It’s terrible to show up to a tournament and find that your electronic hopper broke during the ride. This fiasco has thrown games for many teams that weren’t as studious as they should have been packing. Your paintball gear is too valuable to throw in a disorganized giant duffel bag. Good players pay thousands of dollars in specialized equipment; a dented barrel on a $ 1,500 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 bag size for the length of your trip and the equipment you will need. Besides 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 in carrying paintball equipment. These bags are the best for carrying your essential supplies to the field and back, but they rarely have enough space 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 duffel bags, called paintball gear bags, often contain not only your play equipment, but also changes of clothes, uniforms, and toiletries. These bags are the best option for overnight trips that last several days and come in different sizes. Some are more equipped than others for air travel, but are better for carrying everything you need when you drive to an event. When traveling by plane, the best bags to use are paintball suit cases. These are similar in size to paintball equipment bags, but have hard outer covers or heavier canvas-like fabric. Paintball briefcases offer the best protection for your equipment to be handled safely by an airline.
When buying a bag to carry your travel supplies, it is best to shop at a paintball store. You can actually use any bag to transport your paintball gear, however not wearing 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 suitcases have velcro straps on the inside to hold your supplies and keep them safe during transport. The best paintball equipment bags have compartments to help separate clothing and keep dirty or wet supplies away from dry ones. Paintball travel bags are also comparable in cost to other similar types of standard bags.
It is also important to realize that certain equipment may have specific requirements, making it safer for travel. Your paintball mask, for example, needs to be packed carefully. Many paintball masks are made with flexible plastic that surrounds the lens and 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 by uncomfortable eye protection and the game won’t be as much fun. Carrying a paintball mask can is best accomplished with a good soft velvet bag and / or a hard goggle case. While this is another piece of luggage to take with you, it is 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. If you are flying, you can only travel with an empty air tank; you cannot fly with a full compressed air tank as it will turn into a bomb and is illegal. However, you can drive with a full tank of air. The best paintball compressed air tanks cost over $ 200, so even the slightest scratch or the slightest bump can be heartbreaking. The best advice is to always carry your empty air tank inside a sturdy rubber tank top and then wrap everything in bubble wrap and pack between your changes of clothes or the pant leg of your paintball uniform. The electronic hopper is an important piece of equipment on which the performance of your weapon will largely depend. There are not many protective covers specifically for paintball chargers for sale, however some brands do come with them. It is best to find the right size plastic container for the safe storage and transportation of your charger, especially if you have paid a lot for it. When transporting (and storing), it is best to remove the batteries from the electronic hoppers to avoid the potential disaster of a leak.
Carrying your paintball gun in a separate case is the smartest way to go. For the most complete protection, a hard case is the best option and will keep your marker as safe. Unless you’re using a full-size rifle case, most paintball gun cases are fairly compact and fit well inside a larger duffel or gear bag. If you don’t have access to a hard case, you can go for a soft-sided case, however this should also be wrapped in your paintball jersey and / or pants for as much protection as possible. When packing, always separate the barrel of your weapon, pack them in a padding and preferably together. Some marker barrels have their own carrying case and are good to use for safer travel. If you are flying into a Woodsball event setting, it is not recommended to carry a realistic military paintball gun through the airport or on the plane. With all the confusion out there in the world and the added security at airports, an authentic replica of an assault rifle is sure to raise an eyebrow and likely get confiscated.