What sort of protective equipment is useful in paintball?

Basic protection is provided by:

• Mask

• Boots

• Gloves

Many woodsball players also seek additional protection for the rough and tumble of recball play. This protects them not only against paintballs, but also the surrounding environment.

• Knees

• Arms

• Groin and hips

• Head

• Body Armour

Kneepads

These come in 3 main types: 'military', paintball and other.

Military Kneepads

Hatch Centurion Kneepads

Synopsis

Many woodsball players wear these, not only because they fit in with the 'mil-sim' look, but because they offer good protection and are rugged. Most popular are the kneepads such as Hatch 'Centurion' or Blackhawk 'Hellstorm'. These are worn outside of clothing and offer a hard plastic protection with soft foam backing. Worn on operations by Armies and SWAT teams these have been proven not only in combat. As a result, they are ideal for woodsball.

Cost: c£20

Pros

• Superior protection to 'soft' kneepads

• Better looking and more appropriate than say skateboarding kneepads

• Can be purchased in a variety of colours to match camouflage

Cons

• Straps can be stiff initially and take getting used to. This will ease with time and washing.

• Large amounts of sand can cause problems with Velcro straps.

• Paintball magnet - paintballs will not bounce off these

Tips:  Such kneepads are machine washable - let them dry and scrape large pieces of mud off. Place kneepads in a gauze wash bag and ensure that there are other items of clothing in the washing machine to absorb impact. Kneepads can be washed on a cool cycle and then left to dry.

Paintball Kneepads

Dye kneepads

Synopsis

Specifically designed for paintball these are traditionally made of a combination of rubber and similar materials with stronger 'armoured' material at key points. They can be worn inside or outside of trousers. They are primarily aimed at 'speedballers' playing on mowed grass or astro rather than in woods, rocks or buildings.

Cost £15-£35

Pros

• Specifically designed for paintball

• Can be more comfortable and ergonomic than military kneepads

• May offer greater 'bounceability' vis-a-vis military kneepads

Cons

• Offer less protection against the environment than military kneepads

• Less robust than military kneepads

Other Kneepads

Other types of kneepads can be worn for paintball and can provide certain levels of protection

Indoor Volleyball kneepads

Volleyball kneepads

Synopsis

Soft material kneepads designed for indoor volleyball that can be worn inside trousers.

Cost c£10

Pros

• Cheap

• Can be more comfortable and ergonomic than military kneepads

Cons

• Offer less protection against the environment than military kneepads

• Less robust than military kneepads

• Prone to slipping when player is sliding on the ground.

Skateboard kneepads

Pro Tec Skateboard kneepads

Synopsis

Hard shell kneepads with inner soft material. Worn outside of trousers.

Cost c£10-£30

Pros

• Variety of prices

• Offer more protection than indoor volleyball kneepads

• Can be obtained from your local 'extreme sports' shop.

Cons

• Can look somewhat out of place depending on style or colour

• Less robust than military kneepads

• Paintball magnet - paintballs will not bounce off these

Forearm/Elbow Pads

These come in 3 main types - paintball specific pads that offer protection from wrist to elbow, soft elbow pads worn inside clothing, hard shell 'military' style elbow pads worn outside of clothing.

Paintball specific Forearm-Elbow pads

Dye Elbow Pad

Synopsis

Specifically designed for paintball these offer a player superior levels of protection while not restricting movement. A recommended example of these is the Dye C5 forearm pad which can be worn inside of

Cost: £20-£40

Pros

• Good protection for both arm and elbow

• Less likely to slip than internal soft elbow only pads

• Offer some 'bounce ability' - more so than external military style kneepads.

• Lower profile than military elbow pads

Cons

• Hotter in the summer than elbow only pads

• Can be expensive

Tip: Spending money on a pair of Dye C5 elbow pads is a wise investment. They are ergonomically design and not only protect the elbows from impact damage, but help prevent 'bunker rash' on the forearms when sliding on the ground. They are less prone to slip than internal soft pads and don't increase your profile.

Soft 'Internal' elbow pads

Hatch neoprene elbow pads

Synopsis

Fabric foam padded elbow pads worn inside of combat clothing

Cost: TBA

Pros

• Offer some 'bounce ability' - more so than external military style kneepads.

• Lower profile than military elbow pads

Cons

• Can slip when body sliding

• Do not protect forearm

Military External Elbow Pads

Hatch Centurion Elbow pads

Synopsis

Counterpart to the Hatch Centurion kneepads, these elbow pads offer a hard plastic shell with foam inner. They offer superior impact protection to fabric only elbow pads.

Cost: £15

Pros

• Offer superior impact protection than alternatives.

Cons

• Do not protect forearm

• Can be less ergonomic and comfortable than alternatives.

• Paintball magnet - higher profile than soft internal elbow pads, their hard outer shell is ideal for breaking paintballs.

Groin and Hips

Whether male or female, protecting your reproductive organs is sensible not only from a biological perspective, but also because getting shot there can be somewhat more painful than in other areas. Avoiding flying paintballs can involve a fair amount of body sliding and diving. Getting shot in the butt can sting. As a result, there are a number of options for those who wish to protect sensitive areas.

Paintball sliding shorts

Dye slide shorts [male + female]

Synopsis

Worn inside combat clothing these are specifically designed for paintball purposes and represented a cross between cycling shorts and hip pads worn for snowboarding. These usually consist of a lycra short with vent holes. On the outside are foam, rubber and plastic padding to protect the coccyx, hips, butt and outer thighs. Most also offer a form of 'cup' protection for protecting your bits. These come in both male and female version and are cut for both.

