Machine Vapor: New High End Paintball Marker Review, Information, and Pictures

Machine Paintball is a relatively new brand on the paintball market, but their just released marker - The Machine Vapor - has been a big hit among spoolie lovers. Here is some more information on the Vapor:

MSRP: $1,650 USD
Efficiency: ~1450 shots per 68ci tank fill.
Material: Aluminum.
Features:
- Push-button bolt out back system.
- Tool-less eye covers (magnetic)
- Clamping feedneck.
- 5 peice barrel kit.
- OLED board.
- Cam driven venting ASA.
- Hose free design.

The Machine Vapor is building up a reputation an is a big competitor amongst other high end paintball markers such as the Dye DM12, Planet Eclipse Geo 3, and MacDev Clone GT. The Vapor comes in many different colours and can be found at machinepaintball.com.

Virtue Spire - New Paintball Loader Overview, Pictures, and Information.

The Virtue Spire is the latest high-end electronic paintball loader to be released. As it enters the market, many players find it hard to get rid of their long-owned Rotors and Prophecys in order to test out this new product. Here is some information about the new loader to help you decide.

Specs:

Price: ~$185
Height/Width: 4"
Length: 9"
Capacity: 200+ paintballs
Power: 3 AA batteries
Weight: 16 1/2 oz

Main  features:

Tool-less disassembly
The Virtue Spire can be stripped down quickly and without any use of tools for cleaning and/or changing batteries.

Low profile
The spire is only 4" tall, making it easier to maintain a low profile whether you are tucking into a dorito or hiding in the trees.

Sensor-based operation
Unlike other hoppers who use tension, sound, or break beam eyes to determine when to feed, the Virtue Spire senses the motion of the ball leaving the barrel.

Holds 200 rounds
A legitimate 200 paintballs can fit inside the Spire.

Works with brittle paint
The Spire's spring-loaded anti-jam paddles are advertised to be gentle with paint and rarely jam.

By what it advertises, the Virtue Spire will be a big competitor in the high end market, but only time will tell if it can outlast the classics.

New GOG eNMEy Paintball Marker? (Pictures)

Just posted on the GOG Facebook Page:

"Now, the creative minds behind the Shocker and Ion are changing the face of paintball again with the eNMEy™. With a purely pneumatic design, the eNMEy™ is a regulated spool valve marker in the same price range as entry level blowback paintguns. There's no hammer, mainspring or sear in the eNMEy™. You've got to shoot it to believe it," says GOG's Adam Gardner, referring to the smooth performance made possible by the marker's spool valve design. "That's why we're inviting paintball techs from around the world to take the eNMEy™ tech class free of charge at this year's World Cup – and to leave with an eNMEy™ of their own.""

The GOG eNMEy is set to be released in October of this year, and appears to be a mechanical version of the Smart Parts Vibe/GOG eNVy due to the apparent single trigger. 

Paintball Masks and Breathability: An Observation

I have always considered masks as one of the most important pieces of gear, and have always encouraged other players to invest in a high quality mask before purchasing a marker. However, it wasn't until this past weekend that I realized exactly how much of an impact masks can have.

Having recently acquired two new masks, I brought all three of my masks to the field to test them side by side. I had a pair of JT Proflexes, Empire Events, and Dye i4s. When using these masks separately, they seemed to perform quite similar. Having used my Proflexes numerous times, I started the day wearing my i4s. After a few games, I decided to switch to the Events.

What a difference! Although I had never noticed it before, the i4s were much easier to breathe in than the Events. I found myself moving much slower in snake as I breathed heavily while wearing the Events. I immediately switched back to the i4s for the next game, and had zero breathing issues while I crawled down the entire snake.

Although seemingly similar, that little bit of extra ventilation made wearing the i4s much easier to play in. I felt like sharing to remind players that you can play with a low end marker, but a low end mask will hold you back!

(Side note: The Proflexes breathe 100x better than the i4s and Events. I just don't like getting shot in the mouth!)

