Proper Propellants - HPA vs. CO2

A Lot of Hot Air:

As a beginner I've been trying to get my gear in order (old news) but one very serious stance that my friends and paintball contacts have been taking is that HPA is the best propellant for my circumstances, and that it is the better propellant overall.

HPA - High Pressure Air:

HPA is very simply pressurized air... Yup, the stuff you breath in and out all day packed into a tank and used to sling paint at your enemies. This should be your propellant of choice, especially if the climate you're playing in has cooler days.

Functionality:

CO2 actually turns into a liquid when under high pressure and will collect at the bottom of your tank. The liquid needs to evaporate into a gas to be used as propellant but when under sustained burst-fire or in cold conditions, the liquid CO2 can't convert to gas fast enough and enters your marker as a liquid. This can 'freeze' the marker requiring time un-used to allow for it to warm back up, but also chances damaging the internal components. HPA doesn't have this problem and as such, has won the hearts and minds of paintballers almost everywhere.

Let's move onto the focus of MOST beginner 'ballers though... MONEY.

Pricing:

*Just imagine Pink Floyd's "Money" playing in the background here...

HPA tanks are more expensive than their CO2 counterparts, usually starting around $70.00 new for the most basic tanks and moving up from there (compared to CO2 tanks which can be in the $20.00 range for the cheapies) but there's another detail to consider.

Most fields will charge you around $8.00-$10.00 for the day to keep your CO2 tank filled. You don't typically see a charge for getting your HPA tanks reloaded so you can save money in the long run by starting out with HPA. In fact, a number of retailers now have established HPA 'upgrade' packages that you can order alongside a basic marker-mask-CO2 tank kit to replace the CO2 tank, substituting it out entirely in favour of the HPA canister. Sure the cost averages about $40 more over the package with CO2, but if you're filling up at $8.00 a day, you're looking at only 5 days of balling before you've paid off your investment.

Full Up?

Hopefully this has filled your brain with a bit of info dealing with the choice between CO2 and HPA. when it boils down to it my fellow 'n00b's you want something that's going to cost you less in the long run. It might seem painful to drop an extra chunk of change off the break but if you're going to stick with paintball to any extent, you're eventually going to burn a hole in your wallet paying for CO2.

I hope this helps y'all out. Until next time my 'ballin buds remember to...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'n00b' Baller