Awnings & Tarps
This
is one of the single best investments a team can make. Keeping the sun
and rain off of your head when you are not on the field can make things
less fatiguing. We usually set up at least two 10 by 10 ft. awnings, sometimes
more. I'd recommend about one awning of this size for every 4 or 5 people.
Three of the awnings we
have are the quick set-up types in which the structure simply unfolds and
pops up. They cost about $90 each, but to us are worth the price because
of the quick set-up and take-down. Honestly, I did not know how long these
EZ-up brand awnings would last when we first bought them, but we are starting
our fourth season (at about a dozen events a year) with the two oldest
ones and they have held up well - well enough that we recently bought the
third indentical unit.
For cold, rainy or windy
days, tarps can be used to wall in the sides of the awnings. We usually
attach the tarps using plastic spring-loaded clamps which can be found
along side tools in many department stores. The clamps are also great for
many other uses such as hanging face mask from the awning frame.
It's also a good idea to
bring along some extra tent/awning stakes and rope to replace those which
get lost or damaged, or to help tie things down if necessary.
Tents and Sleeping Gear
One
of the guys who plays with us likes to sleep outside regardless of the
weather. That's fine for him, but if you are spending the night, having
a tent to keep the rain, dew, bugs or frost off of your nose sure can be
nice. Among the team we have a lot of different style tents, everything
from the ten-man taj Mahal, to small tents barely big enough for one person.
There are advantages and disadvantages which should be considered when
buying a tent, such as cost sharing/saving, space availability at the camp
site, or time consumption in set-up and take-down. Personally, I like the
tent I use-- a 10 by 8 walk-in unit which includes built-in poles and stands
up in about a minute. It cost about $60 at a department store, and from
a convenience standpoint can't be beat.
Sleeping bags are a personal
preference thing. I personally don't care for being inside one and usually
just bring a blanket and sleep on top of the bag. However, for real luxury,
one of the best investments I have ever made is an air mattress. For less
than $20 you can sleep in real comfort, when compared to a sleeping bag
on the hard uneven ground. And a good night's sleep can make a real difference
in how you play paintball the next day.
If you have trouble sleeping
amidst a lot of noise, ear plugs should be considered. From crickets, to
generators running, to loud people who try to stay up all night long, a
camp site at a scenario game can be noisy. Simple and cheap disposable
ear plugs like those used for shooting can make a huge difference here.
Tables & Chairs
Having
portable tables keeps from having to work off of the ground. Whether you
are cooking, eating, working on equipment, writing, etc, it's much easier
to do on a table, and you don't have to worry as much about losing things
in the grass.
We have several different
types of tables with folding legs. When buying these it's probably better
to invest the extra money for something a little more sturdy. Cheap tables
don't last as long and replacing them only cost extra in the long run.
Folding camp chairs can
be found at most department or sporting goods stores for under $20. This
is something each individual player can purchase for his or herself to
help split the cost. It's much better than sitting on the ground.
Lights
If
you're going to be staying overnight, it's a good idea to get some lights
for the camp area. Some people prefer propane powered camp lights. Most
of ours are battery powered, which seem to be easier to use when hanging
them from the interior of the awnings. A few extra flashlights never hurt,
in case some are lost. A small personal light can come in handy when going
to the bathroom at night.
Water

We
carry water in several forms. First and foremost is a 5 gallon jug full
of ice water for drinking. The 5 gallon water coolers can be purchased
from department and sporting good stores for about $25 each. It's usually
best to fill them at least partially with ice. In order to avoid buying
bags of ice, try freezing water in large plastic trays or tubs, creating
big ice cubes. Sometimes, depending on the number of people, we bring 2
jugs, and sometimes fill one of them with Gatorade, but we always have
at least one with water for drinking.
We also carry water in squirt
and pump bottles. The small squirt bottles can often be found at discount
stores for as little as a dollar. We will generally have one filled with
soapy water and one filled with clean water. They're great for cleaning
goggles and other equipment. Larger pump bottles can be purchased for a
little more and provide some pressure behind the water for cleaning uses.
Paper Towels, etc.
Paper
towels are pretty much an obvious necessity. The trick is to remember to
bring them! Check out the paper towel rack on the Cheap
Home-made Stuff page. It's also a good idea to bring a roll or two
of toilet paper, since porta-potties at scenario games often run short.
We usually carry some kind of liquid soap for washing hands.
Food & Drinks
At some point during the
24 hour game, it's likely you'll want to eat. While many fields sell food,
it's often like concessions at a movie theater in that the cost is a little
high. You can save a lot of money if the team pitches in and buys food
together, not only for major meals, but for snacks and drinks.
Obviously some food requires
the use of a cooler to stay good throughout a weekend, but there are also
plenty of items you can buy which will last for weeks. We have a box full
of snacks we keep on hand and replenish as necessary.
Cooking Equipment
A
portable grill can certainly be considered a luxury item from one standpoint,
but if you are looking to save money, it can be very cost effective. The
grill we use is propane powered. We have used it to cook all types of food.
Most of the time we eat both better and cheaper than if we had purchased
food from the event, or went to a nearby restaurant.
Another handy item is a
propane powered burner. This relatively low cost device can be used to
quickly heat up a pot of food, or to boil water for coffee or hot chocolate
when it's cold outside.
We also keep in stock paper/plastic
cups, plastic utensils, paper plates, etc.
Tools & Parts
Murphy's law applies here.
