Diving in with two feet... What next?

[WinnipegDragon]

Thanks to the advice I've read here, as well as from local Manitoba groups on FB I've jumped right in on this stuff.

I've mail-ordered in an ICS G33 from Mach1 (thanks to some great Boxing Day prices), as well as doing some local shopping:



I plan to add a flashlight to the 1911 for indoor CQB play and a red dot or ACOG on the G33.

I think I need to look at outdoor footwear and BDU as well, but then what? Expand my rig I imagine? I'm just looking for some advice about a smart purchase order so that I'm ready to play outdoors in the spring at this point.

Thanks for any and all advice!

[Aper]

So basically you've been here since 2006 and yet have no effing clue what's up ?

[L473ncy]

Whatever you want to be honest.

Those ballistics you have there they look like the Revision Desert Locust am I right? They're solid, I haven't used them much but my brother runs them. You basically have everything that's required.

As for footwear, civilian hiking boots in a subdued colour with ankle protection are good enough, and that's what I'm running lately (Salomon GTX from Atmosphere for $99, I think they have the sale still going on for another couple days). I've used them for 1 game but time will tell about summer use, someone else on here was telling me that I'm going to hate myself for buying the goretex if I step in water and they go over because the water will be trapped inside the boot. Find something that you like though, Converse, Oakley, Bates, etc. they're all good you just need to find something comfortable.

[ShelledPants]

If you're solo. Spend good money on a green BDU, and then cheap out on your tan BDU, or vice versa. (This is because Green is the dominant color in Canada. You will want to wear it every chance you get)

Teams are often broken down into what color you're wearing and it's useful to have the option to switch or choose your team.

Pistol magazine pouches. (Belt)
Pistol Holster (Belt)
A good belt (HSGI makes some great shooting belts)
Good undergear (T1 wicking layers, Smartwool socks, Sock liners)
A good raincoat, don't get cheap softshells, spend $100 on a decent Goretex jacket from Mec. Don't buy PVC anything, you will cook.
A small assualt backpack. (Ebay, check out USGI surplus backpacks, you can get a 80L Arcteryx Hiking pack and an Assault pack for $120 shipped. And it's Marpat)
Mechanix gloves ($20 a pair) I say this because real oakleys are destroyed in a season of play, fake ones in half that.
Good boots. Don't get zippers, or goretex under $100. They will break and be cold when wet. Canadian MkII's can be found for less than $80 and will probably outlast you. (To agree with eveyone else, good hiking boots are the best right now. I have a hard on for ASOLO Flames. But I currently use Merrel MOABs.)
Wool watch cap. Great in the winter. Good at night in the summer.

Don't throw a flashlight on the pistol. You'll thank me later. It will also save you money.

Co2 Pistols shoot hot. Check your FPS before attempting CQB with it.

Fenix flashlight. Pocket clip. They are great flashlights, $20-$40. Don't weapon mount things you will rarely use. It makes your gun heavy. If you're going to a night game. Tape it to your weapon. 90% of people don't even use their flashlights properly in games.

Clear or Amber lenses in the goggles. You will hate yourself the second you are in a shaded bush. Can't see shit.

You will learn to hate face protection. Make it work for you. Something small and quick to take on and off will mean you're more likely to wear it when you need it (frontal assault).

Personal pet peeve: Armor carriers. Especially new players. Hard to feel your hit. Often you have to hear it. In an intense situation, or even just outdoors, you will likely not feel or hear when hit there.

Camelbak or some other water system. Bottle of water are also fine, but have a place for them full and empty so you don't litter.

I haven't mentioned a RADIO because new players shouldn't be allowed within spitting distance of one.

Dump pouches are a losing game. They are super useful for new shooters. Experienced shooters don't use them. They migrate magazines. Need to drop a magazine fast? Pocket. Then put that magazine back in your rig farthest away from your drawing hand and put your fullest magazine by your drawing hand. Eventually you will be out of ammo and your rig will be full. This is good. Better than to be out of ammo and still have freedom of movement then to have your awkward dump pouch flapping in the wind like a 10lb tumor.

There is my two cents.