Story Time with Dangersnake

This will be my second post, click here to read my introduction.


After my first fail of a game, I couldn't wait to go back. Two weeks later I was back at The Siege Paintball. I was determined to get at least 5 people out that day. I also played how I wanted to - not how Mike from TechPB played, nor like Scott Kemp or Oliver Lang. I filled up my gun with paint and air, and walked down the field to await the refs "GO GO GO." 

He yelled the magic words and guess what, I got shot off the break. So I frustratingly waited for the next game. Next game was about to start in 2 minutes, so I walked back down the field and waited again for those magic words. There they were, so I decided to do a super-man dive right into snake. Soon I realized I was in the enemy "base". I saw three people and got them one by one. I felt bad for one of the guys, I had got him in the ear. 

This concludes my second story/post. I also got all three of them out to win the game. Even though I didn't reach my five man goal, getting three people out in one game is a better accomplishment in my opinion.

This post was written by guest blogger Dangersnake.

Paintball Drills: One vs One Snap Shooting Drill (Jousting)

This is one of my favorite drills. It uses little paint and doesn't require a large field or even airball bunkers. It can be done with anyone, on any field, in any conditions. It allows players to work on skills such as snap shooting, aiming, controlling an opponent, using bunkers effectively, and predicting how your opponent will use his bunker.

As you can see, this drill is very effective. Here is how it is done:

- Choose two players who will be jousting.
- Each player goes to opposite bunkers on the field. The best bunkers to use for this drill or generally shorter, such as aztecs or mini races. If you don't have access to an airball field, try to find some thinner cover in the woods that can be used on both sides.
- When the whistle goes, both players begin to play.
- Neither player can leave their designated bunker.
- After every shot, each player must snap back into their bunker and back out before taking another shot.
- Players can stay out of their bunker, or stay in, as long as they wish. However, they can not take more than one shot in between snaps.
- It is up to your team if players should be eliminated upon one hit, multiple hits, or if they should snap battle until one person runs out of paint.

This drill is truly an amazing skill builder. It is often helpful to give each player a coach, not to tell them what their opponent is doing, but to critique their form and make sure their elbows don't drift out. Remind them to use their bunkers effectively from all sides.

Try this drill with different bunkers at different lengths away. If you are working with new players, start with large bunkers such as cans, spread a good distance across the field. This way, each player has more time to react to oncoming paintballs and snap back in. As they progress, move to closer and smaller bunkers.

Feel free to edit this drill as you so choose. You can allow players to move to different bunkers, or allow multiple shots between snaps. Choose whatever you think will allow players to improve the most

Hopefully this drill works as well with your team as it did with mine!

New MacDev Clone GT Paintball Marker Pictures and Information

I don't usually write short articles like this, but I am very excited for the new MacDev Clone GT to be released. When I saw this picture posted by MacDev I couldn't help but repost it.


From the MacDev Facebook Page:


"Just like to let peple know we have been hard at work in the secret underground lair on new products, we happy to announce there will be a new Clone coming out in march called the Clone GT.........Check out top pro teams Rusian legion, Explicit Syndicate, and Uprising who will be rocking this gun in your favourite format."

As predicted, the GT is macroless. Many players had come to this conclusion because "GT" could stand for "Gas Through". The milling appears to be very unique, and it looks to have the same matchstik barrel, OLED board, and trigger as the previous Clone and Clone VX. The front grip looks a little different ergonomically, although it is most likely still very comfortable, otherwise they would not change from the regular MacDev regulator style to 
whatever that is on a high end marker such as a Clone.

More Information:


- Improved bolt system
- Slightly more efficient
- Venturi face bolt
- Significantly gentler on brittle paint
- Convenient pin lock
- Complete redesigned outer appearance
- Gas-through grip
- Improved ergonomics on grip frame
- New rubber grips
- New trigger guard
- Same electronics and trigger
- Team editions for russian legion, explicit and syndicate

The MacDev Clone GT will have a retail value of $1,399 USD and a release date somewhere in March 2012.

