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1st Time Paintballing
Arch Guru XX
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So as the title suggests, I'm about to play paintball for the first time. The place we're going is outdoor, with a variety of courses and gametypes. I might be able to answer questions about it if needed. My first question is - do I need a cup? I'm a little worried about being shot in the junk. Assuming I should get a cup, A) where would I go (sporting goods store?)? and 
what should I look for in buying one? It should be apparent at this point that I have never purchased/used a cup before.
Question two - what should I be wearing? I mean this in terms of fabrics, mainly for my upper body. From a temperature perspective it will probably be in the low-to-upper 90s during the day, so I need to balance some degree of padding with the need to avoid heatstroke. I was thinking several levels of t-shirts with at least one long-sleeve layer. Is that reasonable? For pants I've got a pretty solid canvas-y pair that should do the job; I'm most concerned about the cup issue (see above).
Any other random tips/tricks/suggestions? I will most likely be purchasing a low-level gun and helmet before playing. Getting the gun because last time this group went there were many complaints about the accuracy of the rental guns. Getting the helmet because I have a big head, and it can be a pain to try to squeeze into a helmet/hat a normal person thinks should be big enough for anyone.
Lend me your knowledge! At least two of my bosses will be there so this is an opportunity not to be missed.
what should I look for in buying one? It should be apparent at this point that I have never purchased/used a cup before.Question two - what should I be wearing? I mean this in terms of fabrics, mainly for my upper body. From a temperature perspective it will probably be in the low-to-upper 90s during the day, so I need to balance some degree of padding with the need to avoid heatstroke. I was thinking several levels of t-shirts with at least one long-sleeve layer. Is that reasonable? For pants I've got a pretty solid canvas-y pair that should do the job; I'm most concerned about the cup issue (see above).
Any other random tips/tricks/suggestions? I will most likely be purchasing a low-level gun and helmet before playing. Getting the gun because last time this group went there were many complaints about the accuracy of the rental guns. Getting the helmet because I have a big head, and it can be a pain to try to squeeze into a helmet/hat a normal person thinks should be big enough for anyone.
Lend me your knowledge! At least two of my bosses will be there so this is an opportunity not to be missed.
Should have been a rock star.
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edit: They may not even let you use your own gun, for liability reasons (some douche turns up with twice the firepower, hits someone in the eye, the paintball place gets sued etc).
It stings a bit, and it bruises a bit, but unless you're hyper-sensitive to pain, getting shot with a paintball on bare skin at a reasonable range will be well within your tolerance level.
It doesn't hurt anywhere near people think it does -- you know you've been hit, but that's about it. Some hits will leave a bit of a bruise/mark but it will go in a few days. Hands and extrematies hurt the most.
To be honest, I was FAR more sore from all the running and diving around in the mud and bushes than I was from being shot.
Just wear some fairly loose clothes, such as jeans and a sweatshirt and you'll be fine. They usually give you camo overalls to wear over top anyway. Gloves are a good idea, as being hit on the hand can sting a bit.
As for headgear -- go for something light and airy that protects the front of your face but allows you to see well. A full helmet will be uncomfortable and will probably mist up on the inside (and you do not want to be having to take it off to give it a wipe). They might not actually allow you to wear your own headgear unless you've been paintballing before.
Most places actually discount head-shots in an effort to discourage them, so it doesn't happen much.
Enjoy!
Really, keep your face and groin covered and you'll have a good time.
Seriously, kneepads. You do so much crawling and scrambling around keeping low, if you do not have some solid plastic kneepads, you will hate life within the first couple games. Kneeling on rocks and sticks will kill you.
I can't say I've ever been anywhere that provides any sort of overalls/uniform thing, that would vary from venue to venue. I would personally wear some very baggy loose clothing. Sweat shirt and sweat pants are ideal if you don't want to buy actual paintball apparel. Baggy clothing has two benifits. First, it serves as padding. Clothing that hangs loosely and is big on you will absorb a lot of the impact and prevent you from really getting a nasty sting from being shot. Second, shots are more likely to bounce off your clothing and not break if they hit a big soft sweat shirt sleeve than if they hit your bare skin. You're not out if the paintball doesn't break, so loose clothing can keep you in the game.
I've never worn a cup while paying, but this is really your call. Getting hit in the mommy-daddy button would definately hurt, but it's not terribly likely.
