Budget Balling - Staying In Bounds

Money:

It's a gas but only when you have enough to get by.

My post tonight is all about 'balling on a budget. There are a couple of videos and reviews out there already that're meant to teach you how to save money while indulging in paintball but I disagree with the typical "bring better accessories to enhance your rental experience" strategy. I'm more of a "make an educated investment and work the numbers angle" sort of guy.

Education:

Get some! No, seriously... Educate yourself fellow 'n00b's.

I can't tell you everything about how to set up your kit, simply because I'm not you. What I CAN tell you for sure are these details:

Proper Propellant:

Yup, this is the title of my last post but it fits here as well. Plain and simple, if you're going to play more than 3 days worth of paintball, high-pressure air is worth the starting investment. Remember folks, it isn't all about getting started soon, it's about getting started RIGHT. If you rush your first kit and buy something that doesn't work for you, or that doesn't have the durability to last then you've just wasted your money. Investing your money into HPA will ensure that you don't have to pay out every time that you want to 'ball just to load up your tank.

For more information on the advantages of HPA over CO2, you can read my post, Proper Propellants.

Masking Mistakes:

You can't shoot what you can't see... Well, a lucky ball might hit someone you couldn't see when you fired it... But that's not what I'm getting at.

A proper mask is going to make sure you don't... Or, well, do the best it can to make sure you don't get nailed by someone you missed due to an uncomfortable mask or a lessened range of vision. Now I'm not much of a mask aficionado but I CAN tell you what the best-rated masks on the market are right now. I'd like to remind you that buying used can always help keep costs low, but if you're like me you'll probably take a certain deal of pride in owning a brand new set of gear for your starter kit. Don't let this mentality destroy your wallet, but it's okay to start off with the strength and assurance of new equipment.

1. Dye Invision Mask: http://www.pbreview.com/products/reviews/956/
2. VForce Profiler Mask: http://www.pbreview.com/products/reviews/2255/
3. VForce Armour Mask: http://www.pbreview.com/products/reviews/432/   

These reviews were not written by me... Rather obviously. Also, I haven't had the time to sift through all of the reviews but having by-far the most reviews, and ranking at or above a 9/10 these masks are the most likely to keep you satisfied and seeing the world as you need to see it.

Whippin' Up a Cyclone:

Cyclone feed technology... A boom for budget ballers.

Okay, so maybe I've got a marker-woody going for the A5's cyclone feed concept, but coming from my friends and professional contacts in the paintball community, the A5's cyclone feed is something damned-decent, especially when you've got cheap-to-reload HPA.

It's not the best deal when you're blasting through CO2 as CO2 suffers under rapid-fire and colder conditions but for HPA it's a perfect higher-speed feed system. The cyclone feed system uses propellant (CO2 or HPA) to rotate the cyclone feeding paddles. The paddles line up your paintballs so each shot advances a new round, preventing you from misfiring and just blowing air. You can look to the inserted image for the appearance and a basic visual explanation of how the cyclone feeder works. 

This will help to improve your game while keeping you on-budget by allowing for a higher, reliable fire rate but at the same time preventing you from having to buy an electronic feeding system. With your fire rate issues solved, here comes the next (and very logical) step to increasing your firepower...

Become a Pod Person:

This one's simple really. If you're in a firefight would you like to have more ammunition or less? Yeah, that's what I thought.

More ammo means more chances to headshot that bugger who's been trying to long ball your ass. More ammo means outlasting your opponent and forcing them into submission when they run dry. More ammo means more fun... Unless you're a mag-fed guy, but since this article is geared towards start-up ballers, ammunition is your friend.

You don't need to blow a massive wad of cash on a pod pack in order to keep your ammo on-hand, so don't get caught up with pricey, flashy packs right now. You can pick up a new, 4-pod + tank-holder pack for around $20-$30 CDN without sacrificing functionality. Remember to keep your goals simple, and in this case that just means bringing more ammunition to the field.

