Paintball Stuff
What is All This Paintball Stuff?
By Susan H
My family will tell you there’s no better way to spend a Saturday than on a good paintball course. There’s nothing they like better than to let each other have it with a blast of splattering paint when they’re caught off guard! Paintball is pretty popular in most areas, and after you’ve experienced what several different fields have to offer, you get a sense of what to look for to make sure your day is spent having the most fun you can have. You want to get it right because its an all day affair, if you play like my family does! So just what is all this paintball stuff, anyway?
First of all, you’ve got a choice of indoor or outdoor fields. Here, both inside and outside of the Dallas metroplex, the range offered is pretty good. Both types offer obstacles and game choices, but they differ depending on whether they are outside or inside fields. Indoor obstacles tend to be gigantic inflatables of varying shapes and sizes, used for shelter while advancing to your goal. They also tend to have AstroTurf instead of grass, so they get pretty nasty through the course of the day. That’s not a downside. Every so often between games the water-based paint has to be hosed off the playing field, and even grown adult men LOVE to slide across the wet floor like a batter stealing home while shooting at their opponents!
On outdoor fields, located a little outside of town in any direction, the barriers, obstacles, and goals are trenches, forts, and giant bricks. There are several fields and games to choose from, and referees make all the final decisions. If you say, ‘paintball!‘ my family will go anywhere, but they prefer the outside courses much more.
Most courses will let you walk on without a reservation, but if you think to call ahead, remember to ask about these things for an eventful day that meets your requirements:
- Outhouses? Yes, outdoor courses will usually have outhouses. Some are fine, others, well…
- Teenage referees? How about the size of the staff?
- Do they have a Pro-Shop, do they offer service as well as sales?
- Can you fill your CO2 on site? Can you purchase more paint balls?
- Do they offer food and drink, and a safe observation area to eat and watch?
- Are the cars protected from flying paint balls?
- Do they implement a safety lesson prior to going out to the fields?
- Are safety issues prominently posted and enforced?
Go have fun, but I leave you with a tip:If you get shot in the butt when bent over for any reason, don’t turn around too quickly. This could lead to further unexpected shots to the groin and that are particularly painful! Furthermore, if you’re a loving, caring father, and you bend over to comfort your child, this too could result in a painful buttocks target shot! Are you ready? Let’s go!
You may want to check out my other guide on : Airsoft MP5 and Paintball Squad
