Remember as a kid growing up watching those cheesy action movies? You wanted to quickly become an adult so you could kick ass like your favorite heroes died on camera. We’ve got some pretty awesome action stars over the years, from Sylvester Stallone to Steven Seagal, and it was easy to want to grow up shooting people like these guys did on film. Unfortunately, it’s sort of illegal to go around popping people full of lead, but that doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in your action fantasies. Fate has smiled upon us adrenaline lovers and paintball was created. Sure, your enemies don’t end up dead after you’re done with them, but the game gives you the rush you’re after, and it’s everything an action lover would want. It’s quite the fun experience and it’s definitely one you should try out at least once. It’s also a good idea to invest in your own gear, because customizing your weapons is always smart.
Here’s why you need to get into paintball and why you should get your own gear.
A different activity
Ever feel like your entire outings with friends are pretty much all the same? You either go hang at a bar, eat at a restaurant, or go watch a movie. This routine kills the joy of hanging out with friends, and you soon rather stay at home than do many of the same. Then you have competitive paintball, the perfect way to change your routine and spice things up a little bit. It’s a great activity to do with your friends, and it’s definitely unlike anything you’ve ever done before. So, why not go and try something new for a change? You can tell people you play football or baseball, and you’d be hard pressed to get a reaction. But tell them you play paintball, and watch their eyes sparkle with interest- and watch their eyes grow even wider when you tell them you actually own your own gear! It’s true, the game is growing in popularity, but most are yet to play it. So, you’ll find many careful ears listening to your exploits on the field, shooting combatants and going over enemy lines.
Good exercise
Think Stallone or Schwarzenegger got to wasting all those bad guys by growing beer bellies and staying on the couch? Probably not. You need to be fit and in shape to run around killing bad guys, and paintball is no exception to that rule. The game will give you a ton of exercise and is a great way to get moving instead of loitering around all day. What better way to get in shape than with a hand held rifle, killing your friends with paintballs? It’s a pretty thorough full body workout, especially if you have your own vests- they are quite heavy and will provide that extra weight to make you feel the muscle you’re putting on. Between running and jumping around dodging bullets and hiding behind bunkers, you’ll find that you’ve burned a lot of calories at the end of the game. Who knows, play long enough and you might even get some muscle mass.
Your own gear won’t fail you
Yes, you don’t have to buy your own gear for paintball –– the arena will provide you with what you need –– but you actually should. First of all, you pay something like $20 or $30 every time you play to rent the gear. So maybe it’s time to think about getting your own paintball gun for starters. A dependable gun in the game is key to winning. When you’re out there, with bullets flying and comrades falling, the last thing you want is for your gun to get jammed, because that means you’ll get shot too. If something malfunctions in the weapon, it feels terrible and you’ll end up losing the game over a technical difficulty.
You get to customize your weapon with the best features
Getting gear that won’t fail you and saving money aside, buying your own paintball weaponry is extremely entertaining because you get to have a weapon with the specs you choose. You also get to pick the best features out there for a formidable rifle that will definitely give you an advantage out there in the field. There are a lot of key features you can focus on to give you that winning edge. You can get anything from a semi-automatic rifle to one with laser pointers to help with your shooting, and you can rest assured these little details are what count out there when the bullets start flying. Be sure to get the best best paintball markers as well.
Helps with stress
Stressed out at work? Ever pictured taking a rifle to the office and having a word or two with that annoying boss of yours? Unfortunately, that’s illegal in most states. You can however deal with your stress in healthier ways by going to a paintball arena and shooting your troubles away, with paintballs thankfully. It’s a great way to alleviate stress and decompress a little bit, because if you can’t shoot your boss in real life, why not shoot your friend in a game and forget your troubles.
New friends
Playing paintball is a great way to make new friends, because if bonding over a gunfight doesn’t bring you closer to people on the field, then what will? You meet new people out there, and it’s quite an entertaining experience to meet people over and just the perfect chance to make some new friends who share your passion of shooting others.
Develop your sense of strategy
It’s definitely not the Battle of the Alamo, but competitive paintball is a great exercise in developing your sense of strategy and tactics. You find yourself forced to outthink your opponents on the field, and constantly try to come up with strategies to flank or surround your adversaries. Don’t be surprised if you found that paintball helped your chess game! You’ll find the opportunity to create your own maps and battle ground if you have a large enough backyard or go out into a space where you know there aren’t people. When you have your own gear you get to have the freedom to go that extra mile and create your own battle ground with your friends.
At the end of the day, competitive paintball is all about fun and enjoying yourself. Yes, that usually doesn’t apply to highly competitive people like Monica Geller, but for the rest of us folks who enjoy a healthy competition, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon and shooting the breeze, quite literally if you want. It’s a different activity to get into rather than a football match with your friends or a card game with your coworkers, but it’s equally as fun as ever, if not more. Owning your own gear really does give you an extra dimension when working out as well as possibly creating new adventures in different places for you and your friends.