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Post by Psychosis on Jun 28, 2006 0:04:53 GMT -5
Alright! So you've decided, "hey, airsoft seems kinda cool, I'm gonna sink some money into it and play some games." Fair enough, but many questions remain unresolved - what gear to get? What guns to purchase? Well, welcome to Gear 101, recently opened at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor! Office hours will be held the last Sunday of every month at Futureball's Outdoor Arena... Here are some of the fundamentals of gear purchasing that newbies should look into. This is a work in progress, I won't have everything up at one time, so please be patient. Credits: Jacko's "Packing for an airsoft event" miairsoft.proboards70.com/index.cgi?board=events&action=display&thread=1112578434The gear guides they used to have at Airsoft Players before the site went down 1. Essentials 2. Branching out 3. Other gear you should look into 4. SPENDING MONEY?! OH NOES!!! Gear 201 & 202: Advanced Gear, BDU Patterns Additional Resources First off, the essentials.Goggles/Mask. This is the foundation upon which airsoft is based: safety. If you can't afford eye protection, you shouldn't be playing airsoft. SEMIA, and other airsoft organizations, require ANSI Z87.1 rated full-sealing goggles or full masks. There is a plethora of options in this department - most tactical goggles (Oakley, Wiley, ESS, Bolle, etc.) come standard with impact-resistant lenses that will qualify for use. Paintball masks (and goggles with the mask shell torn away) will also work. The Guarder knockoff goggles have lenses of dubious quality, easily resolved by picking up an authentic Bolle replacement set. Mesh masks, as far as I'm aware of, will not be allowed. - There are new, low-profile, airsoft-specific masks available by JT. Basically, they're goggles with hard plastic to cover the nose, ears, and mouth in addition to the eyes. Good for places with insurance policies that require that level of protection. A gun. Will you really be allowed to come with nothing more than a spring pistol in hand? Probably not, please assume that I'm talking about skirmish-worthy pieces. That being said, having a pellet-firing apparatus designed to replicate the look and feel of a real firearm is the basis of the sport, and you should have at least one. Supplies to power your gun. Using an AEG as your primary? Have a battery (perhaps a spare) handy to power it, as well as a quality-charger. Using a GBB? Charge up your mag(s) with gas. Spring guns don't need to worry about this issue. BB's. So your gun can shoot, that's great news! Now it needs ammunition so it's not just compressed air coming out of the end of your barrel! Buy plenty of bb's to use, and at the appropriate weight for your gun(s). If you don't use all of them up at a game, well that's more for next time! Please buy from manufacturers who make reputable bb's - Excel, Stealth, Airsoft Elite, Tokyo Marui, etc. There are cheaper bb's out there, which I myself will use from time to time, but try to purchase bb's of at least moderate quality. |
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Post by Psychosis on Jun 28, 2006 0:23:02 GMT -5
2. Branching out
Alright, now you have the bare necessities for play. What else should you purchase?
Battle Dress Uniform or a Flightsuit. BDU's/flightsuits are key to looking sharp for airsoft play, plus they'll keep the bugs off of your limbs during the summer. Many games may require you to wear a uniform, commonly US Army woodland, so that should be a cornerstone of your airsoft wardrobe.
Solid footwear. I thought I could pull off tactical tennis shoes at Futureball once, didn't work out so well. Be sure that what's on your feet is appropriate for the environment. I would recommend a good pair of boots, preferably of the hiking or combat variety. Example: the Adidas GSG-9 boots have been likened to "sex on your feet," it wouldn't hurt to look into a pair.
Additional magazines for your guns. One magazine usually won't cut it in most conditions (unless it's an AK 600-rd hicap or one of those box/drum mags,) be sure to pick up spares. For a beginning player a hicap mag may be the only affordable option, but you should look into magazines with lower capacities if possible, especially since you can pick up locap bundles for a good deal. I like my std mags, while Knief is a fan of STAR locaps. Additionally, watch out for restrictions on high capacity magazines - stuff like auto-winding C-MAG's are usually reserved for support guns; you can't just throw a 1000-round drum mag on a MP5K and expect people to be happy with your loadout.
