So you or your child have been invited to a paintball birthday party, but are not sure what to get as a gift. Paintballers are generally pretty simple when it comes to what they want. Really anything related to paintball should put a smile on their face, but some gifts have a stronger impact than others.
When choosing a paintball birthday gift, I like to go for the core essentials. Paintballs are one of the best gifts you can give someone as the won’t have to worry how much they shoot throughout the day. If they don’t want to shoot them that day, they’ll have some extra for next time. Paintballs generally have a decent shelf life of about a month or more if rotated often.
Paintball Movies, DVDs, Video Games, and other paintball gear like casual wear clothing and lanyards are an excellent gift. Extra paintball pods, squeegees, google lenses, and other small equipment like that make for a great paintball birthday gift. If you have any other ideas, post them here!
I’ve been playing paintball for 13 years and it all started with my best friends paintball party. As a kid the idea of going paintballing is new, exciting, and even a little scary. The first time I had ever heard of paintball was when my friend and I were hanging out and he showed me his welts from when his dad and him had gone. I instantly became intrigued why anyone would think getting hurt is fun, but I soon found out how fun paintball really is. Well his birthday was coming up soon and he invited myself and a few others to go to a paintball party and play at a local paintball field. To get there we had to drive 15 miles out of town, up a mountain, and then inside a valley that consisted of dirt and shrubs. When we arrived at the field, there were huge patches of tress, wooden spools, players dressed in camouflage, and and lots of really cool looking paintball markers.
We got out of the car, filled out the necessary waivers, and listened to the daily safety briefing. Gearing up and getting ready was the most exciting part of the trip so far and the anticipation of going out on a field where the only intention of the other players is to shoot you was driving me crazy. There was at least one other group there that was also having a paintball birthday party so they instantly became our nemesis.
The referee then yelled for all the players to gather up so we could head out for the first set of the day. We walked down a dirt path and down a hill to a dried up field known as “the swamp”. The bunkers were made of tree branches, metal barrels, and wooden spools and the cover did not seem adequate for everyone there. I instantly became nervous and knew I would have to fight for a good hiding spot. My friends and I agreed to run as far up to the middle as we could because if we were going to do this, we might as well go all out.
The referee then counted down from 10 and blew his whistle has he reached 1. Everyone scattered as paintballs started flying right at us. Players were dropping left and right but we ran straight up the middle and somehow made it to a large spool in the middle of the field. The objective of this game was slightly different than other paintball games, as there were 3 tin cans in the very center of the field where there was no cover and to win, one team must grab all cans and hold them for 30 seconds. We agreed that I would run to get the cans as they laid cover fire for me, but the shots from the other team were already pelting our area. As the game neared the end and the referee yelled that there was only 1 minute left to the game, we knew it was now or never. I sprinted to the center as fast as I could and grabbed those three cans and brought them back. We held them off for the 30 seconds and won the game.
I was instantly hooked to this sport and became pretty much obsessed shortly thereafter. The adrenaline rush, getting dirty, and hanging out with friends was enough to make me a lifetime player. I can’t even remember most birthday parties that I have attended all my life, but I remember every moment of the day I went to a paintball party.
While planning for your kid’s or friend’s paintball birthday party, it is important to not only remember all the reservation details, equipment, and people but that you have the right party accessories to really make a great paintball party. The field can be a dirty and messy place, but that doesn’t mean you should eat like it’s just some camping trip. Bring the balloons, bring the music, and bring the CAKE. No party is ever complete without a great tasting cake. I’ve also noticed a huge trend in getting customized paintball cakes, and they do look really cool.
Even if you are planning for your buddies bachelor party, a cool paintball cake can really make that day extra special!
Are you looking to plan a paintball birthday party, corporate paintball outing, or paintball bachelor party? I’m here to help you find the right paintball field and store in your area so you can plan the perfect paintball party. If this is your first time and you have never played paintball before, don’t worry it isn’t that confusing and I’ll explain everything you need to know. I started paintballing over 13 years ago and it all started with my best friend’s birthday party. Since then, I’ve worked and refereed at multiple paintball fields and stores in Southern California as well as played for highly recognized and sponsored DYE and JT paintball teams. Many of my close friends have grown up and still are professional paintball players for the best teams in the world. I know everything there is to know about paintball and love helping others get into this wonderful sport.
At first planning a paintball party for you kids, friends, employees, and coworkers can seem daunting but I’ll explain everything you need to know, so that your group will have a flawless day. If you aren’t sure what paintballing is or fear it may be too dangerous for your group, don’t worry I’ve seen kids as young as 9 play safely as long as they follow safety guidelines.
The first thing you need to know about planning a paintball outing is give yourself a good time buffer of at least 2 weeks from the day you want to go to the paintball field, from the time you make your paintball reservation. For almost every paintball field, you will need to call them directly to request and reserve a private group. A typical private group consists of 10 or more players and requires a deposit or a full payment ahead of time for each player.
If you are planning on going with a group smaller than 10 people, I suggest showing up to the field for the day and join a beginner “walk ons” group. “Walk Ons” are just every day players that go to the field and play with everyone. If you are set on a private group and have 10 or more people, call your local field and ask for their rates and if they require a deposit. A typical field will charge around $20 per player for basic rental equipment and supply a small amount of paintballs. Paintballs typically cost $50 for a case of 2,000. An average beginning player will shoot around 200 paintballs per game. This means you’ll probably want at least a half-case of paintballs for a good day. For a group of 10, you’ll probably be spending around $200-300 for the rental equipment, and $200-300 for paintballs. This can get expensive quick, especially if you have a trigger happy group.
Every player will need to sign a safety waiver, and their parent or gaurdian will need to co-sign if the player is under 18 years of age. When you arrive at the field, gather your group together and be there early. Try to get there before the first game of the day starts, as each field will deliver a very important safety briefing to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable day. During these briefings, the referees will also explain field specific rules that everyone must ablige by. If rules are borken some fields have punishment systems like a pretend jail where others may just kick you out of the paintball park. Most of all, if safety rules are broken, someone can get seriously injured.
When you walk out on the field all geared up, you will generally play two rounds of games. There are two types of typical games, capture the flag and elimination. When you have completed the set, you will go back to the staging area to fill up on ammo and air. Please read my top ten list of important things you need to know when going to the paintball field. These tips will make sure you have an exciting, fun, and memorable day.