It is imperative to wear the right clothes while playing paintball. Wearing the right clothing not only makes the game of paintball more enjoyable but it also makes it safer. A lot of folks think that you have to wear gear and clothes specifically for paintball and that’s just not true.
You’ll see paintballers wearing all sorts of clothing to play and what you want to stay away from are shorts and t-shirts and these just don’t cover enough of your skin. Of course you’ll also see the folks that are all decked out in the latest paintball gear from the most popular paintball apparel manufacturers. You can spend a small fortune on paintball clothes like pants and a jersey but at the end of the day it won’t improve the way you play. What you wear in paintball doesn’t make you any better but it could make you feel more comfortable and relaxed which could lead to a better performance.
Without a doubt the most important thing to focus on when choosing what to wear is picking out clothes that will cover your skin particularly your legs and your arms because those are the body parts that I usually see go uncovered. If you are wearing casual clothing try not to wear anything too light because the paint could stain it permanently. If wearing your own gear, wear clothes that are preferably thick, wear clothes that cover your arms and legs and finally wear something that is loose enough to allow you to be flexible.
Whatever you do don’t wear anything new or anything that you don’t want to lose because not only do you risk getting paint all over it but your clothes could also get torn from rolling around on the ground. Your best bet is to wear clothes that are comfortable and that cover your arms and legs.
You’ll see a lot of paintballers wearing camouflage but that’s not necessary and oftentimes it doesn’t even help. A lot of folks worry about whether or not playing paintball will hurt and paintballs can and will bruise and welt your skin so again… wear clothes that are a little thicker (like a sweatshirt) that cover your arms and legs. If you sunburn easily then you may want to consider using sunblock or just covering your neck.
Probably the most important piece of gear you will wear out to the paintball field is a paintball mask. A paintball mask will protect your face, your ears and your eyes. Under no circumstances should you play paintball without at least goggles but I strongly recommend you wear a paintball mask. If you take anything away from this article it should be that you can get seriously injured if you don’t protect your eyes out on the paintball field.
Again the most important thing when it comes to clothing is to cover yourself from head to toe and to be comfortable in your clothing. Something I haven’t covered yet is wearing gloves to protect your hands as they can also be susceptible. Most paintball guns fire paintballs at a velocity of 250-300 feet per second so it’s important to wear clothing that is thick enough to absorb that. If you plan on playing paintball, wear clothes that are functional and follow the advice in this article and you should be ok.