After years of playing airsoft, you will realize that not all gadgets in airsoft are created equal. An anti-fog spray is an excellent example of a gadget you test and move on.
On the other hand, there are a few staples that, regardless of which gun you field that day, should absolutely go with you to the airsoft field. Let us walk you through those that stuck with our team.
1. Proper Armbands
Airsoft is a team sport, and since regular skirmishes rarely have proper uniform discipline, you get to see a lot of color tape during airsoft games. And to be honest, if you are serious about airsoft, it makes no sense to use them. That’s why our gear bags always have 3 sets of fabric armbands: Red, blue and yellow.
Why are color tape armbands stupid to use? Let us name 3 reasons in particular. First, over time, color tapes can damage your uniform’s colors. Second, taking them on and off is uncomfortable as you ideally need a knife or a pair of scissors, and the tape sometimes falls off mid-game. Third, there is no reason to create more waste with tape armbands. It’s cheap and efficient to have fabric ones.
Also, at this point, it is worth mentioning that our Textile Team is working
on our own armbands. They will come in a set of 2 per package, with Red, Yellow, Blue and Green available. And they have some cool features, such as the design, stretch material and one-size. If you are interested, stay tuned. 💪
2. Anti Fog Unit
It is a no-brainer if you ever fogged (which is the case for almost all of us).
This little thing attaches to your helmet/boonie/cap and blows away any fog you may encounter. Of course, quality glasses work to an extent, too, but this is such a bulletproof solution that there is no reason not to have it on you when going for a game.
💪 Quick anti-fog trick: move your glasses to the end of your nose and shake your head a bit to get more air in. Alternatively, run somewhere with glasses on. This should help.
Keep it safe though, never take off your eye pro in the game!
How does it work? Simply said, fog is created by water that is trapped on the inside of your goggles. Especially if you sweat, this water can create a layer of fog that essentially kills the game for you. The Unit uses electricity to run a fan that is directly connected to the inside of your goggles, making sure that the air is always moving and the water does not rest on the lenses.
3. Integrated Knee Pads
A quality-of-life improvement. When playing airsoft, most of us use pants that have knee pads already integrated into them. Despite being a bit more expensive, the fact that you get rid of straps around your legs that come with other knee pads just makes it worth it. With the integrated version, you basically have no idea that you are even running knee pads until you need them.
4. A Medkit/IFAK
Airsoft is safe. We wrote more on this topic in our post about whether airsoft hurts. But as with every sport, injuries happen from time to time. We always felt that the more experienced players should be prepared to handle anyone who might run into trouble. That’s why we always have a Med kit that includes:
- Disinfectant spray
- Bandages
- Tourniquet
- Splint
- Gloves
- Medical tape
It may happen that you won’t need it. Still, it’s a good idea to have it. If you want to know more, check out this video:
5. Spare Safety Glasses
With proper safety glasses, the chance that they would break mid-game is almost zero. But that’s not why should an extra pair be around in your gearbag. There are 2 other reasons.
If you run a goggle-mask setup similar to what Chris runs, you know that this is a bit unpractical for cases when you just quickly need to do something, like go to the range and adjust your Hop-Up or check out the game area. Since these places always require Eye Pro, it is faster and easier to grab the simple safety glasses rather than deal with your game setup.
Moreover, if there is some unlucky person who forgets his or her eye
protection, you can be the saviour in their eyes. 💪
6. A Tactical Flashlight
Whether it’s a pocket flashlight or a flashlight attachment, we always have it with us. Airsoft fields, more often than not, have plenty of dark places to navigate, and flashlights are handy. And if you have it comfortably mounted to your gun, you can also use it when engaging enemies, giving you a genuine advantage. But even if you stick to a small flashlight in your pocket, you will find yourself using it more often than you may realize. That’s why it’s always going with us.
BONUS: Goggle Wipes
One more thing worth noting is cleaning wipes for airsoft goggles/glasses. You see, stuff from your face over time gets on your lenses, which can create “foggy” spots and overall increase fogging. And you can imagine that wiping that in your sweaty uniform does not exactly help the most.
For that reason, and also because they take up almost no space, we always
have a few sealed wipes for goggles cleaning on us. Recommended.
That’s it! We hope you found our tips helpful and may implement some in your gear bag as well. See you in the next one!