It has potential to be an awesome marker, but we will all have to wait and see!

The Paintball Apocalypse: Is Paintball Dying?

Is paintball dying? In short: kinda.

Players have always been worried that paintball is slowing down, or that the world is losing interest in the sport. This consistency of opinions and rumors could be contributed to the fact that paintball is not an extremely popular sport in comparison to football, hockey, etc. Therefore, there won't always be a large amount of players at the field, or companies in the business. This doesn't necessarily mean that our sport is going to die.

Using the handy-dandy Google Keyword Tool, I did a bit of research on paintball and its relevance on the internet. Currently, the keyword 'paintball' is searched about 6,120,000 times per month globally. Not bad. However, according to Google Insight, this number is much lower than it was from years past. There has been a steady, significant decline in paintball related searches since 2004. Google predicts that this downward slope will continue through 2012.

Is this because paintball is dying? Kinda. The poor economy affects everyone, and paintball is an expensive sport. It only makes sense that as less people have spare cash, less people will be playing paintball. When more people have money, more people will play paintball.

The interest in paintball has not died. The fun and adrenaline is not dying. The sportsmanship and dedication that our players are known for is not going to disappear. When the time is right, our sport will pick back up. For now, most players are gathering on the recball fields, where paint is cheap and there are no radical tournament fees. It seems that recreational paintball is doing quite well considering the decline. As the economy picks back up, so will competitive paintball.

Now what can we as players do to help this happen?

Sitting around and complaining that paintball is dying isn't going to help. If you want paintball to grow, make it happen. Invite your friends to the field next weekend, and show them what paintball is all about. When you see new players at the field, encourage and help them so they stay in the sport. Make a YouTube channel or blog dedicated to paintball, and support those who are doing the same. Buy local.

It is up to us as players to help the game we love. I am not saying paintball is dying, no. But paintball is declining, and it is about time we did something about it.

Here is an interesting opinion from Mike, owner of TechPB:

How to Use Buildings to their Full Effectiveness in Paintball

When playing on a field that has smaller buildings and/or forts it is important to use these to the best of your ability. The way I see buildings and shacks is that they can be useful in some cases, but also a deathtrap in others.  Buildings can be useful in guarding objectives and keeping a major path covered. These types of buildings are quite useful. I rarely enter a building unless it has a good strategic location. The reason being, when you are inside of a building, you are confined to the building’s interior. Getting into a building is much easier than getting out. Also, the walls offer great cover yet limit visibility and awareness of your surroundings. While in a building one good player can clear a whole building in a single move. Here is an example I use a lot when playing on a town style field. In this type of field angle is very important.

Example 1

1. The building is occupied by 2 blue players.  All possible shooting lanes for blue are the dotted lines.

2. One red player is on the side of the building. From his cover he has almost no shot unless the blue pop out of the large back door. With one swift easy move the red player can gain a major advantage.

3. With one swift move the red player can sneak up on the blues flank. If he is noticed he still has a major advantage over the blue players. He gets a way better angle on his opponents.

4. If the blue player stops posting for even a few seconds, the red player can easily run through eliminating the opponents and gaining massive amounts of field for the team. Even if the red player is eliminated during the run through they still got 2 eliminations for 1 lost player.

This is both a diagram to help you defend against this strategy and to attack using this strategy.

I find this very effective when playing with newbies (given you do not bonus ball) because buildings are noob magnets. Noobs will also not be able to keep you held back effectively and with a little patience you can easily clear this building. Wait for them to unexpectedly expose themselves in other windows or openings.

Example 2

1. As you can see, the red team is greatly outnumbered. The first step in a situation like this is to fortify and dig in.

2. It will be difficult to snap shoot them out through windows and vice versa. So the key here is patience and  to wait for them to come to you. When they do try to move up, that is when you seize the opportunity and shoot them out.

