| Dont let Mother Nature throw your paintball | | | | Youll want to be protected from head to toe. |
| addiction out in the cold! You can still | | | | We just talked about the importance of |
| play paintball, and in comfort, in the winter | | | | wearing a hat. The proper shoes are |
| weather. Of course, you could just play | | | | important to not only keep your toes warm, |
| indoors, but why let skiers and riders be the | | | | but also to provide the best footing. You |
| only ones who have fun in the white stuff. | | | | will want to have a better tread on the |
| This article will tell you what to wear to | | | | bottom of your shoes since snow can make the |
| keep your game going strong- no matter how | | | | ground slippery. (You know, like snow |
| cold it might be on the field. | | | | tires!) Also, waterproof shoes will keep |
| | | | dampness from getting in and prevent freezing |
| The first thing, and probably most obvious, | | | | phalanges. Doubling up on warm socks is a |
| is to dress in layers. As a paintball | | | | good idea as long as you can still move |
| player, you may already dress in layers to | | | | comfortably. Brining along a dry pair of |
| cut down on bruising. However, in the | | | | socks would be a smart idea as well. |
| winter, you can take it one step further and | | | | |
| add some thermal underwear. Cover that with | | | | You will still need protective eye gear. In |
| a turtleneck and a sweater and then perhaps a | | | | addition to your goggles, you may want to |
| jacket. If during play you begin to get hot, | | | | wear sunglasses. The sun can be damaging in |
| you can easily remove a layer. But, not | | | | the winter. It may not be warming you up, |
| being warm enough will be very uncomfortable. | | | | but its rays can still be harmful to the |
| | | | eyes. There are anti-glare goggles available |
| Next, you want to make sure that your hands | | | | as well. |
| are protected. Frostbite can set in rather | | | | |
| quickly in extreme cold temps, and its first | | | | Aside from clothing, you can also keep your |
| victim is usually fingers and toes. The | | | | body warm by brining a thermos full of hot |
| trick here is that your fingers have to fit | | | | chocolate or coffee. After playing a game, |
| through the trigger hole. That said you must | | | | it could be the cherry on top to keep you |
| choose your glove carefully. There are | | | | warm. |
| plenty of fleece gloves that are thinner and | | | | |
| keep hands very warm. Check around at ski | | | | In addition, you will want to be kind to your |
| shops, ATV apparel shops and even paintball | | | | equipment. Sometimes, plastic can crack in |
| supply stores to find a selection of gloves | | | | extreme cold temps, so try to keep the |
| that allow both movement and plenty of | | | | equipment dry and protect it as much as |
| warmth. | | | | possible. |
| | | | |
| Going along with frostbite attacking your | | | | So, with these tips, you can take your |
| fingers and toes first, heat escapes from | | | | paintball game out of the indoors and into a |
| your head first. That said it is crucial to | | | | real winter wonderland. |
| wear a hat. If it is really cold, perhaps a | | | | |
| robbers knit hat the also covers the face, or | | | | (c) 2005 by Brian Maroevich |
| perhaps a face shield worn by skiers. | | | | |
| Finding a hat the covers your head and ears | | | | -------------------------------------------- |
| will be crucial to your comfort and your | | | | ---Brian Maroevich is a product developer, |
| health. | | | | author, and webmaster for You can join his |
| | | | Paintball Success Tips newsletter for free. |