Cost: c£35

Pros

• Offer good all round protection to sensitive areas.

• Offer more ergonomic protection than wearing a cricket box

• Specifically designed for paintball

Cons

• You have to pull them down to use the toilet.

Recommendation:  Dye Sliding shorts are ideal for summer or winter. The butt and side padding prevents 'bunker rash' and nasty welts, while at the front is a cup area to which some foam exists and more can be added depending on user preference. The coolmax venting keeps the wearer well vented in summer. They don't add significantly to the players profile, although its probably worth ensuring your combat trousers aren't skin tight if you're going to wear them over them.

Headwear

Masks are compulsory and offer varying degrees of protection depending on make and model. All should protect the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. The amount of protection they offer to the neck, top or back of the head depends on the model. Manufacturers are now making some masks e.g. JT Headshield that offer all round protection. For the wearer of a 'standard' mask, a number of options exist should he or she wish to protect themselves above the shoulders.

Baseball cap

Synopsis

Standard baseball cap when worn backwards can be held in place by the mask strap. This reversed peak protects the back of the neck

Pros

• You've probably got one lying around somewhere...
• Can protect you from the sun if its particularly hot

Cons

• Don't wear your favourite it will get covered in paint, mud etc
• colour choice is important ... luminous colours &/ wearing the colour of the opposition team may not be sensible/permitted.
• Won't protect the top of your head much.

Tip: A baseball cap [or DPM cap] can be modified by gluing thin layers of foam inside. This will provide a level of protection and some 'bounce-ability'.

Armoured baseball cap

Synopsis

Some manufacturers e.g. www.aircombat.co.uk have manufactured standard baseball caps pre-fitted with either foam or plastic linings. These allow the player to retain the appearance and benefits of a reversed baseball cap while offering enhanced protection.

Pros

• superior protection to just wearing a baseball cap
• similar ergonomic profile to wearing a baseball cap - lower profile and weight than a helmet
• can be obtained in variety of colours including woodland

Cons

• Airsoft caps may provide modification
• Offer less all round protection than a helmet

Hint: You can modify the aircombat cap to be more effective by superglueing some foam to cover the hole where the adjuster band is. This protects the forehead when the cap is worn with a paintball mask.

Headband

Synopsis

A gel filled headband can prevent sweat dripping into your eyes will offering some protection to the forehead

Cost: £10

Pros

• Low - profile for bullet dodging
• cooler in summer than helmets or caps
• sweatband useful in summer
• you look like a rambo-esque loon and might scare other players...

Cons

• Minimal impact protection
• you look like a rambo-esque loon and everyone will want to shoot you...

Replica PASGT Helmet

  Replica PASGT Helmets

  Replica PASGT helmet with JT Flex 7 Mask, Dutch DPM helmet cover + burlap camo.

Synopsis

Cheap replicas of US Army PASGT or MICH helmets are widely available. These look like the real thing, but are many times lighter. While offering no ballistic protection, they'll easily cope with paintballs and will offer greater protection against other impacts than say baseball caps. If you remove the front sweat band a mask such as the JT Flex 7 can fit under the mask [if mask visor is removed]. The mask strap is placed around the back of the helmet, and the helmet chin strap is used to tighten both together. If done correctly, this leaves a snug fit with no slippage.

Cost: £30

Pros

• Come in a variety of forms and types, along with a variety of helmet covers - you can alter the cover depending on the environment.
• Can add camouftlage to it.
• Looks 'very' mil-sim.
• Lots of protection from both paintballs and other impacts- ideal for CQB when fighting is at close range or you are being shot at from above.

Cons

• bullet magnet - increases your profile greatly; paintballs break easily on hard outer of helmet
• reduced ventilation - can be hot in summer. Nice and warm in winter though.
• heavier than wearing a cap - can take getting used to.
• may require purchasing two masks - you might want 1 mask for certain types of games, and another for for use with helmet for others.
• reduced hearing - although can be useful when wearing an earpiece as background noise is blocked out.

Skateboard/kayak helmet

Pro tec skateboard helmet

Synopsis

For many years special forces troops e.g. US Army Delta Force have been wearing Ice Hockey, Skateboard or Kayaking helmets on certain types of operation. Although these offer no ballistic protection, on missions where there is unlikely to be artillery shrapnel, but protection is still required from bumping into objects, they represented a superior alternative to standard Kevlar PASGT helmets. Helmets such as Pro-Tec skateboarding helmets are much lighter than the kevlar equivalents and are specifically designed for 'extreme' sports. They offer superior ventilation and acoustics. Because of their shape, many of these can be used in an ergonomic fashion in conjunction with a paintball mask.

Pros

• Specifically designed for extreme impact sports - unlike replica helmets.
• Delta Force 'operator' look - e.g. 'Blackhawk down'
• Can fit better with certain types of mask than replica military helmets.
• Come in variety of types and sizes - military helmet covers can be obtained, or they can be spray-painted.
• You can go down your local 'extreme sports' shop and try one on: easy to obtain.

Cons

• bullet magnet - increases your profile to some extent; paintballs break easily on hard outer of helmet
• reduced ventilation - can be hotter in summer than a cap
• heavier than wearing a cap - can take getting used to.
• may require purchasing two masks - you might want 1 mask for certain types of games, and another for for use with helmet for others.
• reduced hearing - although generally better than replica PASGT

Body Armour

Body armour in paintball terms traditionally refers to protection of your chest and back. This comes in a variety of flavours from paintball specific, milsim or 'DIY' milsim.

Paintball specific body armour

TBA

Milsim body armour

TBA

DIY Milsim body armour

TBA