3. Cover all angles. In this situation there are 2 reds, if one gets eliminated then the last one is backed into a corner and unless extremely skilled is pretty much eliminated. Teamwork is key especially in and urban themed field.

So these are the key points I have told you to follow:

1. Stay away from small building and forts and use the immobility and lessened awareness to your advantage. (Note: In a heavily urban e.g. Bedlam at CPX or Defend the fort type of game these do not apply.)

2. Teamwork is key.

3. ANGLES.

The use of building can mean Do or Die for a team. Good utilization of these building can be one very good skill to learn and master. In my many years of playing building based fields, I have eliminated many opponents using this strategy. Good utilization of this strategy can completely up your effectiveness on the field

Thank you.

This article was written by Kikkia. Be sure to check out his YouTube Channel.

A step into the world of paintball masks

Paintball masks; quite possibly the most important piece of equipment on your person, which not only allows you to stay in the game, but stay in the game safely. Without a mask, you could lose your vision, and perhaps, your life.

So how do you go into deciding which paintball mask is best for you?

There are many factors that contribute to the terribly hard decision of choosing a paintball mask. To compare masks, we will look at protection, comfort, value, ventilation, and maintenance.   If you frequent the TechPB forums this might sound as revitalization for you from Hebiki’s epic mask showdown, but I will put in my opinions.

    Considering that you have the cash to purchase a quality mask, I will only compare the top of the line masks of modern paintball.

    The JT proflex, Sly Profit, Empire Event, and the Dye i4.

The JT proflex is a wonderful option, which many experienced players roll with. The customization allows for people to mix and match frames and bottoms as they please. Some popular colors you may have heard of are “Cash Money” and “ Cotton Candy.” The foam, although extremely comfortable, can very easily fall apart The foam can almost be considered cheap, compared to other “high-end” masks. Probably one of the greatest factors of this mask is the ventilation. The abundance of vents in the lower part allows for some of the best ventilation on the market. This bottom is made of a soft rubbery material, which leads me to my next point. Because of the softness, it allows for occasional bounces, the key word being occasional. I’ve heard stories of the lower part getting hit, compressing, thus making the paintball roll down, and hit you in the neck, and possibly break. In addition, the Proflex bottom is soft enough to compress and hit your mouth, so at a close enough range, you could have a busted lip. The soft ears provide protection to a very low degree, because the ears are so small, they expose the bottom of your ear and the area under the ear.  In contrast, the value of the Proflex is amazing, retailing around 60 dollars brand new, you have a perfect budget baller goggle system. Taking apart this mask to clean the lenses could be a bit of a trouble, even with the right know-how. All in all, the mask is a great choice, for any situation.

The Sly Profit, one of the more controversial masks on the market. Many professional players use this mask, and it provides many benefits, although some negatives. The lens in my opinion is the best out of the list, because the dual-pane looks and feels very top-of-the-line, and the comfort is phenomenal. This mask feels like you are sitting in a first class airplane. From the double straps, to the velvety goggle foam and ears, you are pretty much wearing a nice beanie, but a beanie that is covering your mouth and nose. The stories are true. No matter how much you argue it, the ventilation is horrible on the Profit, because of the lack of large ventilation holes and vents directly in front of the mouth. Also, because of the bottom caving in a bit, makes it extremely hard to breath out of. Removal of the lens is just plain simple. You can look at the mask and pretty much figure out how to take out the lens. In addition, the mask has amazing protection all around. The ears are well protected with a thick layer of padding, and the mask comes up a bit high to protect the forehead.  With the recent price increase, the value of the mask went down a bit at 100. This mask definitely feels like a top tier mask and putting it on in the pro shop feels nothing like it does out on the field. In the pro shop it just seems like an amazing mask, but on the field it feels like a sauna. The aforementioned ear foam makes it somewhat hard to hear, and the lack of ventilation makes it feel as if you are breathing through a blanket. Although you can rip out the ears, and allow you to hear a bit better, it is still an extremely warm mask. So, to the people who live up north, and you are cold while out on the field this is the mask for you.

