What To Wear for Paintball In The Summer

Paintballing in summer is pretty hard as hitting the fields at around 100 degrees brings a big set of challenges. When it comes to what to wear for paintball in summer, to make your experience on a hot paintball day you need attire that is breathable, functional, comfortable, and protective. Breathability and protection have a big conflict when it comes to choosing clothing and protective gear for paintball in summer.

Wearing multiple layers of clothes and thick protective padding is not preferred since the chances of overheating and sweating are very high. So one of the biggest concerns of paintball players is what to wear for paintball first time in the summer. Here is a head-to-toe rundown of what to wear for paintball in summer.

What To Wear For Paintball In hot Summer?

In paintball, it is highly recommended to leave the minimum skin exposed as paintballs are strong enough to hurt you if they hit your skin directly. Players prefer multiple layers of clothes and they use padding to reduce the impact energy of the paintballs. But is it possible to wear these things in summer?

There is no getting around, you must wear full protective yet breathable clothing to play paintball in summer. Most paintball courses do not allow shorts or half-sleeve shirts while playing paintball. In this guide, I’ll share the best ideas for paintball summer attire.

How To Choose Paintball Clothes and Footwear For Summers?

Breathability

Paintballing is a physically taxing activity and involves a lot of running, jumping, and climbing. You need to wear clothes and shoes that are breathable. Air circulation is crucial to keep your body hydrated and fresh throughout the day. You should avoid tights and thick clothing while playing paintball in summer.

Ease Of Movement

You must wear clothes and shoes that allow you to move freely. Make sure the pants and shirt you are wearing are of your perfect size. The clothes should be comfortable and loose enough to allow you to move freely on the field. Cotton shirts, jeans, and track pants are the best options.

Protection

Paintballs can hit you hard as they travel as fast as 200 mph. You need to cover your skin as much as possible. You also need to wear face safety masks, safety goggles, and gloves while playing paintball.

Traction And Stability

Traction and stability are two crucial factors you must keep in mind while buying shoes for a paintball adventure. Paintball courses can be slippery and since the game involves a lot of running and jumping, you need to wear a nice pair of athletic shoes. You need shoes that offer support and stability in all conditions.

Moisture Wicking

Moisture wicking ability of your footwear and clothes plays a key role on the field. Summers are all about sweating. When you are in tough physical activities like paintballing you are likely to sweat more than normal. Make sure the shoes and clothes you’re wearing are breathable and can wick moisture. Moisture-wicking clothes and footwear won’t stick to your body and keep you cool and fresh all day long.

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1. Top

Covering your whole skin is a basic requirement in paintball and therefore you must wear full-sleeve shirts. 100% cotton is the best option for paintballing in summer. Cotton is a lightweight breathable fabric that offers class-leading breathability and comfort. Cotton fabric allows the air to pass through and maintain your body temperature. In addition to cotton, you can wear thin dry-fit full-sleeve shirts.

If you want to wear proper sports or athletic wear while playing paintball you can buy a Polyester sports shirt. Thin and lightweight polyester shirts offer better protection than cotton without being tough on the body. These sports tops are built to resist sweating and ensure maximum comfort, protection, and breathability.

2. Bottom Wear

Shorts are not allowed on the paintball course as the chances of hitting the paintballs on the leg are pretty high. Cargo pants, tracksuit pants, or full-length cotton pants are cool choices for summer. I recommend you not to wear leggings or tight pants in any season as ease of movement and functionality should be your top concerns in every season.

Always wear a bottom that fits you lose, not very loose of course. Make sure the pants you’re wearing are your perfect size. Cotton, spandex, and gore-tax are top material choices for bottoms. Spandex and gore-tax are the breathable fabrics that top sportswear brands use. These materials are durable, and ensure breathability without limiting functionality and protection.

3. Layers Vs Padding

Wearing multiple layers of clothes is one of the most common ways of enhancing protection in paintball. However multiple layers of clothes mean limited breathability. A single layer of clothing doesn’t offer ultimate protection but it protects you from a far greater danger like hyperthermia or serious dehydration.

So how can you increase the protection without limiting the breathability? Removable padding is the safest option you can adopt in summer. Removable padding for knees, chest, and elbows helps you avoid injuries in tough paintball games. The padding offers targeted protection for the most sensitive parts of your body without limiting air circulation. In addition to being hit by a paintball, crawling, falling, keeling and sliding are part of the game.

