| Paintball is like many sports out there today. It is hard | | | | the gun. |
| to compete at the same level as others unless you | | | | Air System - Most paintball players use CO2 as their |
| have the right equipment in your gear bag. Here we'll | | | | primary air source. CO2 tanks are reusable, very |
| focus on a few of the 'must have' items in paintball | | | | affordable and can be filled just about anywhere. |
| and explain why it's important to spend the extra buck | | | | There is a better alternative to CO2. Compressed air |
| on them. | | | | paintball tanks (otherwise known as Nitro Tanks) use |
| Paintball Goggle System - Many times paintball goggles | | | | compressed air as the propellant. Using compressed |
| are your only line of defense against an oncoming | | | | air eliminates some of the annoying characteristics of |
| paintball. Paintball masks are specially designed for use | | | | CO2 such as gun freeze-up and extreme changes in |
| in paintball. They are tested and must comply with | | | | ball velocity. Compressed Air does not have to |
| certain safety standards required for use in paintball. | | | | convert into a gas to power the marker. This allows |
| They use special lenses and certain grades of plastic | | | | the compressed air tank to deliver a constant |
| to ensure that the face and ears are properly | | | | pressure to the marker producing more consistent, |
| protected. Using anything other than a 'paintball' | | | | accurate shooting. A compressed air paintball tank is |
| designed mask is just asking for trouble. There are | | | | the tank of choice for competition level players. Most |
| different pricing levels of goggles on the market. Buying | | | | guns on the market are designed to accept either |
| a paintball mask with a thermal lens is money well | | | | CO2 or Compressed Air with no modification at all. |
| spent. Thermal lenses will reduce the chances of | | | | Loader - Your paintball gun will only shoot as fast as |
| fogging when things get hot inside the mask or when | | | | your hopper will load regardless of the gun's firing |
| temperatures are very cold outside. They perform | | | | capacity. Standard hoppers are nothing more than |
| much better than standard 'anti-fog' coated single | | | | storage bins that hold paintballs and allow them to fall |
| lenses. Although buying a thermal goggle system is a | | | | into the receiver via gravity. An electronic loader or a |
| little more money, ask anyone who's experienced a | | | | force-feed mechanic loader will shuttle balls into the |
| day when his or her goggles would not stop fogging. | | | | gun quicker, allowing for faster loading and more |
| It's one of the most frustrating and dangerous things in | | | | consistent high-rate firing. Finding the perfect |
| paintball. | | | | gun-to-loader match is easy. Choose a loader with a |
| Paintball Gun - It goes without saying that you get | | | | loading capacity that will meet or exceed the high-end |
| what you pay for. The more a paintball gun costs, the | | | | bps (balls per second) rating of your marker. |
| more features it will likely have. Buy a gun on the top | | | | Paintballs - We can't stress this enough: don't buy |
| end of your budget. Electronic guns are more | | | | cheap paintballs. Lousy paintballs can turn even a |
| affordable than every before. Purchasing an electronic | | | | thousand dollar marker into a paint sprayer. Better |
| gun will allow you to achieve different firing modes as | | | | paintballs have a better shell, a more consistent size |
| well as higher rates of fire due to the electronic trigger | | | | and higher quality fill. To a varying degree, high-end |
| frame. Most electronic guns will prevent ball breaks as | | | | paintballs are made to resist some of the factors that |
| well. Some paintball guns contain a device called an | | | | affect quality like moisture and temperature. The |
| 'eye'. It will disable the trigger if a ball is not in the | | | | difference between good paint and cheap paint will |
| receiver, this is especially important with balls that are | | | | weigh heavily on your level of enjoyment during a day |
| partially loaded. Disabling the trigger prevents the gun | | | | in the field. |
| from firing thereby preventing a ball to be broken inside | | | | |