We have regular paintball competitions at work and I am the guy that organizes them and makes sure that all of the staff have a fun but safe time oh and they are supposed to learn something as well – the boss calls it team building. We have over 300 hundred employees where I work so there is quite a bit to look after when I organize the paintball jaunts. The boss easy that they keep our staff on their toes with our competition and it gives them a chance to let go and have some fun with their colleagues.So through organizing the paintball for work I have learnt everything you need to know about what you need for a paintball competition and here is my list of the most essential:

Things you need for paintball

1. Mask: A mask is one of the most essential pieces of paintball playing equipment and make sure that the mask that you use is approved for paintball and not one that will break under the force of a hit. Remember it is there to protect your face because a direct hit in the eye during play can actually cause blindness;

2. Long sleeved camouflage clothing: This is recommended so that you blend into the environment and don’t stand out as a target;

3. Head covering: Rather than buying headgear with a separate mask we purchase for all of our staff full headgear which protects them totally if they are going to be hit anywhere in the head;

4. Harnesses and Vest for chest protection: The types of chest harnesses that you buy depends on your requirements. As our primary purpose is to ensure that our staff is fully protected this is a key feature in all of our harnesses. The other thing we look for is storage. You want to be able to access a paintball when you need it and not be rummaging around in a bag to reload;

5. Paintball Gun or marker: When you are purchasing a paintball gun you need to understand what sort of environment that you will be using it in and how it will be used. When I mean environment will it be indoor, outside in an open area or in an area where there are a lot of trees. Paintball gun nozzles vary – short or long and the nozzle you use will decide how far you can project the paint. There are a lot of different paintball guns that you can buy and a lot of it depends on the cosmetics of the individual makes – electronic guns are becoming popular as well;

6. Paintball Air Tank: This is what projects the paint in the gun and you need to make sure that this is in good working order and fits your gun;

7. Hopper: The hopper is what feeds the paintballs to the gun;

8. Paintballs: During paintball these are loaded into your gun by the hopper and compressed gas expands to propel them at your opponent;

9. Ghillie suits: we have a few of these and we use them to surprise our staff. They are ponchos and allow the wearer full coverage so that they blend into their surroundings;

10. Gear bags: as we have a lot of paintball gear that we carry back and forth so as this is a significant investment for our company and we want to protect our equipment we thought it was worth getting the hard cases for our equipment. There are many different types of bags and cases depending on how much equipment you have and your personal preference.

Paintball beginner’s common mistakes:

1. Positioning: The newbie at paintball will often more concerned about concealment and protecting themselves than being a threat to other players. Thick bushes or a deep hole may mean concealment but it will give the newbie player very little information about what is happening on the field. They will also forget to shoot back. The ideal concealment is within range of your opponents and allows you to be sheltered while you can still look around and shoot as necessary;

2. Looking Around: Always try and spot your opponent in paintball before he/she sees you so don’t be afraid to look around and reposition yourself to get the jump on them. It is better to look around the side of your shelter rather than the top;

3. Move: Always move to a place in paintball that works for you – don’t get stuck in one place. If you know that you have been spotted move to a better position and if you are pinned down in an open area shoot back and call for help from your team mates;

4. Communicate: Don’t forget to ask for help when playing paintball that’s what your team is there for also make sure that you share the enemies locations with them so you can all work together to win;

5. Shoot: Don’t forget to shoot that is what the game of paintball is all about but make sure that the person you shoot at is on the opposing team. Also remember that if you shoot and miss your target your enemy now knows where you are.
At the end of the day the most important thing about paintball is to have fun. Don’t be afraid to try new things – after all it is a game not a war.