It’s terrifying to show up to a tournament and find out that your electronic chute broke during the trip. This fiasco has thrown up games for many teams that weren’t as studious as they should have been when packing up. His paintball gear is too valuable to throw away in a giant disorganized duffel bag. Good players pay thousands of dollars for specialized equipment; A dented barrel on a $1500 paintball gun is not taken lightly. The traveling paintball athlete must juggle not only packing the right amount of the right supplies, but also packing them safely and securely. The solution is to choose the right suitcase size for the duration of the trip you are going to make and the equipment you will need. In addition to a specific bag for your marker, there are basically three types/sizes of bags available for sale.
The paintball backpack is comparable in size and shape to school bags or a day pack used by hikers, even though it is specialized for carrying paintball gear. These bags are best for getting your essential supplies to the field and back, but rarely have enough room for a change of clothes or even a competition uniform. It’s nice to have a paintball backpack just to keep your important gear together (but separate from your soft items) when traveling for longer periods of time. Larger duffels, known as paintball gear bags, often contain not only your game gear, but also changes of clothing, uniforms, and toiletries. These bags are the best option for multi-day overnight trips and come in different sizes. Some are more equipped for air travel than others, however they are better for carrying everything you need when driving to an event. When traveling by plane, the best bags to use are paintball bags. They are similar in size to paintball gear bags, but have hard outer shells or heavy canvas-like fabric. Paintball cases offer the best protection for your equipment to be handled safely by an airline.
When shopping for a bag to carry your supplies for travel, it’s best to shop at a paintball store. You can actually use any bag to transport your paintball gear, however not using specialized gear has the potential to leave you upset and stranded at your event. The main difference between standard backpacks and travel bags and paintball bags is that bags designed for paintball have specialized features. Paintball backpacks, gear bags, and briefcases have Velcro straps on the inside to hold down your supplies and keep them secure during transport. The best paintball gear bags have compartments to help separate clothing and keep dirty or wet supplies from drying out. Paintball travel bags are also comparable in cost to other similar types of standard bags.
It’s also important to realize that certain pieces of equipment may have specific requirements that make them safer to travel with. Your paintball mask, for example, needs to be packed carefully. Many paintball masks are made with collapsible plastic that surrounds the lens that often warps easily when stuffed into a bag with everything else. If this happens or your glasses get scratched, you’ll be distracted all day with uncomfortable eye protection, and gaming won’t be as much fun. The best way to transport a paintball mask is with a good velvet bag and/or a hard goggle case. While this is another piece of luggage to take with you, it’s the best way to store and transport paintball goggles without warping the plastic or scratching the lens.
Transporting your paintball air tank is perhaps the most complicated piece of equipment to plan for. If you fly, you can only travel with an empty air tank; it cannot be flown with a full compressed air tank as it will become a bomb and is illegal. However, you can drive with a full air tank. The best paintball air tanks cost upwards of $200, so even the slightest scratch or dent can be heartbreaking. The best advice is to always carry your empty air tank inside a heavy-duty rubber tank cover, then wrap it all up in bubble wrap and tuck it in between your changes of clothing or the pant leg of your paintball uniform. The electronic hopper is an important piece of equipment on which the performance of your gun will largely depend. There aren’t many paintball charger-specific protective cases for sale, however, some brands do come with them. It is best to find the right size plastic container for the safe storage and transport of your charger, especially if you have paid a lot for it. When transporting (and storing), it’s best to remove batteries from electronic hoppers to avoid the potential disaster of a leak.
Transporting your paintball gun in a separate case is the smart way to go. For the most comprehensive protection, a hard case is the best option and will keep your marker most secure. Unless you’re using a full-size rifle case, most paintball gun cases are fairly compact and will fit well inside a larger duffel or gear bag. If you don’t have access to a hard case, you can opt for a soft-sided one; however, you should also wrap it in your paintball jersey and/or pants for as much protection as possible. When packing, always separate the barrel of your gun, pack them in padding and preferably together. Some marker barrels have their own carry case and these are good to use for the safest trip. If you are flying to a stage woodsball event, it is not recommended to carry a realistic military paintball gun at the airport or on the plane. With all the turmoil going on in the world and the added security at airports, an authentic replica assault rifle is sure to raise an eyebrow and will likely be confiscated.