Protective Gear in Airsoft

[mives]

Hey guys!

To preface this, I'd like to say this is a simple, quick overall guide to a part of airsoft that not a lot of us are familiar with here in South Carolina. A lot of fields around the nation take this a lot more serious then we do. There have been injuries in SC on a regular basis every year that could be avoided. A lot of us don't even take eye protection seriously. As our fields progress in complexity (buildings and structures), and fights get closer and more intense, injuries are more likely to occur. This article will address all the main points I believe airsofters should consider when gearing up for an airsoft game. Feel free to leave your comments, questions, or otherwise (as I know some of you will). Otherwise, enjoy, and I hope some of you can take something away from this.

Cheers,
Matt

Protective Gear in Airsoft


The most overlooked part of airsoft is protective gear. Most players are more
worried about replicating real "load outs" or being "high speed, low drag". The
truth is, airsoft is all about hitting others, and getting hit, by high velocity plastic
bb's. The first consideration any player should make when buying gear is how to
properly protect themselves.

"So what do I need to protect myself", you may ask. Well, lets go through the
list from most important to least. At the top of this list is eye protection, or "eye
pro". You cannot play airsoft if you cannot see. It's impossible. So this means not
only getting eye pro that will protect your precious eyeballs from injury, but also
eye pro that will give you a clear view of the battlefield. Now before I go into the
controversial topic of the merits of different eye pro, let me say this: Wearing "full seal"
eye protection (that is, it has no gaps between the lens and your skin that a
bb can get between) is the only true way to protect your eyes from injury.
This is an undeniable truth. Odds are, if you play airsoft long enough with
unsealed eye pro, a bb will get past that protection. You do not want to play the
lottery with your eyes. Now on to the matter of what kind of full seal eye pro.
This is an ongoing opinion debate among all airsofters. Clear plastic inevitably
fogs, and mesh is hard to see out of (it also potentially leaves your eyes
vulnerable to bb shrapnel from impacting bio bbs). In my experience, the more
money you invest in eye pro, the safer you will be and the better you'll see. If
that means spending sixty to eighty dollars on a pair of thermal lens goggles and
cleaning wipes, then that's what has to be done. Another note from experience is
the importance of taking care of your eye pro. In the same way that you clean
your airsoft guns every couple of games, so should you clean your eye pro. After
every game or every other game, clean off both sides of the lens with a damp
micro-fiber cloth or other soft material. There are also many after market
cleaning solutions for treated lens goggles that can improve the longevity of your
eye pro. If you are unable to throw eighty dollars at a nice pair of goggles, and
have to settle with an untreated lens, then finding an anti-fog solution will be
important. Finding the best solution will be trial and error, but there are multiple
after market bottles of anti-fog available for cheap. Before each game, simply
apply the solution to your lens, let it dry, and play on with a significant reduction
in blinding lens fog! Now, on the subject of cheap goggles... Whenever you look
into eye protection, make sure that the lens are ANSI approved. If the product
description does not mention this important detail, don't even consider buying it.
ANSI stands for the American National Standards Institute, and if a manufacturer
of safety glasses meets or exceeds their set standards for things like impact
resistance, then the manufacturer can put the ANSI stamp on their product. I can
say from experience that having your eye pro fall apart after being hit by a couple
of bbs is not a good situation. It is never worth buying a non-ANSI certified pair
of goggles or glasses.

Now that we've covered eye pro, we can cover the mouth. The number one
injury in airsoft results from getting shot in the head. Teeth knocked completely
out, holes in cheeks, bleeding noses, and even a bleeding tongue... these are just a
few of the injuries I have witnessed time and time again. An alarming number of
players, that I have seen, neglect to protect the rest of their face. This of course
can lead to expensive trips to the dentist office. There is a large selection of face
protection that has more recently included lower mesh masks made just for
airsofters. Other options that have been around longer are balaclava masks and
mouth guards. All of these are your best bet in face protection. Lower mesh
masks have the benefit of maximum protection, but can be bulky and
uncomfortable. Balaclavas are tricky as you have to find a high quality fabric that
won't overheat you and will provide breath-ability. Balaclavas give adequate
protection, but can still leave you with a welt. A mouth guard can be a tooth
saver, but they only provide tooth protection. If you decide to go this route,
make sure you get a custom fit or "mold-able" mouth guard for best comfort
during long airsoft games.