If something can go wrong with paintball equipment, it will. Developing
a portable version of the same basic tools you use around the house to
work on paintball equipment is a good idea. Keep in mind that you'll likely
be at the field for more than 24 hours, and in some cases, the house may
be hours away. Generally, what we carry is only limited by space, since
we have learned from experience that the one tool you leave behind is the
exact one you'll need the most. It might appear as if we take far too many
tools to a scenario game, but inevitably, someone somewhere will end up
needing a battery powered Dremel tool, drill, hacksaw, pipe cutter, or
any other number of things beyond a normal tool kit. I even carry a soldering
kit in case of emergencies with electric equipment.
We
keep most of the tools in two large boxes designed to hold fishing tackle
and tools. These boxes are compartmentalized with plastic trays and make
it easy to keep a variety of spare parts such as o-rings, seals, screws,
etc.
Having an empty plastic
tray comes in handy when working on paintball guns or other equipment with
small parts. You can drop screws, etc, in the tray instead of leaving them
rolling around on the table where they can be easily knocked to the ground.
Don't forget you may also
need tools to set up or take down camp, or repair other items beyond paintball
equipment. Tools can also come in handy if your vehicle breaks down on
a long trip. It happens.
Gun Rack and Ball Loader

These
are luxury items, albeit cheap ones. The gun rack idea originated from
not having a place to sit. It seems that after everyone came off the field
during the game, they would lay their guns in the chairs and on the tables.
The simple peg board gun rack solved that problem freeing up some much
needed space. More details can be found on the Cheap
Home-Made Stuff page.
The paintball loader is
designed to help you load balls into the loaders you carry with speed and
convenience. This can really accelerate your ability to get back out on
the field, or give you more time to do other things, depending on how you
look at it. There are companies that sell such devices, but ours is home
made with the details of how it was done found
here.
Fire Items
If
you're playing in cooler temperatures, a roaring fire in the evening can
be really nice. Before you plan on building a fire at the campsite, it's
a good idea to check with the field owner/operator about local ordinances
which may require a metal fire ring or other container, while prohibiting
fires built directly on the ground.
Most scenario games are
played in the woods and therefore a lack of firewood wouldn't appear to
be a problem, but the field owner/operator may not want you dragging logs
out of the woods to burn. It's possible you may need to bring your own
firewood to the campsite.
A variety of camping related
fire starting devices are available at department and sporting goods stored,
and it's also a good idea to have a few tools such as an ax, a shovel,
or other implements.. Always think safety first.
Generator
A portable generator really
is a luxury item. Generally speaking, generators are expensive, but not
at all uncommon at scenario game camp sites. We use a small gas powered
Coleman unit, which puts out enough power to run a television set and DVD
player so we can watch a movie the night before the game. The generator
can also power a small microwave oven (great for breakfast), or a variety
of power tools if necessary. In an emergency, it can even be used to jump-start
a vehicle.
Spare Equipment
We bring lots of spares.
From spare guns, face mask, ball haulers and clothes, to tools, tires,
and even a spare tent most of the time, we almost always have an extra
what-ever-it-might-be. Someone, somewhere will eventually need it – you
can count on it.
Shower
A
shower at the field is pure luxury. Like a lot of teams, we usually arrive
for 24 hour scenario games on Friday afternoon, and spend both Friday and
Saturday night at the field, not arriving back home until Sunday night.
That's a long time for dust and dirt to collect on your body, not to mention
who knows what else. The portable shower unit we have sets up in minutes
and provides hot or cold water. Due to the number of people we usually
have at an event, a 55 gallon plastic drum is used to feed the shower.
It's a great thing to have before the long ride home Sunday afternoon,
as one of our players says "to wash off the first layer of dirt". If you
get a shower, don't forget to bring a towel!
TV
and DVD
Another pure Luxury is a
TV and DVD player (which of course requires a source of power). We usually
arive at the games Friday afternoon, so having the ability to watch a movie
Friday night is nice. Generally Speaking, the bigger the crowd, the bigger
the TV you need. Besides being harder to see, small TVs often can't put
out enough volume. The one we use most often is a 19 inch model, which
seems to work adequately. If you plan on doing something like this, you
might try picking up a cheap TV at a pawn shop, so if anything happens
to it you won't be out a lot of money.
Duct Tape
Can't forget the most important
item on the list. Duct Tape is like the Force; it has a light side, a dark
side, and it binds the universe together. Don't leave home without it.
RV (new
addition)
Not
too long after first writing this page we bought a motorhome . We had been
tossing around the idea of this for a while, and after spending nearly
a month of nights each year in a tent, it was finally time to try something
different. Two of us on the team went in together and bought this 1991
model, 29 foot vechicle for under $10k, a reasonable price in my opinion.
It will also be used by both of us for other non-paintball (family) trips,
which helps justify the expense. Although gas milage is horrible compared
to small vehicles, the cost is not so bad when you figure the thing can
actually transport the amount of people that would have otherwise required
three cars. There are some down sides to be considered, such as possible
maintenance cost (afterall, the thing is a house on wheels), but
the positives are really nice. The built-in bathroom, shower, generator,
storage space, microwave, coffee maker, central heating, and sleeping space
are all obvious luxuries when it comes to a paintball trip. The comfort level
for travel and even just relaxing while at the field are miles above anything
we have had before. And the whole thing even saves time in putting up and
taking down camp, since so many items we previously carried separately
are incoporated into the vehicle.
Billy Goodman