    The Empire E-vents. I have had the most experience with these, and they are amazing. Perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it is a nice mask. This one is going to be short, because it’s quite generic, because there is nothing particularly amazing with this mask, but nothing bad either. Ventilation is great, protects your face, comfort is phenomenal, Value, sitting right at 100 dollars is decent, comfort is up there, and dismantling this mask is easy. I have had only a few griefs with the Events. For one, it has an annoying gorilla mouth. When i try to line up my tank with my gun, it hits the nose of my mask, and being a snake player, it’s not exactly comfortable to not be compact when shooting the wire. If you like longer tanks then what I just said was irrelevant. Another slight problem i have with this mask is that when I am taking out the lens, the little retaining clips are annoying. I’ve broken one, and lost another, and it is quite annoying. Put these two little personal annoyances behind, and you’ve got a solid mask.

My personal favorite, the Dye i4. Although the most subjective and expensive option, it is an amazing goggle system. The ventilation is great and it is extremely comfortable, because of how light it is. It feels like a pair of snowboarding goggles that has an extra plastic piece on the bottom. Now here is where Dye loses a lot of customers. The i4’s were made specifically for people with tiny faces. To maintain a low profile, Dye made a small mask. For people with big faces, sorry but you are out of luck, unless you are okay with eating paint and getting shot in the chin constantly, i suggest you veer away from the i4. This mask is made for tiny faces. By contrast, removal of the lenses is a breeze. Push in two clips and the lens comes out. Nothing else leaves the body but the lens. I also mentioned the price earlier. It is the most expensive goggle system on the market. The solid colors are 110, and the 2012 colors are 120. IN MY OPINION, they are worth it if they fit you properly. If you try them on and your face fits in the mask comfortably then you are golden, otherwise, look at the other options. The i4 is a wonderfully made mask, but is very subjective and expensive.

Well, that right about concludes my surface scratch on masks. Just remember these are my opinions, and i do currently own all of these masks. Based on this info (and more) you should decide on what mask is right for you. Go to a pro shop and try them on, or ask a friend who owns them to let you try them on. Paintball in general is subjective, and you can do what you want. Have fun and stay safe!

This article was written by guest blogger xSilent / Snakestripe.

Guest Writer Introduction: Dangersnake

Since this is my first post on Gone Paintballing, I would like to introduce myself. I am 16 years old, and I am an active member on techpb.com - I'm always in the newbie section. I play paintball mostly in Wisconsin, at Brewcity Paintball and The Siege Paintball. I've played about 6 times, so I want my posts to help out new players to feel comfortable and know what there getting into.

My first paintball experience started in the backyard of my dad's house. We were bored and I asked, "Can we go to Walmart and get some paintballs?" He replied with a simple ok. A few hours later, I'm standing face to face to a paintball gun for my first time. My heart was racing, my hands were shaking and sweating. I had never been shot before so my mind was overflowing with thoughts like, "How will it feel?" "Does it hurt?" and, "Will I die?" A few seconds later my mask, torso and legs were covered in paint. I realized that it didn't even hurt! I ran inside and checked out my new battle scars - dumb I know, but it was awesome at the time. After that moment I was addicted to paintball.

On the next coming weekend I went to my local paintball field. On the way there I was so nervous, I had never played paintball before. I even thought to myself, "I'm good at Call of Duty, so its gotta count for something." No it didn't. I got there and had no clue what to do. After watching all those videos on YouTube, I forgot them all. I got shot out every game, and got only one person out within my three hours of play. But that one person made it all worth it.


I hope you guys like my first post and there will be more to come.


This post was written by guest blogger Dangersnake.

Reloading - an In-Depth Look at a Seemingly Simple Task

Quick Tips:

- Continue shooting or at least stay out of your bunker.
- Keep your gun level.
- Keep your eyes forward.
- Don't open the lid of the pod until it is near the lid of your loader.
- Hold the pod for a second to allow the most paint in as possible.
- Give your marker a tilt or shake if you can.
- Drop the pod, don't throw it.