Determination:

You will need to be a very determined shopper to get the best deals, but rest-assured that the deals ARE out there even if you shop brand-new from retailers.

I've had great luck in my search shopping with both www.buypaintball.ca and www.onlinepaintball.ca as both websites have fantastic pricing. If you're looking for a much more personal touch, contact BuyPaintball.ca for your needs. Their website allows you to place orders through PayPal which makes things much simpler when it comes time to order and honestly? Their customer service support is flawless.

A couple of things to remember when shopping at your local retailers thought folks, always carry the up-to-date pricing of other retailers with you, do as much shopping online as possible to research pricing and save time, and finally don't be afraid to make an attempt at haggling. For the most part there are mark-ups, and retailers know it. You can't demand the world, that's simply impolite and inconsiderate but you CAN ask what the best possible deal is based upon other retailers' pricing.

OH! If you want to know more about the A5, get any reviews on it etc, ask Nick Elie at Flagswipe Paintball (info@buypaintball.ca) about it. Please don't flood his inbox but serious inquiries? Absolutely. I've been working with Nick on getting a lot of this information for you guys he loves making sure that new ballers are properly informed.

Get it On! (Your gear that is):

Now it's time to look at getting your kit together. If you're not so sure about the sport, just go to a couple of "walk-ons welcome" fields, rent a marker and mask, and have some fun. If paintball's for you, look into getting your own kit asap. It's rough enough paying for paint, don't keep paying for your gear any longer than you have to.

That's everything I have for you tonight. Remember to keep your wits and wallets about you and as always...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'n00b' Baller

Respected Retailers - BuyPaintball.ca

Listen Up!

I have something that needs to be said about a particular retailer, and before you go making assumptions, NO I haven't been asked or enticed to write this article. I was inspired to write this review after my interactions with the customer support team who I've come to know as 'Nick' from www.buypaintball.ca.

Buypaintball.ca:

A small, family-owned paintball shop located in London, Ontario (exact details to follow) and I was floored by their service quality and pricing.

Now it typically takes me having some sort of real personal connection for me to mention a retailer on here, my Paintball Weazels post came from my acquaintanceship with Mr. Sarge Morin, but in this case I couldn't NOT write up a review. Having come across BuyPaintball.ca in my search for my very first marker package, they were one of the best prices for the kit that I could find ANYWHERE. I can honestly say that they'll be a staple in my paintball gear search from here on out and that ANYONE looking to get themselves some 'balling gear NEEDS to give them a browse.

If you're a London local, or if you're going through the area, you should definitely check out their IRL (In Real Life) store Flagswipe Paintball. I've listed "buypaintball.ca" but that's just their online operation.

Flagswipe Paintball: "The thrill you will remember!"

529 Philip Street. - London Ontario, Canada.

Phone: (519) 642-0908

Email: sales@buypaintball.ca

Superior Service:

So, a little more about my experience aside from the competitive pricing and generic references about how awesome it was getting to talk to them.

Nick with Tom 'Tomcat' Cunningham
-Not a video, don't be fooled-

I was in the market for a Tippmann A5 marker package (as you guys will no-doubt know from my posts thus-far) and came across Flagswipe/BuyPaintball.ca in my search. I sent an email to them inquiring about the package they offered, what options were available, and I sent this on the SATURDAY of the long-weekend. I then settled in expecting to be made to wait until today to get a response but on Easter Monday I get a bright-and-early email letting me know exactly what they can offer, the details of each item in the package and again folks, all of this coming in on the Saturday... Honestly, I'm barely ABLE to haul my butt out of bed on a Saturday, much less on a long weekend but Nick was ready, willing, and able to help me out.

I'm sure Nick'll wind up reading this and potentially be a little perturbed as to how I managed to snag a pic of him as Google wasn't giving up anything and I couldn't find a "meet the staff" type section of the Flagswipe website. If you want to check out the video I screen-shotted this from and more, you can find them on Youtube HERE or by searching for "Flagswipe Paintball". They're also on Facebook HERE. 

