Sunday, January 24, 2010

Paintball Masks - Just The Facts

By Donald Stevens

Protecting your face when you play paintball is important. And to do that, you can wear a paintball mask.

A paintball mask is an important protective gear worn when playing paintball. It protects your face from getting hit by a paintball marker that travels up to 300 feet per second. It would cost less than $20 to $100. It may also come with accessories like headbands and visors to shield you from the sun's glare.

A paintball mask basically protects your face from paintball markers. It also prevents paint from getting in your eyes, nose, ears or mouth. Paint in a paintball marker is toxic and must not be ingested. It also prevents paintball markers from hitting any sensitive part of your face like your nose or your eyes or any part that can be irritated by the paint.

A paintball mask also helps prevent head injuries when you fall or trip during the game. A paintball mask must have adequate padding that fits the head snugly into the mask. The padding must contour your face and your head when you wear it but return to its original shape when you take it off. It must also be firmly glues onto the plastic of the mask.

The straps must be adequate for you to loosen or tighten them without stretching the traps out too much. You must be able to fully look down when wearing a mask. Your chest and mouth guard must not touch when looking down.

Thermal lenses or anti-fog lenses are a must in a good paintball mask. Two lenses that sandwich a small air pocket that stabilizes temperature on the lens compose a thermal lens. This prevents fogging on your lens.

You can also choose to install fans on top of the lens on your paintball mask. But not all masks are ready to be installed with fans. These fans evaporate moisture from your face. These can cost you a penny and would need batteries. It can also distract you with the noise it makes and can break easily.

Cleaning your paintball mask lengthens the life of your mask. First, run a rag over the mask to take most of the paint off your mask. Water can also help loosen the paint up. Chemicals and lens cleaners are not advised when cleaning a paintball mask. You never know when these materials can be harmful to your mask.

Clean the little spaces and creases in your paintball mask. Take out the detachable lens on your paintball mask and clean its edges as well. This prevents paint from building up in these little spaces and trickling on you or down your lens later on. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe your lens. It helps absorb all the excess oil on the lens and give you a good view of the you opponent and your field during the game.

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