Much like a vegetarian gets asked often, "Do you only eat salads?" by an innocent non-vegetarian who isn't sure what foods are available outside of meat and potatoes, paintball players are asked this question about paint frequently. In the early days, yes the paint did stain. And that's a huge reason many people won't play paintball today. In the beginning, the industrial guns used to fire paint pellets used a marker dye that was made to last for marking trees and livestock.

Today, the paint is made from water-soluble materials and washes right off your clothes, a shower will take the paint off your skin, and a damp cloth is usually all you need to get your equipment dry. Commercial jerseys made for playing paintball will clean a little easier than your street clothing, but you will find the washing machine will do the trick for getting all the paint out.

When you're out playing on a field, keep a rag handy to wipe off your visor area on your headgear. Some people use commercial baby wipes, which usually cuts through the paint quickly. Just remember to not use anything with ammonia to clean your plastic parts. Ammonia can make many plastics brittle over time.

Many people are shocked when they see someone who plays paintball frequently "suiting up" to go play the game. Most people expect to see paint spatters from head to toe, but if the player washes their gear after a game, that won't be the case. Your favorite playing clothes will certainly look worn from hard play, but they won't be covered in paint!

Just like you wear a helmet when you ride your ATV or motocross bike, you need to wear safety gear to play paintball.

Since you're firing paint balls and your opponent is firing them back at you, you run the risk of getting hit in the face and eyes with them. Along with debris, brush, leaves, and branches you might encounter on many playing fields.

A mask is one of your most important pieces of equipment. There is a good selection of masks available, depending on your playing style and personal taste; you should be able to find a paintball mask that fits your needs.

The Scott Vectra is almost everyone's first mask. It's under $25 and does the bare minimum of protecting your face.

V-Force makes same great paintball masks. The V-Force Morph paintball mask is a lightweight mask that offers up great protection to your face, chin area and sides of your face. If you've ever been zinged by a paintball on the side of your face, you know that part of the skin needs to be protected. The V-Force Armor is a good starter mask and many players use theirs long after they could afford to upgrade. It gives good basic coverage and protects your head to the area behind your ears.

If you like color or you need your paintball mask to "match". The V-Force Vantage masks come in a wide range of colors and all of them look cool and will give you great protection on the playing field. This is a great choice for teams. The futuristic looking V-Force Shield paintball mask is lightweight and won't cause fatigue from the weight of the paintball mask.

The JT Proflex Thermal is great for colder weather play and has fantastic all around the head protection.

Now that you know the basics, get the paintball mask that's best for you!

Paintball has become a recognized sport very quickly. It has its humble roots in the early 1970's when paintball guns were used to mark trees and livestock.

Fast forward to 1981, when 12 friends got together in a field and decided it would be a lot more fun to shoot paint balls at each other instead of trees and livestock. They used industrial paintball guns and created the first game that is still in play today called "National Survival" which is basically every person for themselves as it is a total elimination game.

More and more people began playing paintball. Industrial guns were still used but the game was evolving into not only elimination games but the ever popular "Capture the Flag" game evolved and is still widely played today. As more and more people grew interested in the sport, the commercial paintball industry was born.

The first outdoor paintball field was opened in 1982. The need for an indoor playing field was soon recognized and the first one was opened 2 years later in 1984. More and more games and gear was developed to make the game safer and more fun.

The size of the playing fields was made smaller as commercial playing field owners soon realized that if players could see each other sooner, more paintballs would be shot and more would be sold. Bunker games are also gaining popularity at many commercial fields. The first paintball tournament was held in 1983. The prizes at the first tournament totaled just $14,000. Today tournaments have hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes.
The NPPL, a professional organization for paintballers, was formed in 1992.

Today, you can find a commercial paintball field in pretty much every major city there is, but many people still prefer just playing out in the woods. Now that you know a little history about paintball, distract your friends with a little history lesson and then let 'em have it with a volley of paintballs!

Looking to raise the stakes a little at your next paintball game? If shooting the same old paint balls through the same old gun has gotten a little boring for you; it's time to upgrade with a grenade launcher.

Grenade Launchers come in several styles and they are fun to use. The heavy duty M203 series uses standard shells and will really splatter your opponents. You just attach the grenade launcher to the lower part of your paintball gun and there is a separate trigger to reach down and pull and you can get the upper hand on your next game.

Phantom makes a short-barreled grenade launcher. If you already have a RIS 20mm or 7/8 weaver systems, you can mount this grenade launcher directly. For use on a T16, T68, RAP4 or any other paintball guns with a standard M4 hand guard, you will need to install a 20mm rail.

Grenade launchers are a blast to use when you're playing paintball and because they usually fit flush under your paintball gun, no one will really notice if you keep your gun low pre-game. Then when you're stalking your opponents and you jump out and launch a grenade on your foe, they won't know what hit them, besides a lot of paint.

A grenade launcher will change the way you play paintball. If you're getting bored with the same old game, raise the play up a notch by incorporating grenade launchers into your next "battle"!

Paintball is a lot of fun to play. The clothes make the person in paintball. If you make the mistake of wearing clothing that is too heavy and cumbersome, you won't have the freedom of movement to make some good hits.

Some people make the mistake of wearing heavy padding to go play paintball. Even to the point of wearing roost protectors made for motocross. While a roost protector is great to keep rocks from hitting you in the chest on your motocross bike, because most of them are either Kevlar or Plastic, they are stiff and don't' allow a lot of freedom of movement. One motocross item a lot of paintball players use is the pre-curved gloves for holding onto the motocross bike's handlebars. Those will get you by in a pinch but a far better option is to use gloves made for the sport. One great pair is the SWAT tactical leather gloves. They are light, move with you and always maintain a good grip.

Don't rely on your sunglasses to protect your eyes. A good pair of goggles are worth their weight in gold. Paintballs don't particularly hurt but getting zinged by one will definitely get your attention if you're not wearing layers of clothing and protective gear such as a mask. Even better, wear paintball gear that is made specifically for the sport. The jerseys and fight suits are great as they protect you from the paintballs flying at you and they give you absolute freedom of movement.

Paintball is a blast with the right gear. Get a good collection of paintball gear together and you'll be ready to go lay paint at any time!