Starter Gear: what else do you need?

Glasses and Goggles

• Alright, let’s talk gear! Basically, that’s all the other stuff besides your rifle. There are going to be two key things you should keep in mind for your first game. The first is your own safety, and the second is your own comfort.
• Safety is the NO1 priority, even if at the cost of comfort. Airsoft is actually super-safe if everyone wears proper safety equipment. The sole, most important part of this equipment is your safety glasses or goggles. 
• These are the only barrier between a potential BB and your eye. And as eyes are very soft and fragile, getting directly hit may result in some pretty serious injury. So please don’t underestimate your eye protection. When you’re at an airsoft game, make sure you have a decent pair of airsoft glasses or goggles. If you are renting them or borrowing them from a friend, they should know if they have some safety rating and if they will hold when shot with an airsoft rifle. If you want to be extra sure, you can buy your own before you go to a game. Regular safety googles for construction workers are pretty decent and also cheap. 
• Also, keep an eye out for mesh goggles. Some people like them because they can’t fog. However, in a lot of games, they are banned – and for a good reason. As a matter of fact, they are only a bit less dangerous than having no goggles at all. The issue with these is that a BB hitting directly in the mesh can easily scatter, causing the fragments to go through the holes and directly into your eyes. Please, make sure to avoid the mesh glasses.
• If you decide to get your own ones, make sure they follow a specific safety norm or ask in a store. They will guide you through and recommend a good one.

Face Protection

• On top of safety glasses, it’s a good idea to get a mesh mask as well. These cover up your mouth and teeth. Many players don’t use masks but we would highly recommend one. You might get hit in the face and if you really get unlucky, you might even get hit in the teeth. Since the BBs are quite hard, there is a chance that they will chop a part of your teeth away which is obviously bad. Even if this is fixable, it is expensive and painful. So it’s not a bad idea to avoid it in the first place. The safety standards aren’t as strict here. Anything that is solid and covers your face is better than nothing. No need for any safety norms or testing just borrow or buy an airsoft mesh mask and that’s it.
• All this might seem scary but don’t worry. In the vast majority of cases, an airsoft hit is like a tap on the shoulder. A few hits may pinch you but if you use the above-mentioned safety gear, you’ll be just fine! It’s better to be safe than sorry. 
• By the way, for some people, mesh masks may be too uncomfortable. To get around it, you might as well try using a mouthguard for boxing and similar sports. These can be bought in many sports stores and in our experience, they secure your teeth perfectly, even in airsoft. The only downside is that you will still get hits in your face, leaving temporary marks and being overall a bit more painful than a mesh mask.
• In the ideal case scenario, you would first try out a mesh mask and if you can’t make it work, mouthguards may be the way out for you.

Gear

• The last important “gear” pieces that you should consider are your shoes. In airsoft, you often encounter uneven terrain, sometimes even broken glass and other debris. So make sure you have comfortable shoes that stabilize your feet. For example, hiking shoes work like a charm. Unfortunately, you can’t really rent footwear. Therefore, this one might be the only thing worth buying for the sake of your own safety and comfort. But check what you have at home first.
• Besides all the stuff that was already mentioned, make sure to bring comfortable sports clothing. Ideally with long sleeves, so that the BBs don’t hit directly your skin. You don’t need much more. 

In regards to your gun, picking up a bag of BBs and having a charged battery is also important. This way you can be sure there won’t be any obstacles in your gameday. But if you rent or borrow your gun, don’t worry, you will get all the necessary accessories and instructions. More info on that will come in later chapters of this academy.