First and foremost, goggles. Wear them. Get the ones specifically made for paintball. Get high-grade ones. Make sure they fit. Because if you get shot in the face and get paint in your eyes because you neglected to wear goggles, you never know how badly your vision could be compromised -- and if the resulting injury is bad, you might not be able to play paintball again. After you get the goggles, know how to take care of them. This is true of all of your equipment. Take care of your stuff, and your stuff will take care of you.



Remember to tailor your clothes to the place you'll be playing. Don't show up to a dark wooded area in a bright yellow jumpsuit or else you'll be covered in more paint splatters than a Pollack painting. Get a good pair of shoes that are worn in. No one wants to go home with blisters. Get something to cover your face. A mask, perhaps, or go bandito style with a bandana. Paint can be sticky, and it's easier to clean if it's not all over your skin.

Then there's the weapon-of-choice. Paintball guns, also called "markers," and they are almost as many different kinds of guns as there are people who play the game to begin with. They generally look pretty similar in shape. If you're a new player, try a gun that doesn't require a lot of steps before being able to shoot. Get started with a simple and cheap gun while you learn how to use it, how to load it, and most importantly, how to take care of it. Plenty of new players start off using expensive, tournament-ready guns, but until you can use your gun properly and know how to clean it better than you can wash your own face, stick with something a little cheaper. That way, if you don't take care of it, you're not out as much money when you have to replace it.

Talk to people who have been playing for a long time, see what they suggest for someone who has never played paintball before. Or check it out online. There are plenty forums and websites geared towards putting paintball players together. Ask questions because only a newbie is cocky enough to ignore the potential for advice from people who definitely know better. Don't be a newbie.