How to Play Paintball in Winter – 8 Step By Step Guide

As you can see winter is just right around the corner and a lot of paintball players tend to stop playing paintball during the winter months. For me I really enjoy playing paintball all year round so winter will not be a problem for me, I don’t think it should stop you from enjoying yourself either.

You can absolutely play paintball in the snow but there are a few tips and tricks involved. You definitely have to know the right protective gear to wear outside and how to adapt to the snow when playing. If you take the time to master these things you shouldn’t face any difficulties outside no matter how hard it snows.

In this guide below, I’ve put together a few helpful tips that will get you started when playing paintball in the winter.

How to Play Paintball in Winter

1. Freezing Weather Affects Performance

The first thing you should keep in mind is that most paintballs are made of a biodegradable gelatin element so as soon as it begins to get cold outside, the exterior of the ball which is fragile starts to get fracture. This tend to happen a lot before you even have the opportunity to fire it out at your opponent’s which may cause you to lose the battle.

In order to prevent this from happening what I highly recommend doing is to keep your paintballs stored in a warm place as long as possible. Also we noticed that a lot of people tends to carry around lots of pod packs. You should definitely avoid this mistake, the best idea would be to keep the paintball warm under your protective gears.

Another thing that you should keep in mind is that once the paintballs are loaded into your hopper you should use them as soon as you spot your opponents.

If you want the best results when on the battlefield and you don’t mind spending a few bucks, there are manufacturers that make special paint for cold weather. These paintballs have a thicker shell/fill formula that makes them perfect for playing paintball in winter.

Don’t be scared by the frozen paintball myth that have been circulating because the ingredients such as glycerin used in making these paintballs is a very well known additive in antifreeze cars. And for this to happen it requires extremely cold temperatures to solidify and break the shell.

2. Avoid Using CO2 Tanks

During the summer these tanks is the best to use but using CO2 tanks during the winter can be a bad idea. After a few minutes of using you’ll noticed that the pressure begins to drop and thus blowback markers cannot cycle properly and velocity will start to decrease as well. Once that happens, the body of your paintball gun will begin to freeze up and steam will seep out of your barrel. Let’s just say you’re in for a bad day.

The issue can be easily solved by simply using compressed air (HPA) tanks. The cold weather will not affect the expansion of HPA, so you can expect to perform just the way you need it to. If you still rather to use your CO2 tanks instead of the Compressed air, you can but you will need to take a few precautions.

The first thing you have to do is shoot less and at a lower rate so as to give liquid Carbon Dioxide enough time to expand. Another thing you have to do keep your barrel pointing upwards at all times so that the CO2 is secured in the tank. If it’s not facing upwards it will leak out and you don’t want that.

3. Thermal Lens For Your Goggles

While wearing anti-fog and single lens are great for summer, they tend to be useless in the winter months. Your len’s interior will quickly mist in the cold temperatures just as if you were to wear your eyeglasses into a warm house from cold temperatures and freeze in place.

So the best idea would be to purchase a thermal lens and after that this problem will not be an issue anymore. This is definitely one of the most important winter paintball tips you can follow.

4. Dress For the Winter Properly

Another important tip is to dress properly with multiple layer of clothing in order to keep your body warm. You’ll be surprised how many people come unprepared because they figured they will quickly work up sweat or even overheating in the coat because they don’t know to wear layers. I highly recommend wearing clothes that’s breathable and is easy to open up when you’re running around.

For me I like to wear under armors, sweatshirts and waterproof jackets. Flexible gloves, beanie or hat will certainly help for the cold as well. You should also bring a change of clothes for after the game as snow and moisture that’s on the ground will cause you to be wet and muddy especially if you enjoy crawling and rolling around.

The last tip that will help you in staying warm is to bring a blanket to cover with. When it’s time to rest, it will keep you comfortable and cozy until you are ready to play again.

5. Always Travel With Your Squeegee

You can never be too prepared during the winter months because no matter what broken paint will always be a problem. This is why during these times I always travel with my squeegee whenever I’m planning on playing. My favorite type of squeegee to use is a pull through which has the ability to remove paint sludge with ease.

6. Drink Plenty of Water

It doesn’t matter what sport your playing staying hydrated is a very important step that everyone should follow. Before entering the playing field it is necessary to drink plenty of water and also keep a bottle of water nearby during the game. If you are extremely cold, you should be able to get a coffee and tea at the staging areas.

7. Clean the Gun More Often

You should take the time out to clean the gun more often. You can start by getting the old lubes, grease or oil out of the gun and replace it fresh new stuff. For the best results you should use less than you normally would. What exactly you want is to make sure there is no grease on o-rings and clean your drivetrain properly.

8. Take Care of Yourself and Others Around You

There is always a risk that comes with playing paintball in the winter. Hypothermia is a real problem and you should definitely take it seriously. While on the battlefield make sure to pay close attention to how your body is adapting to the winter. Also, take the time out to look out for others and call them out if you feel the need to.

Conclusion

These paintball winter tips should be enough to help you have a fun time on the playing field with your friends. Remember to keep all these tips in mind and enjoy.

If you have any questions on how to play paintball in winter feel free to leave a comment down below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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