Chaos Theory - Intro and Safety of Paintball

Are you interested in paintball? Does the thrill of playing "tag" at 200 miles per hour sound exhilarating? Paintball is a fast growing sport which is stereotyped as being "mock combat". Nowadays, it's anything but that! Paintball is a sport, simply put, it's a competition between teams.

The first and foremost important issue with paintball is safety. Unsafe conditions can lead to serious injury. Just as a football player needs to wear pads and a helmet, paintballers need common sense and protective gear. The most important gear is an approved face mask, protection of the eyes is essential and not wearing a mask is asking for trouble. Do not substitute an approved mask with workshop glasses or sunglasses! Proper face protection can be purchased in many places; Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, Sports Authority, Airguns Alaska, Urban Paintball, as well as many online resources.

After acquiring a mask, you should think about your clothing. Most players prefer that their bare skin is covered. This includes long sleeve shirts, pants, a neck guard, gloves, and a hat. Some players wear coveralls, which are an excellent choice for recreational play. Remember that, even though paintballs are water soluble, sometimes the dyes can stain cotton clothing, so don't plan on wearing these clothes out to dinner anymore. Polyester and nylon tend wash out nicely. Use a cold wash cycle and don't heat dry.. this will tend to "set" the stain.

The last issues of safety involve the paintball guns, or paintball "markers" as I like to call them. Paintball masks are approved up to 300 FPS (roughly 200 miles per hour!). This means that 300 Feet Per Second is the MAXIMUM your marker should ever fire a paintball. Almost all guns are adjustable and any field will have an available chronograph which can measure your FPS. (Continued at top right)

	Are you interested in paintball? Does the thrill of playing "tag" at 200 miles per hour sound exhilarating? Paintball is a fast growing sport which is stereotyped as being "mock combat". Nowadays, it's anything but that! Paintball is a sport, simply put, it's a competition between teams. The first and foremost important issue with paintball is safety. Unsafe conditions can lead to serious injury. Just as a football player needs to wear pads and a helmet, paintballers need common sense and protective gear. The most important gear is an approved face mask, protection of the eyes is essential and not wearing a mask is asking for trouble. Do not substitute an approved mask with workshop glasses or sunglasses! Proper face protection can be purchased in many places; Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, Sports Authority, Airguns Alaska, Urban Paintball, as well as many online resources. After acquiring a mask, you should think about your clothing. Most players prefer that their bare skin is covered. This includes long sleeve shirts, pants, a neck guard, gloves, and a hat. Some players wear coveralls, which are an excellent choice for recreational play. Remember that, even though paintballs are water soluble, sometimes the dyes can stain cotton clothing, so don't plan on wearing these clothes out to dinner anymore. Polyester and nylon tend wash out nicely. Use a cold wash cycle and don't heat dry.. this will tend to "set" the stain. The last issues of safety involve the paintball guns, or paintball "markers" as I like to call them. Paintball masks are approved up to 300 FPS (roughly 200 miles per hour!). This means that 300 Feet Per Second is the MAXIMUM your marker should ever fire a paintball. Almost all guns are adjustable and any field will have an available chronograph which can measure your FPS. (Continued at top right)		In small areas or recreational play, 250 FPS is a good speed to consider. Another safety issue for your marker is a Barrel Plug or a Barrel Condom. Barrel safety devices are placed at the end of your markers barrel when you aren't playing. If the trigger is accidentally pulled, and the safety is off, a barrel device will prevent the paintball from leaving the marker. All fields require the use of barrel safety devices. Remember before playing your game, to review with all players what your game guidelines are. Will you offer a surrender when in close range? At what distance? What is the goal in this game? Elimination? Capture the flag? Clear communication at this point can prevent arguments later on. If there are an odd amount of players, one player should referee. (See our games page for more ideas) Now that you have completed safety 101, it's time to review what it takes to get into paintball. The best way to see if this is your sport, without investing a lot of money, is to rent or borrow equipment and play a few games. Once you're hooked (I know you will be), you can start asking yourself (and everyone else) - "What paintball marker should I buy?" If you feel that you're the recreational type who doesn't plan compete, then consider a Tippman Marker. Tippman has always made a solid marker that is priced for entry to mid-level markets. Of course there are other choices, be sure to shop around and listen to the players as they tend to know how different markers perform. Some may even be selling their equipment in order to upgrade. Be sure to buy a face mask. You may have to purchase a loader for your marker too. These are readily available, and the basic ones are cheap. Motorized loaders are available too, these are useful if you shoot high volumes of paint in short bursts. Lastly, you will need an air tank, either C02 or compressed.























	JT IZE Goggles sporting a visor and ear protection.	Barrel Plugs and Barrel Condoms are available in many styles	JT Gloves with padded fingers are similar to motocross gloves.	Sock Hats have become popular. They are soft and stylish.
	Let's review what you'll need: Paintball Mask Paintball Marker Air Tank Loader or "Hopper" Common Sense The last item you'll need to make it all happen will be the paintballs! These are available in many colors and the quality varies from brand to brand. Some brands offer different grades at different prices. They are sold by the hundreds (usually 500) or by the thousands (usually 2000). Buying in bulk offers a better overall price per ball. If you'd like ideas or variations about ways to play the game, please visit our games page on this website. There is also a listing of other Alaskan teams and fields, some with email addresses and links to their websites. We've also posted really cool pictures from our tournaments plus other general paintball "stuff".		Frequently Asked Questions: Q. Which is better, CO2 or Compressed air? A. Compressed air. CO2 requires heat to expand efficiently and shooting repeatedly lowers the temperature of the CO2 container and marker. This causes following shots to get less propulsion, it can also cause your marker's valve to "freeze". CO2 also emits a cloud of gas out of your marker when fired, which can cause visibility problems. The only disadvantage with Compressed air is that it requires a larger container compared to CO2 for the same number of shots. Q. Does it hurt to get hit? A. Depends. Covering all bare skin helps lessen the sting. Sometimes you don't even feel the ball hit you, other times they won't even break... those hurt. Close range shots tend to hurt more, so it's helpful to use good judgment and determine a "surrender" distance, rather than shooting each other at five feet. If you can, aim for a hard surface such as the pack or their marker, this hurts less and it almost always breaks. Q. Where can I play? A. At the time this was printed, there are no fields in Anchorage. Team Element runs a field that plays at Goose Lake near the UAA campus in the summer. Located in Big Lake, AK VILLAGE will house three fields. If you find someone who has a field of their own, consider the legalities and safety of the location before playing there. If you looking to buy used equipment, check out our Alaskan Paintball Forum. There is usually something for sale!
	Is your kid a DELINQUENT?
	Due to some of the negative issues we've seen in regards to paintball markers, We've come up with a few things to look for that may be signs that your kid may be up to no good: 1. Did they purchase a marker without you knowing? Do they try to hide it? 2. Do they leave with it at night? If so, why? 3. If they own a marker and claim to play, are their clothes ever stained? 4. Are nearby street signs, cars and houses vandalized with little paint spots? Of course there are exceptions. We all want to believe that our kids are angels, but take a second and think back to your teenage years. Either way, it might be a good idea to have them show you how they safely handle their marker. Offer some of that common sense and wisdom if they need it.
Welcome to our Website! Thanks for Visiting! All images and logos are the property of Chaos Theory or have been used by permission. Please do not display or link to them without permission from Chaos Theory. Paintball team "Chaos Theory" is based in Anchorage, Alaska and was formed in 1998. We pride ourselves in remaining candid, easy to get along with, and fair. We may not be the best, but by god, we are the sexiest!