Gear for your extra mags and whatever else. BDU pockets won't fly, you should invest in a rig to hold your stuff. The very basic stuff you can pick up includes cheap but questionable chest rigs, as well as US Army surplus LBV's and LBE's. Of course you are not limited to those options (tactical vests, modular rigs, and whatnot) but these are the least costly options you can find, plus this section of gear could warrant a whole thread by itself.
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Post by Psychosis on Jun 28, 2006 0:32:33 GMT -5
3. Other gear you should look into
Headwear. Feel free to wear a hat, helmet, balaclava, or some mix of the above - they'll provide shade for your head as well as some protection against headshots. A balaclava will provide some impact protection for your face, I would definitely recommend one for a CQB environment (or paintball mask) as it is far more likely that bb's will tear up your face, whether directly shot at you or ricocheting off walls in a close quarters game.
Gloves. Don't want to tear up your hands in the field or get mosquito bites/bb welts on them? Get a good pair of gloves. I personally use Hatch Nomex Aviator flight gloves in Sage Green.
Hydration. Airsoft involves a good amount of physical activity, you should be prepared to sweat a little. Bring canteens, water bottles, Gatorade bottles, Nalgene bottles, Camelbaks, etc. to ensure that you will not go too thirsty in the field. As Camelbak's catch phrase goes, "hydrate or die!"
Communications gear. Most airsofters use FRS radio channels to communicate while in the field, so look into one of those small FRS/GRMS radios like the Talkabout series. Also look into a decent earbud/headset/whatever that will ensure quiet communication. Not only will you be more situationally aware, but you will be able to play a bigger role in coordinating what tactical maneuvers your team decides to take.
Kneepads. Don't want to bang up your knees while kneeling and taking other positions? Invest in a good pair of kneepads. Alta buckle kneepads are strongly recommend by most airsoft players, including me.
A bb loader for your AEG mid/std/locap mags. A speed loader will definitely decrease the time it takes to fill up these particular kinds of magazines, but note that a loading rod will come in handy for unloading magazines that do not feature the quick-emptying option.
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Post by Psychosis on Jun 28, 2006 0:55:19 GMT -5
4. SPENDING MONEY?! OH NOES!!oneone
Airsoft is not a cheap sport/hobby/game/whateveryouwantocallit. Be prepared to spend a little. I've sunk a little more than a G into my equipment and whatnot, and even though I've spent so much it's never enough! Don't even me get started on Gunslinger's dealers of plastic-bb death that are Systema PTW's. In spite of the high costs, there are plenty of ways to save on money for gear that is still quite usable.
Check army surplus stores. I haven't had good experiences trying to pick out airsoft-specific clothing, gear, and whatnot (Harry's in Ann Arbor before it closed,) but maybe you will!
Check commerce forums. We have one, MiA has one, a bunch of places have 'em! You can pick up really good deals on gear, from $10 for a pair of Motorola Talkabouts, to $25 for a set of three M4 standard magazines, to $80 for a Marui AK-47S (albeit used and missing the folding stock)!
Check eBay. You can find great deals on eBay all the time if you're patient enough and have the time to search around. I picked up a used Camelbak, selling for $53 new on the Specialty Defense Systems (SDS) website, for the paltry sum of $10.25 including shipping, a real bargain.
Check the closeout/clearance/whatever sections of online retailers, and online retailers in general. Blackhawk will post items that are on sale for 50% off in its blowout section, other retailers do their own thang. Cheaperthandirt and similar dealers also offer pretty good deals on gear (or so I've heard.)
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Post by Psychosis on Jun 28, 2006 11:54:43 GMT -5
Gear 201: Advanced GearIn the interests of saving time, I will refer to a few links. "Gear, the Paco Way." www.airsoftplayers.com/gear/index.aspSolid Fox's Gear Article www.airsoftplayers.com/gear/sfgear.aspTactical GearBeyond the surplus LBV, you have plenty of options ranging from tactical vests to MOLLE-compatible plate carriers. MOLLE, or Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment, is a system of webbing that allows for a variety of pouches to be integrated into a load-bearing rig. It will incur higher costs for authentic equipment than say, simply purchasing a BHI Omega Tactical Vest, but allows for more versatility when configuring a loadout. Is it worth it? It all depends on you, really. There's an old adage that says "you get what you pay for," and it's mostly true - if you purchase a cheap knockoff vest, chances are that it won't last for more than a year of play. Authentic gear is not only more likely to hold up in the field, but most US manufacturers offer lifetime warranties so that even if something goes awry, you should be able to get a replacement easily. The same goes for BDU purchase for the most part - Tru-Spec knockoff MARPAT will be more prone to fading than an issue-set of MARPAT BDU's. Which rig is the best? Load-outs vary from person to person, so it's really up to you. Swat and Sarge sport Blackhawk STRIKE Elite Tactical Vests; Gunslinger, RochesterJack, and I have the BHI STRIKE Commando Recon Chest Harness; Knief has a BHI Crossdraw Omega Tactical Vest; everyone has different load-outs and budgets. Go with what you think will work best, look cool, and fit your budget.
