Protective gear

[KenIchikawa]

Hi

I'm new here. I've actually been to two skirmishes (using rental gear). First time I went I only got hit a couple times at long range. Small marks on my arm, quite literally like a soft flick.

Second time was CQB and I received 24 hits. I am unconcerned about hits to arms and legs. I am concerned about hits to my face and my body. I was hit twice in the face. twice on the neck (all drawing blood) and the rest on my check and or legs. Each time I was hit it was like a snooker cue poking me quite hard as they were using red gas guns while I had an AEG.

So a mesh lower face mask and a Shemagh are coming to me through the post.

I also have some old gloves which were previously used for off road motorbiking which have armoured knuckles as I took three hits to my hands too.

My eyes is a bit iffy due to a Chinese face and most goggles tend to steam up very quickly. I'm thinking about a pair of Revision Desert Locust Combat Ballistic Goggles. But not really sure if they'll fit my face without steaming up. Tried chemicals, sprays etc and they don't seem to work as I sweat a lot.


This leaves my chest and torso. It's been a week and most of those welts have healed but I scar really badly due to my skin type and my chest is covered in ugly pencil sized scars. So what can I wear to prevent such scarring which will still allow me to feel hits? Interestingly enough I was wearing heavy jeans and the marks were much less severe on my legs.

I'm not particularly fussed about looking cool or whatnot. But I skipped out on tonight's skirmish because I reckoned I needed some more gear else I'd get shot to hell again scar up and have trouble sleeping when I roll over onto the welts. Heh I was even thinking about my super thick biker leather jackets.

Any ideas somebody suggested a chain mail vest which'd go ping when I get hit ]

Thanks

[Smintheus]

Re: Protective gear

If you're having problems with sweat/fog, consider perhaps switching to mesh instead, there's a variety of goggles around.

For your chest and torso, there's a variety of cool looking tactical gear around you can get. I used to run a Blackhawk Strike vest (which is the one Stallone wears in the Expendables), which I still have on hand to loan out to friends/girls who come to play (getting shot in the chest as a girl sucks). You could also consider something like the Matrix TF3 armour/vest - makes a very notable thwap when hit, so presents no issues re hit taking, but still offers decent protection.

[Comicbook Hero]

Re: Protective gear

You have made a good choice with the mesh face mask and shemag. They will offer your face and neck loads of protection. I wear mesh goggles with them. No misting up. I also find a baseball cap helps reduce the sting to head shots.

As for body protection, my daughter comes with me to game and from experience we have found that for her a baggy outer layer (she wears a DPM rip stop zoot suit that was mine) helps reduce the sting and power of the hits on her.

Out of interest what rules was the site you were at using for CQB. Its normal for the FPS to be lower than 350FPS and weapons firing semi auto only. Getting hit with over powered guns on full auto, up close, is a sure way to make a game un-enjoyable.

[sparrowhawk]

Re: Protective gear

I have been toying with the idea of making some airsoft chainmail, using either plastic rings or aluminium, just a thought mind you,but it would be a cool alternative

[heroshark]

Re: Protective gear

I wear my John McClain vest.

[Ells]

Re: Protective gear

I have been toying with the idea of making some airsoft chainmail, using either plastic rings or aluminium, just a thought mind you,but it would be a cool alternative

At least you wouldn't have to worry about the hi caps rattling

[sj_asc]

Re: Protective gear

For close quarters definitely keep your teeth covered, particularly in competitive environments teeth can be taken out very easily. I prefer the Dye I4, but Gum shields at a minimum.

[KenIchikawa]

Re: Protective gear

If you're having problems with sweat/fog, consider perhaps switching to mesh instead, there's a variety of goggles around.

For your chest and torso, there's a variety of cool looking tactical gear around you can get. I used to run a Blackhawk Strike vest (which is the one Stallone wears in the Expendables), which I still have on hand to loan out to friends/girls who come to play (getting shot in the chest as a girl sucks). You could also consider something like the Matrix TF3 armour/vest - makes a very notable thwap when hit, so presents no issues re hit taking, but still offers decent protection.

Thanks. I reckon a TF3 should be my thing.

Mesh goggles I'm iffy about after reading this:

http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthrea...d-they-be-used

- - - Updated - - -

er.

Out of interest what rules was the site you were at using for CQB. Its normal for the FPS to be lower than 350FPS and weapons firing semi auto only. Getting hit with over powered guns on full auto, up close, is a sure way to make a game un-enjoyable.

It was single shot, no auto. Close in you could be tagged to surrender. It's just I remember getting there about 10 mins late (it was a snap decision to go) and while I was topping up my (hire) pistol with green gas everybody else seemed to have red bottles which I looked up as more powerful stuff.

There weren't so many of us (5v4) so they closed the upstairs area and did first to 30 kills with instant respawns ~ Go back to spawn touch the wall and be out again straight away.

[PureSilver]

Re: Protective gear

It was single shot, no auto. Close in you could be tagged to surrender. It's just I remember getting there about 10 mins late (it was a snap decision to go) and while I was topping up my (hire) pistol with green gas everybody else seemed to have red bottles which I looked up as more powerful stuff.

The colour of the bottles is meaningless as long as the guns passed the chronograph test. 99.99% of canned airsoft propellants are either propane (i.e., green gas), or lower vapour pressure ('weaker') than propane, so it's highly unlikely that the propellant would be causing you to suffer injuries.

I also sweat like a blind lesbian in a fishmonger's while playing airsoft, and highly recommend mesh goggles as about the only thing that does not fog. I've tried everything else and found it all to fog, except shooting glasses which are entirely unsuitable for CQB as they're not fully sealed.

[Smintheus]

Re: Protective gear

The big issue with the mesh eye pro is, as far as I've seen, paint.

Cheap BBs can hit and fragment, but if you think about how physics work, the fragments should always bounce -away- from the eye. However, paint flecks can be chipped off the mesh and into your eye - this is only an issue with cheap mesh goggles. Heroshark who posted above does very highly rated work for mesh stuff - makes a couple of different types of goggles IIRC. If you're worried about stuff going through, buy a pair and test them at close range with a white cloth inside the goggles, see what gets through. I have plenty of friends who wear mesh w/o issues.

If you'd rather stick to goggles (and fair enough if so), there's a few sets around that come highly rated. I haven't seen those particular Revision goggles, but the Sawfly glasses are very good - Revision stuff should be excellent in general. I run the ESS Profiles with the foam padding around the vents removed, which don't steam up for me, but everyone's experience is different. If sweat rather than fog is your issue, consider a bandana or similar on your forehead, to keep some of the liquid out of your eyewear .

[heroshark]

Re: Protective gear

Bits can and do come through. Has happened to me as said in the linked thread. There is some really good info in that thread. But one thing I will say when someone says x or y goggles are awesome they don't fog at all remember your mileage may vary. I've had people come to me asking to get ESS turbo fans meshed on several occasions and they had tried all the tricks. I don't believe there's such a thing as un-fogable polycarb eye pro, depends who's wearing it.

[Viper Scout]

Re: Protective gear

I do it like this as my avatar above, but believe me, bb's have an eerie guidance system of finding bare skin to slap against.

[McKillmore]

Re: Protective gear

So what can I wear to prevent such scarring which will still allow me to feel hits?

Interestingly enough I was wearing heavy jeans and the marks were much less severe on my legs.

[KenIchikawa]

Re: Protective gear

I was actually thinking a leather biker jacket. Those things can survive 9 + seconds of road rash and the jackets at least are fairly flexible.