I wouldn't bother buying your own equipment unless you're serious about playing often from now on. Even entry level equipment isn't cheap, and won't be that much more accurate than rental equipment. This being your first time, you're going to suck anyway, so a gun that's a foot more accurate at 50 feet isn't going to make that much of a difference. After you play, you need to take apart and clean your stuff, so you'd also need to figure out how to service the thing yourself. It's a hassle you don't have to worry about with their gear. Plus you may not enjoy the experience, and then you have a bunch of stuff you've laid down money for.
Don't worry about head size with the masks. I have a huge gourd, and every rental mask i've ever worn has worked fine for me. I would suggest wearing a cap of some sort, as the masks only go over your face and getting hit on the head where it doesn't cover can be un-fun.
So, to sum up:
Loose clothing, sweat shirt and loose pants. Something with cargo pockets is good for carrying ammo.
A hat of some sort.
Cup is your call.
KNEEPADS.
Don't buy your own equipment for your first time.
1: Your junk.
2: Bottom lip/teeth.
3: a direct hit to the tiny space between your finger nail and your finger tip.
4: neck
I've been hit everywhere on my body save for my eyes and nose, and those were the four that stand out. I've never bought a cup though. You (well, I) mostly get hit on your arms, legs, chest, and stomach and those don't really hurt.
Also, you don't need padding, but I'd recommend a pair of gloves.
The most important thing to carry with you is a squeegie.
like this one
also a non fogging mask (especially in 90+ degree heat) will make life a lot easier.
Have fun, it's a great sport
I was hiding under a fallen tree halfway up a hill, and while looking up at the top of the hill, a guy shot me from the bottom of the hill. Went straight up through the gap between the mask and my chin and broke on my bottom lip/upper teeth =/
Paintballs by the way, taste god awful.
There's good advice in this thread. I'd like to toss another vote to "Use the rental gear". Paintball is fun, but it's not for everyone and the price can go really high, really fast. My brother spent several grand on his markers before he decided it was too rich for his blood (to say nothing of the money on paint and assorted other gear). A good field should have mid-range rental guns for you to use. They won't be the paint blasting monsters that some people are fielding, but they won't be the plastic Kmart specials either.
Also, bring water. A lot of water. If you've got an ice chest that you can fill with bottled water, pretty much everyone is going to be your friend (the guy who runs the snack bar, less so). Especially in 90+ heat, dehydration is a bad thing.
You may also want to see what the field charges for paint (most places that I've seen won't let outside paint be used). Generally they'll sell it at a discount if you buy larger amounts so it might be worth going in with someone to pick up a case of balls.
So what exactly do you use that for? I mean I can see you pull it through the barrel, but under what circumstances do you need to do that? And what happens if you don't use it?
Second question - knee pads were mentioned and seem like a good idea, what about elbow pads? Not enough crawling around to be worth it?
Kneepads are useful because you'll be kneeling and crouching a lot.
Elbow pads not so much. You typically don't use your elbows as much as your hands when you crawl, and your hands are likely to be full of paintball stuff.
Breaking balls ('chopping paint' I've seen some people say) will kill your experience. There's nothing so frustrating as shooting, seeing a colored spray come out of you barrel, and knowing you've just told the guy you were shooting at where you are and that you can't hit him.
Once you break one ball, odds are, more will follow. This seems (in my woodsball experiences) to happen in very hot weather or very cold. Remove the barrel (or some I think let you shove it through the hopper feed) and run it through a couple times and you should be golden.
If you really want to buy something, I'd suggest kneepads, gloves, and your own mask. Kneepads for the aforementioned reasons, you will be kneeling a lot, and you will hit the dirt hard, a lot. Gloves because getting shot in the knuckles stings, and because they provide decent protection for your hands if you decide you want to lowcrawl through some spiky bushes. A mask because getting a crappy, smelly, scratched up rental mask can really detract from the experience, especially if it doesn't fit well.
None of that is absolutely necessary though, what you will need or sure is a squeegie, rental guns will chop (break a paintball in the barrel) a lot more than high quality guns, which basically renders your accuracy to zero. Also a really good idea is a whole bunch of water in a cooler, and probably some form of snackfood that you can eat real quick between matches. Apples are good, you will be ravenous due to how much energy you are expending.
Don't worry too much about wearing bulky clothing, unless you get shot at point blank it's not going to do much more than sting. I have been shot in the crotch, I didn't notice until someone pointed it out to me, pretty sure that it wouldn't even have broken on me except that it got caught in my fly. If you do feel nervous, wear lots of layers instead of bulky clothing, you will probably want to shed layers as it gets hotter and you get more confidant.