Flagswipe's Calendar of Events - 2013

Honestly fellow 'ballers, You owe it to yourselves to take a look at Flagswipe/BuyPaintball.ca. If you don't, it's your loss and that's not being harsh, it's just the truth. Their facility caters to everyone and anyone, they've got indoor AND outdoor playing areas, paintball, laser combat simulation and airsoft... Short of the kitchen sink there's not much they DON'T have and really, would you want your kitchen sink being on their paintball field? Haha probably not.

Cashing Out:

I can tell you right now that I'll be putting some serious coin into the Flagswipe cash registers (digitally speaking as I don't get to London often) or at the very least I'll be looking to them first for any gear I need. I've never met a retailer so customer-focused in my paintball expreriences. If you're looking to get into the sport, please check out www.buypaintball.ca. It's for your own good. I'd say "Tell'em Joshua sent you" but it wouldn't make a difference... EVERYONE gets the best customer service possible regardless of who you know. Quality service, equality and paintball for all! That's how they play the game.

That's all for tonight readers, just remember...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - The 'n00b' Baller

Getting 'In Gear'

Pop-Pop-Pop!

Yup, I'm working hard on getting my 'kit' together and I've contacted more than nine or ten different paintball gear supplies and I've managed to get responses from quite a few. Most have only been simple "I've received your message and we're working on your request" however Online Paintball replied to my inquiry and actually answered my questions within just a couple of hours of sending the first email, and on the Easter long-weekend Saturday no-less.

Screenshot of the Online Paintball deal

So far they have the most gear being offered for the lowest price alongside the best service of anyone I've heard from, and I don't really expect for many offers to come in that top theirs. I'm hoping that Hero Army Surplus will challenge them a bit, as competition is good for me and ultimately good for whoever puts forth the best price on products but to be completely honest, I don't think that I'd be too upset to 'settle' with the prices I'm seeing.

I should mention that, regardless of how the wheeling and dealing goes, Hero Army Surplus is run by a bunch of great people who've been of great help to my former high school's Remembrance Day ceremony, lending props and costumes for the theatrical presentations. They were always nice to me when I shopped for 'pizazz' pieces when I played laser tag (camo pants, neoprene masks etc) and when I was trying to set up a laser tag tournament they were great about their pricing on customized dog tags as prizes for the event (it never got off the ground but they were willing to wiggle on the pricing). Point being? Hero's a great place to shop, run by very understanding people. I'd recommend them 

'00 Civic:

The header here might not make a whole lot of sense to you right now but stick with me and it'll make sense soon enough.

Do you know what 2012's 'Most Stolen Vehicle" was? The 2000 Honda Civic. Do you know why that car was targeted? Because it was simple, easy to maintain, and highly customizable. It's by this motto that I structure most purchases in my life.

Marketing visual Aid

You see, I might be the 'n00b baller' but I'm an old pro when it comes to getting the most out of my effort, money, everything. If it can be spent on something, I know how to make the most out of it. The trick is knowing that to get the most of your money, you will need to balance reliability, ease of maintenance and the potential for adjustments and upgrades. In the case of a paintball marker, without blowing a massive wad of cash up-front, your best bet is most-likely the Tippmann A5.

The A5 comes highly-recommended from a number of ballers I've spoken with, as well as from review posted online. It's a chore trying to find anyone to speak ill of this marker and the worst that they can say about it is that it's a little on the heavier side, and that it isn't sniper-accurate... well, who would expect that level of accuracy from an unmodified, affordable marker? Precisely.

In any case, this little baby's gonna be mine soon enough. I've found (as I've mentioned numerous times) a TONNE of packages based off of this marker so all it comes down to now is price. I have to say though, that the package is about more than just the marker. You need to set yourself up for success and that means covering a couple of bases.