The faster you reload, the faster you can get back 100% in the game. That's why it is important to practice reloading until it is second nature. With these tips in mind, you can become an expert at reloading your paintball marker.

MacDev Announces Production of New Clone!

From the Official Macdev Facebook Page:
"Just like to let peple know we have been hard at work in the secret underground lair on new products, we happy to announce there will be a new Clone coming out in march called the Clone GT.........Check out top pro teams Rusian legion, Explicit Syndicate, and Uprising who will be rocking this gun in your favorite format."


Some players are assuming that "GT" is an acronym for "Gas Thru" in hopes of a macro-less Clone. What do you hope the new Clone will include?

Bore Size: The Basics

As I was skimming the TechPB newbie forum and looking for common paintball questions to write about, I noticed something I hadn't expected. There were a LOT of questions concerning bore size. What is it? What bore size is the stock barrel of ______? Best bore size? The list goes on. I also noticed that not only new players were asking these questions, but experienced tournament players also had questions about bore size. I went to the Google machine, and couldn't really find any solid sources of information on what bore size actually is. So, here is an article all about bore size.

The basic definition of bore size is that it is the diameter of either a paintball or a barrel. The average bore size of paint and barrels is .68. However, they can range from as low as .678 to as high as .689.

The bore size of paint fluctuates based on the manufacturer, and location of purchase. Shipping and climate can cause paint to swell or shrink, which is why the same brand of paint can have different bore sizes depending on the location. Meanwhile, the bore size of barrels fluctuates in order to compensate for the differing paint sizes. The size of barrels ranges from around .678 to .689.

If a player is using a .684 barrel with .689 paint, they are underboring - meaning that the diameter of the barrel is smaller than the diameter of the paint. If a player uses a .689 barrel with .684 paint, they are overboring - the opposite of an underbore.

Overboring and underboring both have advantages and disadvantages. Overboring leads to a slightly less chance of barrel breaks, and has a quieter shot. Meanwhile, underboring provides greater efficiency, and shoots through broken balls better. Matching the paint to bore size exactly provides no real advantage.

Overall, the differences between an underbore and overbore are minimal. Purchasing a full barrel kit is only a good idea if you plan on traveling a lot or using many different brands of paint. Otherwise, find out the bore size of your local field's paint and find a barrel size that over/underbores accordingly.

Cleats 101

There are many different types of cleats. Today we are going to look at the the main types of cleats.

The main style of cleats most players will come across are either the Exalt TRX or the HK shredders. Both are good but also a little pricey. They both have very different styles, but both are top notch and will work in most conditions.

Some people may not like the price or aesthetics of the paintball branded cleats -  that is ok, it's all personal preference - but here is what to look for when buying standard cleats.

This is a very common cleat, the spikes on the bottom differ from the ones on the shredders and TRX as these will embed themselves deeper in the ground relative to others and still allow a player to move fast.

You will notice that this is a similar cleat, but with different spikes. These spikes are more suited for soft soil or mud - they dig in deeper than other cleats, giving more traction. These are a little slower to run in, so these are best suited for back players. I suggest not using these in the woods as they don’t work very well when walking on rocks and logs.

Written for GonePaintballing Blog by PROTOFTW

If you liked this article, be sure to check out his YouTube Page.

Back Player Tips: Breaking Out to Lane

As a back player, it is your job to send a lane of paint at snake or dorito side first thing after the break. In order for your stream of paint to reach the opposition in time, your breakout form must be tuned to perfection.

The regular over-the shoulder technique is no good for a back player. This is fine for running and gunning, however it is inefficient as it requires you to swing your marker 120-160 degrees before you can begin to lane and walk towards your back center bunker.

Instead, place your marker parallel to the board, and lean back so that your tank is on your shoulder. With your marker parallel like this, you will only have to pivot your marker up 90 degrees instead of 160. This small amount will save a bit of time and get your lane up faster.