Above all, have fun, it is a game, and while competitive, it's not the end of the world if you don't win a bunch.
On the tips and tricks thing I can only offer one real piece of advice, given that I'm relatively new at the whole thing myself. If you are playing woodsball, especially if you are new and your aim is as bad as mine, do not shoot at people from far away, you will likely miss, and now everyone knows where you are. Get close, really close, close enough that you'd have to be holding the gun backwards to miss, then shoot them a couple times. Then move away from where you were.
If you are playing on a field with bunkers and not brush, do the opposite, don't be stingy with paint, there are only so many places to hide behind, and everyone on the other team can see that. Upside, same applies to them, and people tend to keep their heads down when paint is impacting on the front of their bunker, you can use this to your advantage to pin people down and attempt to move around them so that you can actually hit them.
If playing speedball (a very small field with lots of bunkers), try not to get hit. I'm terrible at speedball, you'll have to ask someone else to help you out there.
Edit: And by one I mean multiple, I'm chatty right now I guess.
When I played I wore shorts and a shirt with a mask. Thats it.
Well, and my mask too.
I've never gotten around to buying knee pads, though I'd wager they help a lot.
If you are going to invest in any equipment in advance, try to get yourself some no-fog goggles/a helmet that allows you to retain peripheral vision. On the one (and only) time I went I rented the "high end" helmet for an extra $5. Yeahhhh....
Okay, here's what I want you to do. Go find two empty toilet paper rolls and hold them up against each eye like binoculars. Then I want you to go to an unfamiliar place and start running around. If you last more than 8 seconds without severely injuring yourself, you're a better person than me. As an alternative, cut a rectangle out of the middle of a piece of paper. Make it about 4" wide and 2" high. Tape the paper with a hole in it it over your computer screen. Now, play Counter-Strike. See what your score is at the end. Note how somebody can be basically right in front of you and just slightly off to your right and you have NO idea they are there. This is what will happen to you if you use shitty goggles/mask. I was running down a hill with such a mask on and failed to notice a huge, dead, gnarly tree branch right at chest level hanging down in my path. I ran full on into it, fell smack on my ass, the cap flew off of my shitty rental paintball gun and all my paintballs went everywhere. I didn't realize this, of course, because I wasn't looking directly at my gun at the time.
If you wear glasses and have a big head you might have a problem fitting them in your helmet.
And don't buy equipment your not even sure you enjoy the sport even. Chances are the field's rental gun is a Tippmann which is better than any shitty entry level gun you can buy.
I've never worn a cup, just some thick pants or heavy cargo shorts if it's really hot. The paint balls can sting pretty good, but it fades quick. They'll leave welts, but when you're running and the adrenaline is up, it's not bad.
Make sure you have a repair kit for the guns with extra rings for the gas. Then again if you're playing at a business, that might not be an issue (we've always just headed out to the woods).
Take a clean rag to wipe off your mask if you get hit in the face - by the end your shirt won't be clean enough to get the mask clean.
The barrel squeegee is also essential.
If I hide myself wherever I go
Am I ever really there?
Definitely wear kneepads if you can. My knees hurt for days (we were playing indoor most of the time, and it IS like having a fistfight in a phone booth.)
I didn't wear a cup, nor did I get hit on or near the Junk. My buddies were not so lucky. One took it twice in a row in the twins, and my other buddy got hit on the very tip. He nearly cried, and I don't blame him.
Loose clothes helped me out, A collar would be hot, but it kept me from taking one right in the neck.
Gloves would have been great, I took a couple shots on the fingers and back of the hand. They stung but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I took about 4-5 shots point blank in the chest, and it stings, but it's not bad.
Have fun.
Barrel squeegies: yes. If the shell of the ball doesn't clear the muzzle of your marker, it'll potentially break the next ball to come through, too, and the next. And the paint will signficiantly affect the trajectory of your ball, adding weight, causing tumble, and decreasing accuracy.
...it only got mentioned once that I saw, but the last two words of the last post are the most important: "have fun." You're going to get shot. In all likelihood you are not a born killer. That's okay. Have fun, don't let yourself get frustrated if you're shot early, and come back with some good stories.
Also, on the topic of good stories: do plan on going some place for beer or food with everyone you play with afterwards so you can share war stories while you're still feeling an adrenaline rush. That is, in all honesty, the best thing about paintballing.