Protection for Your Feet
The shoes you wear don’t matter as much as the other pieces of clothing that we’ve named so far. Of course, you’ll be moving around, and there’s always a chance that someone could aim at your feet. To this end, flip-flops aren’t a good idea.
Sneakers are fine. If you know that you’re going to be dealing with a lot of hills and uneven terrain, hiking boots will provide you with the ankle support you’ll need to handle it.
Some people like to wear cleats. If you’re one of these people that’s fine, but go with plastic ones. Most companies ban metal cleats because they will tear up the grass.
Coveralls
If you want to protect yourself from head to toe, coveralls will fit the bill. You can throw them on over whatever else you’re wearing and go wild on the field.
Bonus points if you’re wearing camo coveralls. They will allow you to hide and get the jump on your competition.
The best part? You won’t even have to invest in your own coveralls. Many paintball companies have some available for rent.
Summer Paintballing
Let’s say that you’re going paintballing in the summer. Wearing long pants, a sweatshirt, and a long-sleeved shirt is going to be hot. The last thing you want is to give yourself a heat stroke.
Not sure what to wear to play paintball in that case?
You should still layer up if you don’t want to get hurt. The key is wearing thinner layers. Instead of putting on a hoodie, wear one or two breathable long-sleeve shirts.
Pod Packs and Belts
When playing paintball, it’s important that your ammo is easy to get to. Pod packs will help with that.
They strap around your waist and hold everything that you need. The problem is that they tend to stick out, which will increase your visibility.
It’s also hard to roll around in the grass while you’re wearing something around your waist.
If the pack is getting in the way and you don’t have to carry a lot of paint, belts are a good alternative.
What to Wear to Play Paintball and Keep Yourself Protected
Going paintballing is a great way to work out some stress and get a little exercise. You’re going to have a bad time if you don’t know what to wear to play paintball, though.
If you put on shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, the paintballs will sting your skin. You’ve also got to protect your hands, head, and feet. Enjoy yourself and stay safe.
For more tips that will get you through your weekend of paintballing, feel free to explore the rest of our blog.
