Paintball requires quite a bit of equipment. Besides the obvious need for a paintball gun, much of the necessary paintball gear is for the player’s protection. In particular, masks and full body gear protect players from the blow of a paintball shot, which can travel 300 feet per second, sometimes even more.

Paintball masks cover the eyes, ears, mouth and nostrils of a player, sometimes even guarding the throat area. The goggles which cover the eye area can provide added protection if they are double-layered. In order to prevent fogging, thermal lenses can be purchased, or internal electric fans can be incorporated into a mask. Anti-fog topical solutions provide a cheaper solution. While safety is top priority when manufacturing these masks, other features such as anti-scratch coating and mask size are also considered. Smaller masks are more expensive, but improve playing by decreasing the target size. They are also more comfortable and increase the possibility for interchanging parts.

In order to resist the wear and tear that comes with paintball, the player’s clothing must be durable and extremely tough. Beyond that, the type of clothing is entirely dependent on what version of paintball will be played. For instance, for scenario games such as woodsball where games are generally played in natural settings, camouflage is key. For paintball versions where the game is played on a smaller field, it will be of benefit for players to wear brighter colors so that they can easily distinguish teammates from opponents.

Other essential equipment includes a hopper and a tank. A hopper is a device that holds paintballs and feeds them into the gun. A tank stores the pressurized air necessary to push the paintball into the barrel of the gun. They are available with either carbon dioxide or compressed air.

Of course, you can’t play paintball without the paintballs themselves or the paintball gun. Once you’ve decided on a gun, you can inquire into what paintballs work best with that particular gun. Paintball guns are either mechanically or electronically fired. Electronic guns require batteries and are generally more expensive. Mechanical guns are louder and typically react slower, but they are very reliable. Electronic guns, on the other hand, are much quieter and provide steady fire action.

Determine your overall budget before deciding on any one piece of gear. Low-end paintball gear is great for beginners, while higher-end gear provides those who play often with reliable and long-lasting equipment.