A removable pudding at joints like elbows and knees will help you avoid critical injuries also. The biggest perk of removable padding is that you can remove it at any time. Also, I advise you to avoid wearing extras like vests and chest rigs. These things add more weight making it hard to run and jump around.

Girls must wear sports bars along with protective padding for the chest. Sports bras designed for summer offer incredible support without limiting your comfort. Padded bras are not a good idea-instead you should pair your sports bra with lightweight removable chest padding.

4. Colors

Light and cool colors are good for summer. Though light colors like pink and white are cool and breathable, they get stains very easily and look messy. Another important factor in paintball is camouflage. So natural colors like gray, earth, and green are the best choice for paintball clothes in the summer season.

5. Camouflage Suits/Overalls

If you don’t want to ruin your cotton t-shirts and pants with paint you can buy Camo suits designed for competitive paintball environments. Camo suits offer decent protection and eliminate the need for extra layers of clothes. If you don’t have enough budget, you can rent Camo suits from Paintballs shops for as low as $5.

6. Hand Protection

Hands injuries are pretty common in paintball. You cannot survive in a game if you are hit by a tough and fast paintball from a very low distance. So gloves are part of your paintball gear in all seasons. You need a dependable and breathable pair of gloves to stay on the safe side. I prefer fingerless golf gloves for paintballing in all seasons. Golf gloves are thin and stretchy. You can wear them all day long and they will not stick to your hands.

Also, I always recommend wearing fingerless gloves. Fingerless gloves ensure maximum control and ease of access to the trigger. Weight lifting and gym gloves are also good options as they are made of moisture-wicking fabric. Thick and heavy gloves are not a great option for paintball in any season.

7. Face Protection

Paintball can travel as fast as 200 mph. So nothing can be worse than being hit by a tough paintball right into your eyes. Most golf gloves will not allow you to play until you have decent face protection. Paintball face masks or visors come in various shapes, sizes and designs. You need to choose a size that is perfectly in line with your playing conditions and personal needs.

You should look for masks with anti-fog and UV-resistant visors. A visor reduces the impact of direct sunlight and glare on your eyes and face. Some paintball face masks use extra padding on the chin and ears. However, such masks have limited air circulation and breathability. So I advise you to avoid these masks. A face protection mask should be lightweight and offer sung fit. Must check the quality of chin straps and ensure that they are strong enough to offer sung and comfortable fit on the field.

8. Footwear

Paintball is a game of running, climbing, and jumping. So you need a pair of shoes with excellent support and traction. To avoid ankle injuries and sprains, I recommend you wear tennis shoes. Tennis shoes offer excellent traction and ensure that your feet stay intact no matter on which angle you land. Paintball doesn’t have special footwear requirements and you can wear any closed-tie shoes as long as you are comfortable.

If you are on a budget, you can wear your regular running shoes. However, in summer, you should not wear long and heavy army boots. In the rainy season or on more slippery grounds, you can also wear cleats. However, shoes with metal cleats are not allowed on many golf courses. But you can wear cleats with removable rubber cleats on the paintball course. You need to pair shoes with a nice pair of socks in all seasons.

For paintball in summer, you should wear athletic socks. Athletic socks are designed for the need of high-impact sports activities and offer class-leading support and impact protection. Also, these socks are made of high-quality wrinkle-free fabric that can wick the moisture keeping your feet dry, cool, and comfortable throughout the day.

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Tips To Stay Cool In Summer Paintball Game

Play In Shades

If you want to play for a long time choose to play on a field that is shaded. Paintball courses have multiple fields and you need to choose the one that is shaded. If the entire field is not shaded, try to spend maximum time in the shaded area. You can discuss this issue with the Referee before the game.

Use Sunscreen On Exposed Skin

Direct sunlight combined with sweating and body heat can harm your skin. To avoid serious skin conditions like sunburn or skin discoloration, you need to use high-quality sunscreen on your exposed skin.

Stay Hydrated

Drink a lot of water while playing paintball on a hot summer day. Avoid sugary and fizzy drinks on the field. Instead, drink more water or sports drinks to stay hydrated and maintain your blood sugar level.

Take Breaks

Taking breaks is the best way to spend maximum time on the field. You can divide your game into sessions and before you feel completely exhausted take a break. Consume light food and water during the break. Wait until your body temperature is normal and start the game again.

Wapping Up

Paintball is fun in all seasons if you choose the right clothing and footwear. Paintball in summer is a little more challenging as it is hard to create a balance between breathability and protection. I’m hopeful that this guide will help you choose the best possible clothes and protective gear for playing paintball in the summer.

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