[WinnipegDragon]

Originally Posted by Aper

So basically you've been here since 2006 and yet have no effing clue what's up ?

Signed up originally planning to start playing, had a couple of kids instead. Getting back to it now.

[WinnipegDragon]

Originally Posted by L473ncy

Whatever you want to be honest.

Those ballistics you have there they look like the Revision Desert Locust am I right? They're solid, I haven't used them much but my brother runs them. You basically have everything that's required.

Knock-offs given the price I paid but they seem solid. Your advice on the boots matched what I had assumed. Thanks!

[WinnipegDragon]

Originally Posted by ShelledPants

...big list of advice...

Perfect, this is what I was hoping to read. The guns I have a handle on but the rest of the gear is a little harder to decide on the right direction.

Thanks!

[ShelledPants]

Originally Posted by WinnipegDragon

Knock-offs given the price I paid but they seem solid. Your advice on the boots matched what I had assumed. Thanks!

Literally take those and throw them in the garbage. Right now.

You could not endanger yourself more than with fake eye protection.

$100 at a Canadian dealer (Tactical Products Canada, DS Tactial, One Shot, etc) and you will be set for eye protection.

That being said, I bought ESS glasses for $25 at a local surplus store, they were real, likely just fenced from the local Reservists unit.

[naminator]

You can exit your posts so you dont triple post.

I use run of the mill hiking boots. Some people swear by army surplus boots but in my experience military gear is frequently made by the low bidder. Then you end up paying a significant amount of money for surplus gear. Get a comfortable pair of boots that provide ankle protection.

Your rig needs 3 things really, hydration, magazine pouches and a dump pouch for empty magazines. You need a good sling and a good holster (shitty holsters do a shitty job of holding your gun). I had my pistol fly out of while I was running up a road way, which hurts especially when your pistol smacks into gravels and dirt, grinding to a hault a few feet away

[L473ncy]

Ehhh...... Toss them in the garbage and get some real goggles.

I'm sure you have a lot more life experience than I do, you only have 1 set of eyes. The Revision ballistics can be had for as low as $90-100, and if you need prescription the RX carrier is only $20-25 and the cheapest lenses from your optometrist should be about $100 (usually cheaper model Essilor, Zeiss, or Nikon lenses assuming non high index and single vision).

I also noticed you bought extra CO2 mags, you can use green gas magazines in that pistol, it's "CO2 version" for other reasons, they have an extra cutout to fit the CO2 canister in the pistol grip (because it's too wide for the mag). I remember those shooting something like 420 FPS on the first few shots off a fresh CO2 canister then normalizing to ~370-380. Way too hot for CQB (and way too hot if you need to engage below your MED's which is what the pistol is for).

[Cliffradical]

Buy some of these right now. They're also available in black. I bought both, might buy more.

The goggles should be replaced with better ones asap, but keep them as a back up.

http://shopfiveten.com/P-43610700182...esert-Tan.aspx

[WinnipegDragon]

Odd, I bought the goggles at a local Airsoft store, not online or anything. No way I get a surplus set for $30 with three colour lenses I guess.

I went with the CO2 mags for the GBB since our local indoor field is only partially heated. It runs about 10 degrees on average, maybe a little less, and I was told its cold enough that green gas doesn't even work after the first three or four shots

[L473ncy]

Holy shit...... 5.10 is AWESOME, I have a pair of Impact Lows for my flat pedals and was thinking of getting some climbing shoes from them (got La sportiva instead though). OP: 5.10 rubber is super sticky, it does wear out faster than other soles but you can't beat that price.

Cliffradical, why didn't I know about this 2 weeks ago.... I think I'm going to buy a pair anyways.

[WinnipegDragon]

Just bought a pair in black and one in tan. Seems like a deal.

Goggles I'll return and rebuy. On the off chance they are legit, how can you tell the real from the fake?

[L473ncy]

How much did you pay for them and do you still have the box?

Second what model/brand are they? If Revision Eyewear $90-100 is about right for them. If cheaper, then they are suspect.

Look for a ANSI Z87 stamp on them, also look for a moulded date stamp on the frames. I'm not in town at the moment but if they are Revision Eyewear I can compare them against my brothers model.