Paintballing Tips

Paintballing is one of the most asked for stag weekend activities. There's something about the thrill of the chase, the guns, the camouflage and the pain. From indoor urban landscapes to outdoor forest courses, even the most unassuming nooks and crannies are transformed into essential hide and shoot spots when armed with guns that fire pellets at a painful 165 mph. Here we look at what you can expect from paintballing and some hints and tips to make sure you get the best out of the experience.

For The First Timers

Going on a stag do where some of you have never been paintballing before is brilliant fun. Though the newbies are trying to hide it, what they're really wondering about is how much it's going to hurt, and for those who have the memories of bruises from stag dos gone past should tell them it only hurts a little – and watch out for their wincing faces at that first striking shot.

When you arrive at the centre for your activity you'll be briefed on safety and as much as we joke about pain and Byker Grove, safety is of primary importance. Don't ever remove your safety helmet when in the field – ever. Warning over, you'll be given your equipment and paintballs and be prepared to want some extra rounds of ammunition as it's very easy to get trigger happy when you're out in the field with all those targets to hit.

Some of the basic games you can expect are capture the flag where you will be split into two teams and you have to infiltrate the opposing team's base and capture their flag, without being shot in the process. Meanwhile they will also be trying to capture your flag. Strategy is everything, as is running round and shooting. You'll soon find out who's watched the most Vietnam War movies as a child...

Some valuable hints and tips that we've gathered from the guys in the office are:

Go in old clothes – though you'll be given overalls there's nothing worse than the paint seeping through and messing up your best threads.

Don't waste your paintballs – You can purchase extra rounds on the day but if you don't want to mess about just be careful how many you're shooting.

Take gloves – even if it's not cold, protecting the impact of a pellet to the fingers will definitely be worthwhile.

Take thick clothes – It absorbs the impact of the pellets, though if it's a hot day we're not sure how long you'll be able to run around in seventeen layers of wool.

Look for cover when you're shooting – Don't go too far from anything that you can' dive behind in case you're getting shot at. Running into wide open spaces and dancing for the lads is not recommended. Stay low, keep your head down and look for other people running into the open.

Wear good waterproof boots – Wet feet is a killer especially if you're on a full days paintballing.

Follow these few tips and you'll be steps ahead of everyone else.

Good luck and enjoy!