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Post by Psychosis on Jun 28, 2006 12:03:16 GMT -5
Gear 202: BDU Patterns
Beyond traditional woodland, there are a plethora of patterns you should check out.
Jungle Stalker - hah! This pattern doesn't exist anymore! Interesting digital camo design that was unfortunately phased out after a limited run, I acquired a pair of paints but was not able to purchase a jacket before inventories were exhausted.
Multicam - not really an official pattern, but you'll earn coolness points for having it. Expensive.
Olive Drab - most appropriate for a Vietnam, Stargate SG-1, or law enforcement impression
3-color Desert - modern, being phased out
6-color Desert - Gulf War/Mogadishu-era
US Army ACU/ARPAT - current issue uniform
USMC Marpat Woodland - Marines
USMC Marpat Desert - Marines in Iraq
Black - unless you're in a CQB environment or trying to replicate a particular look (law enforcement,) avoid using this outdoors.
Navy Blue - again, most appropriate for CQB/law enforcement, note that CTU tac teams on 24 wear navy blue.
CADPAT - Canadian Pattern
CADPAT Desert
Flecktarn - in use by ze Germans
British DPM - I wonder who would use such a thing...
DPM Desert
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Post by Psychosis on Jun 28, 2006 18:53:56 GMT -5
Miscellaneous Notes:
A collection of thoughts on purchasing gear, in no particular order:
Check clearance sections, dammit! If I had known how much stuff I could get for how cheap...
Camelbak insulated tube covers: If you want water flowing to your mouth at a constant temperature, look into purchasing a cover for the tube.
You can never spend enough on airsoft. If you say you're satisfied with the gear you have, you're lying, of course you want more!
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Post by Psychosis on Jun 30, 2006 0:12:31 GMT -5
General thoughts, for the new kids to airsoft - some points previously emphasized will be brought up again.
Airsoft is EXPENSIVE. A TM will run you $200-$400, CA $300-900, etc. Then you have to buy spare magazines in most cases (I've spent ~$100 on 8 standards and a midcap), a battery, a decent charger, gear, goggles... customizing your guns will set you back even more... a UTG will save you money, yes, but in the long run you're still gonna be spending a lot.
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Post by El Phantasamo on Jun 30, 2006 17:44:29 GMT -5
Flecktarn and Alpineflage are being phased out. If you want some, buy now!
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Post by Psychosis on Jul 1, 2006 18:49:34 GMT -5
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Post by Psychosis on Aug 7, 2006 0:58:10 GMT -5
Have I mentioned looking in commerce sections for used gear? I've acquired 9 standards, a STAR, and a midcap for about $116.25. I donated the STAR mag to Knief because he's a fan of those, but even when you only count the metal magazines that comes down to about $11.63 a mag. Buy used!
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Post by Psychosis on Jul 9, 2007 14:31:03 GMT -5
Clone Gear:
There's good and there's bad in this area. I don't know much since I usually buy authentic stuff, but do research on manufacturers like Phantom or Guarder. Infinity Tactical gear at airsoft128.com is reputed to be quite durable (and cheap.) The no-name stuff most likely won't hold up - a strap a cheapo nylon holster I bought for $10 a few years back is on the verge of disintegration, for example.
Holsters:
This is a view I picked up on another forum, but it's worth mentioning: you spend what, $50-300 on a sidearm? You should pick up a quality holster so that you don't completely ruin it. Stuff like the Safariland 6004, Blackhawk SERPA, and the Bianchi M12 are actually in use by the military. Police holsters could work, provided that your arm can easily access them without a vest in the way or whatnot. Concealed holsters could theoretically work, but the problem is that they're not as easy or quick to draw from.
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