Once you have your marker parallel to the board and the tank on your shoulder, take a step forward with your dominant foot towards the back center bunker. Lean back on your other foot to keep your marker parallel. Taking the step saves more time. Why wait to move to your back center bunker after the break? Get as close as you can.

As you break out, simultaneously start towards your bunker as you pull up your marker and start firing. Again, this saves time. There is no point standing at the board and laning when you can move to your bunker while doing it. This may cause your lane to be unsteady at first, but with practice a player can learn to move a couple steps forward while sending a steady stream towards snake side.

Follow these steps and you will save a second or so breaking out. It may not seem like much, but one second could mean eliminating the oppositions snake runner or letting him into snake where he might shoot out your front players.

Gone Paintballing Blog will soon have a video on this subject, check back soon!

Dye i4 Unboxing Video

How to Take High Quality Marker Photos for Buy Sell Trade Threads

There comes a time in every players career where he or she must depart with their dearly beloved marker. Putting your gun up for sale in the Buy Sell Trade section of forums such as TechPB allows a faster sale then local classifieds.



Taking a good picture for your B/S/T thread is more than just laying the marker on the ground and snapping a picture with your iphone. Take ten or fifteen minutes to properly light the room and clean your marker. Take a lot of photos with different camera settings and then choose three or four of your best shots. Adjust the levels in photoshop, and if need use the healing brush or blur tool to remove shadows.

A good photo communicates to potential buyers that you have a good product, and that it is taken care of.

Gone Paintballing Blog is now on Facebook and Twitter!

Typing in all 37 characters of http://gonepaintballing.blogspot.com/ can be SUCH a hassle. I mean, who has time for that nowadays? We all have places to go, people to paint.

Fear no more! Gone Paintballing Blog has acquired a nice little Facebook page and Twitter account. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to be updated every week about new articles and happenings here at Gone Paintballing.

Check it out!
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Playing Paintball in the Rain - Is it Worth it?

In a word - yes! Playing paintball in the rain can be a challenging and rewarding experience. Battling the elements adds excitement and difficulty to the sport. But in order to have fun in the rain, certain precautions must be made to keep you and your gear safe, warm, and dry.

Protect Your Marker


You will need to take good care of your marker to keep water from getting into the breach or barrel. If water gets anywhere that a paintball will pass through, the water can cause the ball to swell and break. If water gets into the electronics of the marker, it is possible to fry the board.

Use electrical tape to seal off any creases or holes near the electronics of your marker. Tape around the entire porting of the barrel to prevent moisture from entering through the holes. Tape off anywhere else where you think water could be a problem.

Protect Your Gear


If you have a lid for your loader, use it. Otherwise water will get into your loader and on paint. If you only have a speedfeed, keep your loader covered up as much as possible. Putting a cloth or empty paint bag over your hopper until the start of games helps to keep it dry.

To prevent your mask from fogging up, keep it as dry as possible when not on the field. When your actually playing, use a visor if possible or stretch your beanie over the venting. Do whatever it takes to keep water off of the lens, a fogged up lens is not only a real downer, but can be dangerous!

If you don't need to, don't throw or drop your pods after using them. Close them and put them back in your pack. Throwing them on the ground allows mud and water inside. When they are refilled, the paint will get grime on it and will chop in your marker.

Staying Dry


Bring numerous undershirts. Keep spares dry and change through out the day. It is also good to keep extra shoes, socks, and gloves handy.

Bring a raincoat or water-resistant shirt. If your playing a tournament or special event where your jersey must be worn, then wear a plastic rain poncho on between games.

If there is an option to stand in the rain or under cover, take the cover. Do what you can to stay warm and dry. Take breaks often and warm up in the proshop or in your car.

If your not having fun, go home! Sometimes it is too cold or wet to play, and it isn't worth it to waste valuable paint money on a poor day of play. But if you can stick it out, you might just have the time of your life!