Keepin it frosty: Play smart, play comfortable
With spring and summer upon us it’s time we discuss keeping cool and comfortable on the field.
1. Breathability: Heavy cotton and multiple layers may blunt those hits but these same fabrics trap in heat. Your body wastes 90% of its energy just regulating your body temperature. Help it out by wearing breathable fabrics and synthetic light fabrics to allow greater air transfer between your garment and skin. If you dig wearing BDU’s try wearing your top ‘Vietnam style” with no base layer. As you run, air will permeate the atmosphere inside your garment. Also, try ditching the beany or base ball cap and run the risk of a nasty dome shot.
2. Weight: It’s not necessarily how much weight you’re carrying, it’s mostly about how you’re carrying it. Did you skimp on your vest and buy a POS? You’re going to pay for it. Make sure the displacement of weight is evenly spread on your vest. If you wear a sling, make sure not to carry more packs on the same side as your gun. Unevenness in the displacement of weight can cause soreness or even pain during play, especially during long games requiring lengthy treks.
Do you feel like you’re carrying too much weight? Trying taking some of the garbage off your boday. I recently decided to purchase a new vest. Instead of carrying four pod packs, I’m carrying three. It’s slightly less weight – doesn’t seem like much, but every little bit counts.
3. Don’t be ghey.
4. Machinegun: How heavy is your marker? Does it look exactly like an AK-47? An M4? You may dig the looks but it’s just extra weight in the eye of your enemy. I’m not saying ditch your primary marker. Just give a light weight paintball gun a try next time you go out to the field. Everything has it’s checks and balances but the sheer physics of the equation affords the user of a smaller marker more dexterity and maneuverability in p8nt combat.
5. Hydration: Beer is great fun but your body shits itself every time you take a swig before, during or after a hard game. It wants water and when daddy doesn’t get his medicine, he’s going to give you a headache, fatique and layzar forbid, heat exhaustion. Start drinking a crap load of water a good two days before a big event. Water, not juice, not gatorade, not milk, not vitamin water… WATER. The day of, drink the gatorade, but up until the event you want your peepee workin over time with the life giving power of wawa. And while we’re on the topic of nutrition, eat a god damn banana for a change. It’s packed with injury and cramp preventing goodness.
