gear for newbie

[Datawraith]

Wow. Wish more parents are as much of an outdoorsman as you are.
Try finding local clubs around your region for your kids to join. Most towns have archery clubs and some have mountain biking teams.
As for discipline aspect of airsoft, the sneaking around and patience only happens if the player likes doing it. I do it a lot, but I also know guys that love to run straight across the field screaming at the top of their lungs dual wielding pistols and somehow not get killed. Soo... don't be too sure that they'll be doing what you want them to be doing :P
If you really want them to be active and learn discipline and patience, martial arts is the best route honestly. Just be sure to find them a good school, because there are lots of crappy ones.

[grantmac]

If you want them to run around outside burning calories while focusing on a task then airsoft is a really great activity. I would caution that airsoft safety skills aren't the same as real firearm safety skills and I wouldn't expect a child under 12 to really be able to know the difference. If you want to spend time together in a social outdoor setting then archery or airguning would be my pick. I would caution that adding unnecessary discipline to any activity CAN be a huge turn-off for some kids depending on how it's done.

If you can legally fire bows or arguns in your yard then I'd start there. My kids (ages 4 and 7) love shooting my airsoft guns in the yard, along with their bows and also a Red Ryder BB gun.

I'm not sure if your domestic situation has the flexibility to let you do activities with just one child at a time, but I try to get just one-on-one with my boys (they are with their mom most of the time) at least for some of the time I have them. My oldest will come with me to archery for a few hours while my youngest generally doesn't last more than 1/2hr before he wants to just go play with lego.

-Grant

[BKSRT8]

We adopted a dog, he arrives today....that should help get everyone outside.
Still trying to sell off a couple of my pellet guns before i go get an airsoft(as per the generals orders).

What should i look for in a chest rig? Im about 6' and 215-220. Do i need a plate carrier? How much difference is it gonna make whether i have plates or not?

[lurkingknight]

no real difference, I have a chest rig you can put a plate in, but that's modern real steel gear. The plate helps rigidity so it doesn't mush around when you pull mags out. PCs can be a lot hotter to wear in the summer, but if you're looking to keep it cheap to start, a surplus chest rig is like 20-30 bucks... you can game it till you decide you want something different, that way your investment is pretty low if you change your mind..or make up your mind on which way to go for gear.

best thing to do would be go to to your nearest surplus store and try some on. Oshawa and hero outdoors is not that far from you, they got great, helpful staff and you can try on a lot of the vests before you choose one.

[BKSRT8]

Yea i was there a couple weeks ago but i spent too much time looking at guns i didnt get a second to check out any other gear. Im also thinking about ordering a tan and a black pair of the boots that are a few threads down from this one.

Do the surplus pc come with plates usually or do they get taken out? I probably have some acrylic laying around i could stick in if its mainly for rigidity.

[brock0]

You should definitely get into airsoft, but suggesting you find something else to do with your kids.

Not trying to rain on the parade, but 8 and 11 is way too young. Nobody is going to want to play with you or have you come play at their fields. Just trying to save you cash and headaches. If you're talking about the 3 of you shooting each other in private property, that's one thing, but attending actual games won't be easy.

[lurkingknight]

they won't have plates.. those are kinda worth a lot of money. Chances are you won't get surplus PCs, you'll only find surplus rigs. But they deal in new gear from condor. It's not the greatest gear, but it's decent. Just keep in mind at about the 150$ mark for plate carriers and rigs, you start getting into nicer real steel gear.

[beta678]

I'd really recommend going out for a game before investing too much in gear. Your hunting gear would probably honestly suffice for the moment, most beginners I've seen run jeans and a hoodie (though I'm rather fond of the PMC/civilian operator look myself and that pretty much consists of hoodies and jeans most of the time). You won't even need a chest rig or PC if you run with a high cap, just need to do a bit of tickling every now and then.

If you decide you like it, you can invest in midcaps and a decent setup. Too many people go all in without really giving it a try only to find out its not to their liking or it was just a phase they happened to go through and end up selling all their gear. If you do grab a PC, you can throw in some fake/training plates or cut some high density foam to shape and run with that.

