Paintball Your First Day Out.

Paintball on your First Day

Pre-Game Checklist

by Durty Dan

There are things you absolutely HAVE to have in order to make your paintball day a pleasurable experience. The following is a brief checklist of things you'll need in order to have a great day of paintball.

What to Wear

• Comfortable clothing that you don't mind getting dirty.

• Layers of lightweight clothing; it's cooler in the mornings than it is in the afternoon. Also, you'll probably get a little warmer once you start running around. Adrenaline is a factor here.

• Solid footwear that provides good ankle support and traction. Hightop sneakers and hiking boots are good choices.

• Even if you are planning on using the field's coveralls (if available), consider wearing natural-colored or camouflage clothing; think black, green and brown.

• Long sleeves, turtlenecks, hats or bandannas, lightweight gloves, and `athletic support' (for men) are recommended. Paintballs can sting. Women might want to look into wearing a padded bra or protective chest plate for the day.

Things to Bring

• Extra cash for more paintballs and CO2 refills/cartridges; about $25 per person is generally sufficient.

• Camera gear to get pictures of your friends looking silly in green suits.

• A set of dry clothes and footwear for the ride home.

• Plastic or garbage bags to put your dirty clothes and shoes in.

• A cooler with extra pop or juice (No alcholic beverages)

• Bug spray

• Sunscreen

Listen Up

You will be given an orientation briefing before going onto the field — pay attention! They'll go over things like game and field rules, how to use the equipment, and most importantly — SAFETY. Just remember, you won't be sent home if you can't remember how to load your marker, but you WILL be sent home if you are an unsafe player.

The field staff is there to help you, so talk to them if you have a problem. If you have a complaint, voice it politely and calmly; you can get more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.

The "Pros"

On your game day, you may notice other paintball players there. New players mistakenly refer to these players as "pros" or "professionals". They are just people who play paintball on a regular basis and have their own equipment. Try not to be intimidated by them. Don't be afraid to ask questions about their gear. Most experienced players are nice, down-to-earth people who want to share the game.

There are some experienced players that have bad attitudes; just ignore them. They forget that they were newbies once, too. If you have any complaints about their behavior, tell the field staff and let them handle it.

Play Hard! Play Fast! Play Safe!

Durty Dan is in reality Dan Leger, a free-lance writer for numerous painball magazines and websites. He lives in Ontario, Canada. He has been playing recreational paintball for over ten years. He maintains a website that specializes in everything a person needs to know about the sport of paintball. For more information on Durty Dan and paintball, check out his website: http://www.durtydan.com