With the arrival of winter, all we need is a warm blanket and a hot cup of cappuccino. Our lazy ass is not ready to even get out of bed and do routine chores. Playing any sport is a farfetched idea in this cold weather where we crave another nap.
Paintball is a fun game during the summer season, but in the winter, it is a big NO. You might be assuming that it is not even safe to play paintball during extremely low temperatures, but you’re wrong. Paintball is an absolutely safe game to play in the winter with a little ploy. We have made a complete guide to help you play winter paintball like a pro.
Problems Faced by Paintballers in Winters
From the breaking of paintball shells to decreased performance of the gun, there are various problems faced by paintballers during winters. Let’s have a concise discussion on it.
Hypothermia
The first and most important thing about playing any sport is the health of the player, which will be affected when the condition is beyond normal. Whether it is extremely hot or cold, the player’s temperature will certainly be affected. The player can suffer from hypothermia in extremely cold temperatures. A clear sign of hypothermia is shivering. To cope with this problem, wear something warm and add layers to your body.
Dehydration
Another condition from which the player might suffer is dehydration. Due to the dry atmosphere, moisture is drawn from the body and you have no idea about it. In such cold weather, thirst is usually not felt by players, and they do not bother to drink plenty of fluids. The feeling of dryness on skin or lips is a sign of dehydration, so be careful of such signs and make sure to drink enough water before going to the field. Also, keep a water bottle with you and sip some water during the game.
Brittle Paintballs
While playing paintball in winters, the paintballs become brittle and result in the breakage of shells. This is due to the extremely cold temperature that happens in winter. However, it also depends on the paint quality. If you get regular paintballs, the gelatin in them will get hardened and deform the structure or at least make it fragile to not reach the target. It usually breaks before even leaving the barrel.
Blurred Vision
Visibility becomes zero due to extreme fog in winter. It is quite tricky for the players to play in such an environment as their goggles might get mist or fog on them. With foggy goggles, you might not be able to see clearly and obviously won’t play the game properly. Once the mist gets on your lens, it can freeze as the temperature drops further. Instead of a single lens, go for the thermal lens to avoid blurred vision during fog. Moreover, don’t forget to apply anti-fog on your mask and goggles.
Related Post – What to wear to paintball in summer?
Decreased pressure of CO2
Though CO2 tanks are best for paintballing, they will be problematic in winters. The main drawback of the CO2 tank during winter is its expansion and decreased pressure. With the expansion of CO2, the gun gets colder, and the performance of the gun marker is impacted. In winter, the pressure of CO2 decreases faster as compared to summer. In this way, the cycling of the marker is affected, and it makes a fluttering sound like a machine gun. Moreover, steam starts to leak from the barrel which is a clear sign of CO2 expansion.
Related: How To Fix a Paintball Gun That Won’t Shoot
Which type of tank is best for winter paintballing?
CO2 tanks are cheaper and the best option for paintballing but not when it comes to a seasonal choice. If you want to know which type of tank is best for winter paintballing, then go for a compressed air tank or HPA as they have minimal to zero effect of cold weather on them. Whether you’re firing fast or slow, there will be no fluttering sound or steam leaking from the barrel. And eventually, the performance of the gun will not be affected. Nitro tanks are another good choice for winter paintballing.
In case you do not find HPA or nitro tanks, you can still use CO2 tanks with some tips and tricks. Shoot at a lower speed so that the expansion takes more time for the trapping of the liquid in the barrel. Another quick tip is to point the marker upwards when not firing so that the liquid doesn’t get into the marker.
Winter Paintballing Tips
From our years of paintballing experience, we have gathered some useful tips for winter paintballing. Here they are:
Keep the paintballs warm or invest in a good quality paint:
Regular paintballs have a soft exterior or shell which can be broken when exposed to extremely cold weather. They are not made of material that can resist extreme temperatures. Instead, they are accompanied to normal temperatures. So try to invest in a good quality paintball that has specific traits for winter paintballing.
Otherwise, keeping warm paintballs is a great idea. You might read it at many pages to keep the paintballs warm all night so that it would be fine the next morning. But you’ll notice that whether you keep it warm all night or not, it will still break in the morning. A decent way to keep this problem away is to keep the balls warm in your car until you reach the field.
Keep the barrel clean:
It is obvious for paintballs to get broken in the barrel before leaving the paintball gun because of cold weather. You may not notice that once your paintball has been broken, it will continue to break. Why? Because a messed-up barrel can further cause breakage of paintballs.
To deal with this problem, you have to clean the messed up barrels several times or whenever the paintball breaks and the residue sticks to the barrel. A squeegee will be helpful in this regard. Clean the paint sludge with a squeegee and play paintball easily.
Wear proper gear for winter paintball:
Although you should wear proper gear whatever sports you’re playing, you should be extra cautious while playing paintball in winter. Make sure to cover yourself with something warm and add layers to it. For example, wear a warm T-shirt and then a sweatshirt on it. Lastly, layer it with a waterproof jacket so that moisture doesn’t get trapped in the clothes and cause a further cold.
Some individuals do not bother to wear warm clothes as they believe that running during the game might heat their bodies enough to not need any sort of layering clothes. Nonetheless, you should make sure that your body must be warm so that you don’t feel uncomfortable while playing or after the game. Avoid wearing the usual canvas and go for waterproof boots to protect your feet from getting wet.
Final Words:
If you’re confused about whether it is safe to play paintball in the winter or not, you might have been clear until now. Playing paintball in the winter is not only safe but an adventure to experience. With proper care and gear, you can play with colors even at the lowest degrees of temperature. Also, take care of the paintballs to maintain their temperature so that it doesn’t break due to cold temperatures.