That said, brock0 does raise some important points. I'd recommend going out to a game yourself (even if you need to rent equipment) to find out if (a) you really enjoy it, and (b) if the fields you plan on going to permits players that young, since now that I think about it, most paintball fields only really permit 12yo's at the youngest and with parental supervision.

Some players might also have issues with shoot at kids that young, as injuries are prone to happening with the occasional bleeder here and there. I know I might have some second thoughts about shooting at a 11yo kid, regardless of how tough they may be.

[brock0]

Being supportive is one thing (and I am believe me, being willing to put in some effort to get the kids off the couch is a great thing) but I'm genuinely surprised it took 5 pages for someone to warn you.

It won't matter how bomb proof the kids are, and will be all about the people you'd be playing with and where. As Beta said above, most people I've played with (myself included) aren't comfortable shooting children and god forbid you ever injure one, parental consent or not.

Aside from backyard plinking (which can be of questionable legality) airsoft is a hobby that requires other players to play with, and I have serious doubts you'd be welcome with young children at many fields.

You may be lucky and find a group of likeminded parents or a field with loose age requirements but I think that would be the exception rather than the rule. In fact I would go so far as to say find that group or field BEFORE you go any further because I can say from firsthand experience in the GTA / KW / West region I've never been to any game where an 8 or 11 year old would be allowed to play.

[BKSRT8]

This is kinda the type of post i was looking for when i first posted. I dont know much about the hobby and i dont want to waste my money, on the other hand, my kids arent the only ones that want to do it. It was something i wanted to try out and figured that maybe the kids could get in on it a bit. If not then oh well but theres lots of space up north where the kids can join in if they want. Fields not allowing kids under 12 isnt really all that suprising to me, its likely an insurance thing. Im not entirely sure id want them playing with adults anyway....in all honesty i think it would be a bit of a pita because they lack the speed and skill to keep up. But i hate leaving them out of stuff too....especially like tis because they love it. They played lazer tag a bunch of times and they love it. Either way, theyll be old enough to play WAY to quickly and then it wont be a problem...in the meantime i can play and gain some knowledge while i do it.

[Red Dot]

That was one of the factors that led me to leaving paintball was how young the players were on walk-on days. Parents would drop them off and leave like the paintball field was a babysitter. And I hated hearing them cry bloody murder when you caught them by surprise and shot them, some almost in tears that I would have to go up to them afterwards to see if they were alright.

If you have the space, privacy and legality to play privately with your kids that would be the best way to get introduced to the hobby in my honest opinion. I just participated in a pistol course and it was as much fun as a skirmish day.

[SuperHog]

BKSRT8, I am assuming you have watched many airsoft games on YouTube and decided you like the sport. I am assuming because you are 6' tall, your kids although they are young, probably are taller than me.

As for the PC, there are some that come with the plates. You can always use flexible foam sheet, the same ones you can find at Home Depot or Lowes to give them more support.

[BKSRT8]

If its just for support then i suppose foam could be ok, i only said acrylic because i have a bunch from one of my other expensive hobbies, saltwater aquarium. Its more rigid than foam and thinner....plus by heating it you can form it. Might make it a bit more comfortable that a flat sheet of foam. But thats if i even buy a pc....a chest rig is probably a better solution at the moment. If i dont stick with airsoft im sure i can put it to use hunting or at halloween lol

[RainyEyes]

Originally Posted by BKSRT8

If its just for support then i suppose foam could be ok, i only said acrylic because i have a bunch from one of my other expensive hobbies, saltwater aquarium. Its more rigid than foam and thinner....plus by heating it you can form it. Might make it a bit more comfortable that a flat sheet of foam. But thats if i even buy a pc....a chest rig is probably a better solution at the moment. If i dont stick with airsoft im sure i can put it to use hunting or at halloween lol

No offense but that's an awful waste of aquarium material. Most people just fold some cardboard that can be bought at discount or obtained for free from supermarkets to imitate a plate. It works the same, produces sound when struck even through a carrier, and transfers energy so that you can still feel some force if you are hit. Plus, it looks better than foam.

[SuperHog]

I have a Flyye Industries JPC plate carrier. It comes with a dark gray high density foam plates.