New airsofter... What am I missing? What coes first?

[NH Shooter]

Hi All,

 

It’s my first skirmish on Sunday, and I’ve basically decided that I’m going to love it, so I’m putting together some pricing and what-not, so I can monitor savings and spending… I’ve been trying to work out an order of things to get, so I don’t end up getting something useless before I get something I can actually use.

 

So… Does anyone have any pearls of wisdom?

 

Just throughout the course of living, I’ve already got… Mechanix gloves, Magnum boots, good socks, Good water carrier and not a lot more. This kinda covers all the youtube vids I could find on “what you need to start…)

 

Id really like, in the long run… Chest rig, belt setup with drop leg, helmet (saw a nice “core ops” on ebay) with various bits, action camera and lighting… Rifle, helmet, etc.

 

Now assuming the implied rifle, and pistol, plus mags and enough storage for them…

 

What else am I missing, and what order should all of that come in?

 

The chest rig I wanted was this…

 

And assume that all I have on it is enough mag storage for another 2x M4 mags (double up on the middle) and somewhere about my person, some pistol mags (on the belt)… So I would have a little real estate for other gear, left and right of the M4 mags, plus possible on my left thigh. Theres a reason I wanted so many (lo-cap) mags, and I know they’ll be heavy. My water carrier also has a medium pocket and will be quick release, so theres storage in there.

 

So what else might I want on the rig/setup, and what order would it all be in?

 

(also, I figure all the above is subject to change, based on how I play, where I play and stuff that might just turn out to not work, or feel wrong… But I was thinking, I may as well get a base spreadsheet made up so I know how much Im putting aside.)

 

Thanks for reading, and any input greatly appreciated.

[Moose87]

if you havent yet started then i would play a few games and adjust you rig to how you play. you cant make a rig before you even know your play style. A chest rig or plate carrier to carry your mags is a great start. Water carrier isnt always necessary, its weight you might not need if your only playing short games. full morning or afternoon games it makes sense with.

I only have my plate carrier with 6 mid caps, a full reloader just in case, spare battery and a multi tool.

get the very basics you need and then add to it when YOU realise you need something not from what others have as everyone is different.

so most people will say.

Good footwear

Good Eye Protection

Appropriate Clothing

some way to carry ammo

these are the first to have but after that its experience and play style. if you play CQB or fort attacks then a pistol and grenades are a good idea but not great in woodland.

[NH Shooter]

Ah, I hadnt considered multitool or speedloader...

 

Its not that im trying to make a rig, its more that... If I know what sort of essentials might be needed, I can start to prep cash. For example, I can now look at battery storage and speedloader storage and see what sort of cost im up against and how that affects overall kit choices.

 

I figured that after a while playing, it would all come together and I would be able to say "I want this, this and this from my spreadsheet, from these places"... Basically, manly window shopping and geeky excel...

[jcheeseright]

battery and speedloader storage... or as the rest of us refer to them; pockets.

[Derlux]

Well first make up your budget, how much do you want to spend?

What you could do (what I did) is make up a list of essentials and extra's prioritized and then make an excel form with the costs behind it:

 

Essentials:

 

Protection Glasses

Rifle

Gun bag or case (you need to take your gun with you through public)

Magazines (High, mid or low? when choosing mid or low also a speedloader but they are really cheap, and the choice of which one will determine how many, I take 5 mid caps with me for example)

 

Extra's:

 

Boots (don't underestimate them, they are important!)

Chest rig (I bought a OPS vest new for 25 euro's including bags)

Appropriate clothing (can be really cheap from a dumpstore (20 euro's for jacket and pants?)

face protection (I use a shemagh, works well in combination with a helmet to keep it in place!)

Gloves

Helmet or cap

Sidearm

 

Hope this helped a bit

[NH Shooter]

battery and speedloader storage... or as the rest of us refer to them; pockets.

 

So that WAS a battery in your pocket... I thought you were just happy to see me!

 

Genuinely asking... Wouldn't bulky things like that stab into you? or be prone to snapping? I have no idea, obviously... But Ive had even 18650 batteries bug me, let alone something big enough to power a AEG...?

[NH Shooter]

Well first make up your budget, how much do you want to spend?

What you could do (what I did) is make up a list of essentials and extra's prioritized and then make an excel form with the costs behind it:

 

Essentials:

 

Protection Glasses

Rifle

Gun bag or case (you need to take your gun with you through public)

Magazines (High, mid or low? when choosing mid or low also a speedloader but they are really cheap, and the choice of which one will determine how many, I take 5 mid caps with me for example)

 

Extra's:

 

Boots (don't underestimate them, they are important!)

Chest rig (I bought a OPS vest new for 25 euro's including bags)

Appropriate clothing (can be really cheap from a dumpstore (20 euro's for jacket and pants?)

face protection (I use a shemagh, works well in combination with a helmet to keep it in place!)

Gloves

Helmet or cap

Sidearm

 

Hope this helped a bit

 

Just saw this as I posted... Thats another thing I was going to ask... Do you spend much time actually lugging kit about, normally? I have an alluminium rifle hard case that I could use, but its not what you would call "portable" its perfect for the boot of the car and just to move things about, but not really good for long trips on foot...

 

As to how much I want to spend... The budgets split between a few things hobby related at the moment (hence working out bare minimums and cash), but by the time I can register with UKARA, if I decide to go mostly airsoft, then about £2800. if I want to do it on my original budget... A third of that, all in. (just sold a bike as part of a hobby change)

[Airsoft_Mr B]

Shouldn't need to lug kit around at all, just drive to the site and then you can take the gun out of the case in the safe zone place.