Are you joking? No, I'm kitting:

Sorry for the pun.. The HORRIBLE pun.

Ex. 1

Your kit (in my opinion) is just as important to your success as your marker. Why? Because being able to carry extra ammunition, having a squeegee on hand in case you 'chop a ball' (coating the inside of your barrel with paint), and/or having a pair or armoured gloves to prevent 'dead hands' from a paintball hit will allow you to play to a higher level, or at the very least leave you with options.

Options are a HUGE advantage when you're in combat and it doesn't matter if that's legitimate military service or in a combat-sport like paintball. When you have options, that makes you dangerous and unpredictable and your opponent will have to deal with a wider range of tactics. 

Pods and Pod Packs:

The picture says it all folks. If you're going into a match, and you can't carry any ammunition other than what's already in your hopper, you're going to be in for a short trip. The best part about playing paintball is actually throwing the paint, so having less ammunition means less fun... It also means that at any moment you could run out of balls, even in the midst of a firefight.

So, how do you lug more splattering power into a match? Pods and pod packs my friends. These are really simple pieces of equipment, much like a tactical belt or vest you'd see on a soldier, and some packs come with a holder for your propellant tank in order to take the weight off of your gun. If you're looking for one of these tank-holding packs, they're usually labelled as "X+1" or "X+Y+1" pod packs with X and Y just being stand ins for the number of pods held by the pack itself. The +1 designates that it holds your tank as well, and a lighter gun-hand means faster response times and that you'll have a better chance of putting rounds on target before your enemy does. So remember fellow n00bs, "If the only balls you've got are in your hopper... You're gonna have a bad time."

Oh, and yes, I made that meme on MemeGenerator.com... Credit to me for the testicular double entendre.

Armour:

No, you won't need kevlar, ceramic plate or steel but simpel paintball armour can be extremely handy and many players swear by the benefits of having armour and padding. Not only will this protective gear help in preventing injuries suffered while throwing yourself around the battlefield, but soft armour can sometimes result in 'bouncing', where incoming fire simply deflects off of you rather than exploding.

Now it's not about the pain of being tagged (okay, sometimes it's about getting hit) but when it comes to elbow and knee pads/shin guards, these pieces actually help to improve your mobility. Picture if you can, diving or sliding into position behind a bunker and having nothing on to protect your knees, shins or elbows should you wind up diving into place. You're going to wind up with a first-class ticket to the first-aid tent with some dirt-stuffed gashes and your day's probably going to be ruined. So if you're the kind of person who's looking to go balls-to-the-wall with your 'balling, picking up some armour should be on your paintballing to-do list.

Gloves are also a great idea if you're conscientious about your comfort. Sure, your hands are a small part of your body, but if you're poking out to shoot at someone then your hands become a much bigger target as mostly everything else is behind cover (if you're doing it right). If you start getting smoked across the fingers, odds are that 1. you're gonna be in a fair bit of hurt and 2. that your 'combat effectiveness' is going to suffer A LOT. 

Case-in-point, when you've got the money for it, armour's a great addition to any paintball kit.

Running on Empty:

Just wrapping this up as I've said pretty much everything there is to say but I wanted to point out that although I'm literally ABOUT to functionally enter the sport, I've received a lot of feedback from different people all hailing from different functions regarding paintball. I know people involved in the 'aftermarket' and customization fields, the beginner players, pro-sponsored teams and people who work  for the fields.

I'm not an expert (hence the self-designated "n00b baller" title) but don't discount my reviews and suggestions folks, I'm trying to help my fellow n00bs.

That's all I have for today. I'll fill y'all in more when my shopping and wheeling and dealing makes some more headway. I appreciate you stopping by the blog and giving it a read and I hope you've enjoyed it. If you have, PLEASE share the link on Facebook, email it to your friends, follow the page... whatever you'd like but it really helps me out! Oh, and as always, remember...

Keep calm and throw paint!

Joshua J. Taylor - Callsign Loading....