The third piece in the head-pro tri-fecta, is headgear. Whether it's a full on
milspec helmet replica, or just a hat. The best advice is: wear it. It will protect
you from inevitable head shots and rough terrain. There are a multitude of
replica helmets, with varying sizes and features. Obviously the costlier the
helmet, the more comfortable it will be, which is one of the most important
aspects as none of the replica's will truly protect you from any serious accident.
The best, and most popular, so far is the FAST or bump helmet replicas. These
variants are small enough to not overheat or encumber the player, but provide
ample protection from bb's, tree limbs, and the like. The downside to these is the
lack of ear protection. This can be fixed in a number of ways: the best and most
expensive of which is to have a ComTac style headset, the cheapest being any
number of Jerry-rigged ear protection. Some lower mesh masks also cover the
ears and would work in conjunction with the helmet to cover almost all of the
players head, aside from the eye's of course. Balaclava masks normally cover the
ears and top of the head, in addition to the face. If helmets aren't for you then
anything that covers the head with some sort of material will be better then
nothing at all! Even a bandana will prevent bbs from cutting skin and reduce
bruises by a little. Even in wooded terrain I've seen a bloody scalp from a fall and
impact on a root. Never discount the blessing of a helmet in airsoft.

Next we go to the opposite side of the body. Footwear. This is the least
talked about topic in airsoft. No one ever says "dude, check out my new tactical
boots". However, footwear is still very important. There is a long list of reasons
you should invest in a solid set of combat boots. We, as airsofters, often cross
difficult terrain just as military personnel do. Having ankle support, stable footing,
and protection from the elements will ensure that you stay in the fight longer and
avoid injury. If you really want the whole list of reasons, ask any of our armed
forces members. Tennis shoes and hiking boots will slow you down in thick
vegetation or swamps, and leave you unprotected with the possibility of a
sprained ankle.

Last but certainly not least are Battle Dress Uniforms (BDU) and gloves. Both
are really a luxury rather than a necessity as far as safety is concerned. The latest
and greatest gloves and combat uniforms can be expensive. But even a basic set
of woodland camouflage and regular old mechanix gloves can make a world of
difference. Just ask anyone who has been shot in the knuckle or in the side of
their abdomen. A full set of BDUs that cover your body with tough fabric is a
great way to prevent huge welts or broken skin. Not to mention it helps you
blend into your environment. Even thin gloves will prevent a bb from cutting
your skin, and will slightly lessen the sting of knuckle shots.

Next time you're looking to purchase the latest and greatest airsoft gun or
tactical gear, check to make sure you leave some room in your budget for
protective gear as well. Being well protected could mean the difference between
a full day of airsoft and sitting it out because of injury.

[atl]

As far as eye pro I've tried several I honestly like plastic goggles the best though it leaves the mouth open.
I bought a mesh lower face mask but it kept falling off so now I just use a mask which has a smaller well ventilated face cover and no visor and it works pretty well.
Like I said before the mesh lower face mask I have falls off. I tried wearing a shemagh but that too kept falling off and was hot. I found the best thing was a mask even though you don't look uber operator.
I really should get boots but I honestly don't want to spend $100 for shoes just to use at airsoft

[Doublewolf]

I really should get boots but I honestly don't want to spend $100 for shoes just to use at airsoft

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-M ... t/27281159

I usually wear 5.11 boots, but I needed a new pair and didn't have time to order them, so I bought these at my local Wal~Mart to get by. They were very comfortable, but the soles only lasted about a month walking on pavement everyday. They worked so well and were so cheap (at around $20) that I bought another pair to wear every day for five weeks in Ghana, and I didn't have any issues. The soles are still fine (I was mostly walking on dirt or mud). They aren't waterproof and don't drain, but they're certainly better than any pair of running shoes on rugged terrain. They apparently look good, too. I wore them to SAR training and someone asked if they were Keens.

I know they're out of stock online; I actually went to the store to buy them.

Now, nobody has an excuse to wear running shoes to games.

[specter]

I really should get boots but I honestly don't want to spend $100 for shoes just to use at airsoft

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-M ... t/27281159

I usually wear 5.11 boots, but I needed a new pair and didn't have time to order them, so I bought these at my local Wal~Mart to get by. They were very comfortable, but the soles only lasted about a month walking on pavement everyday. They worked so well and were so cheap (at around $20) that I bought another pair to wear every day for five weeks in Ghana, and I didn't have any issues. The soles are still fine (I was mostly walking on dirt or mud). They aren't waterproof and don't drain, but they're certainly better than any pair of running shoes on rugged terrain. They apparently look good, too. I wore them to SAR training and someone asked if they were Keens.

I know they're out of stock online; I actually went to the store to buy them.

Now, nobody has an excuse to wear running shoes to games.

I just picked up a paitr of timberlands that look just like those.

[atl]

Thanks doublewolf, I'll have to buy these before the next game