[Airsoft_Mr B]

Say you're spending around £900 then, I don't know what kind of gun you're getting, but let's just say you're going for a pretty expensive TM Recoil (around £500) then you still have £400 just for gear.

I know a lot of us airsofters do end up spending lots of money each year on gear and things but it isn't really necessary.

 

I would recommend the same as everyone else really, make sure you get good eye protection. I think Tactical Kit do mil-spec / ballistic rated goggles and glasses. I use ESS ICE glasses myself. Then some good camo clothes (Flecktarn.co.uk or Military 1st are good websites for that) and UKTactical stock great quality military gear by Warrior Assault Systems.

Any good walking boots should do fine for airsoft.

[Derlux]

What Mr B said, for 500 pounds you can get a very good gun, you can get a very good one for even less. I started off with a budget of 450 euro's so around 370 pounds, and got everything I needed (oke it is a budget rifle I admit ^^"), so gear does not have to be expensive.

About the luggage, I go by public transport so I use a carrying bag for my gun, that isn't too obvious, if I had a car, I would have gotten a gun case, since when you arrive at the site you just drop your stuff somewhere

I think you should follow mr B's advice, around 500 pounds on the gun (and maybe attachments) and 400 left for the gear. Try to look around what you want, and make an excel sheet. You can get some good stuff in my opinion for that money.

[Russe11]

I can monitor savings and spending…

 

Don't monitor spending, it will just terrify you

 

With your budget I would suggest you might want to build up a proper loadout. Maybe think of your favourite war film and gradually acquire the gear to become someone from it? Not all at once, but choose some camo clothing that fits the look and gradually build towards it bit by bit (half the fun is building the loadout).

Chest rigs are good but what if you decide to get a gun that uses different shaped mags?

Find out how you play, work out what gun you want (it doesn't have to be an M4) then choose a look to go for and put some thought into which bits you need 1st.

[Monty]

I know a lot of us airsofters do end up spending lots of money each year on gear and things but it isn't really necessary.

 

 

I'm guilty of this. I spent £16 on an admin pouch last month. AN ADMIN POUCH. I still can't justify why I bought it, lol.

[Lozart]

 

Don't monitor spending, it will just terrify you

 

 

 

Yeah. I did that once. Worked out I had spent £1800 in six months. Not doing that again (working it out that is).

[Moose87]

I spent about 500 total on a second hand SR16, plate carrier. Magazines. Side arm. Batterys and upgrades

[Monty]

I'd rather not check how much I've spent on airsoft this year... I'd probably start crying and rolling on the floor.

[Moose87]

Hey hobbies are expensive. I have spent about 1000 CND on snowboarding and that was on 3 items. But i friggin love it. Nothing like shredding some mountains and catching air.

[Guest PT247]

am refusing to comment on how much of my ill gotten gains go on airsoft.

 

Top-Tip tho....

 

check out reviews of guns then look at buying from source country..... I got my PTS RM4 CQB from outside the UK and even with customs fees it still worked out (slightly) cheaper than from the UK and although you have to wait for it to turn up a bit longer they normally have rarer in the UK guns in stock.

 

My GHK G5 with 6 extra mags direct from Samoon cost me the same as just the G5 would have in a UK retailer!

[jcheeseright]

oh god, a running total would probably make me hang myself.

[Moose87]

The horrific amount i have spent on 1 years travelling would prob make everyone sick.

[Monty]

Could be worse, we could be spending millions on paintings!

[Moose87]

Yer if you had that money then you wouldnt worry

[CaptainSwoop]

Whatt I have spent on Airsoft is a fraction of what I have spent on Angling and Archery.

It is a rising total though.

[Fumps]

To the OP from a noob to another

 

Buy the following:

Trousers,

Boots

Mesh mask

Beany hat/head covering of some type

& some goggles.

From ebay/local surplus store, the above will set you back minimal amounts, (even look at using normal clothes in muted colours)

 

Do a day using a rental. Then you will notice what you will need. maybe the next time you will return with a back pack ......but you will go on from there.

 

don't waste your time writing out a long shopping list of stuff you may not even like once you have it, all your doing is messing about with list's & budgets. Get out & get shot & crawl about in the mud for a day......you will learn more & have fun while doing it.

[NH Shooter]

To the OP from a noob to another

 

Buy the following:

Trousers,

Boots

Mesh mask

Beany hat/head covering of some type

& some goggles.

From ebay/local surplus store, the above will set you back minimal amounts, (even look at using normal clothes in muted colours)

 

Do a day using a rental. Then you will notice what you will need. maybe the next time you will return with a back pack ......but you will go on from there.

 

don't waste your time writing out a long shopping list of stuff you may not even like once you have it, all your doing is messing about with list's & budgets. Get out & get shot & crawl about in the mud for a day......you will learn more & have fun while doing it.

I completely agree... I just like excel and making lists

 

I don't plan on actually buying a thing until I can get ukara registered... By then I should have a much better idea.

[Fumps]

You dont need ukara to buy kit, you don't need it to take part, you'd be much better off learning what you need & like through experience rather than sitting writing lists is kind of what I mean.

 

I'm still new to all this & the one thing I wiash i did was not rush into spending cash, I've already got stuff I don't need because I got over we excited & bought stuff I thought I needed.

 

Best advice I can give was my original post, get out in some cheap kit, take part & build your load out with what you need, rather than what you want.

 

For instance go & rent an M4, second time an Ak, third time a G36 or even ask if you can try different RIF's.....during the day. Don't worry too much about kit. That's secondary to the fun of just doing it.