Landscaping and Airsoft

[Seth_Erebor]

Have you ever gone to a site and seen some really creative use of natural obstacles, etc?

 

I see some places that have done this really well and others that appreciate the rough look.

 

Any landscapers here btw? Need some advice on trees, shrubs, grasses, etc.

[Druid799]

I like to cut the brambles back with bbs outside the kitchen door when I’ve been working on my toys , does that count ? 😉😁

[Seth_Erebor]

25 minutes ago, Druid799 said:

I like to cut the brambles back with bbs outside the kitchen door when I’ve been working on my toys , does that count ? 😉😁

 

not quite what I meant lol

[Immortal]

What sort of advice? I'm not a paid Landscaper but I have been over the years and my fingers are green.

[Adolf Hamster]

not much in the way of full on landscaping, one site did used to have a mock trench with a full bridge built over it, was quite the job trying to push over that given how easy it was to ambush on the other side and how slippery it got in winter.

 

otherwise most sites the extent of landscaping is just using what's there in the way of vegetation/hills/old buildings.

 

 

[Seth_Erebor]

5 minutes ago, Immortal said:

What sort of advice? I'm not a paid Landscaper but I have been over the years and my fingers are green.

 

Well, I was looking at the prices for small trees, etc and the variety is enormous! So I thought, let me find out exactly what I want/need before I try looking for a good deal.

 

4 minutes ago, Adolf Hamster said:

not much in the way of full on landscaping, one site did used to have a mock trench with a full bridge built over it, was quite the job trying to push over that given how easy it was to ambush on the other side and how slippery it got in winter.

 

otherwise most sites the extent of landscaping is just using what's there in the way of vegetation/hills/old buildings.

 

 

 

The place we're at is a bit of a blank canvas, bit flat too, which is not a good combination at all.

So I need to nail down the exact type of trees, etc that will not grow too big or have shallow roots, etc.

There is a lot to consider, cost especially.

[Adolf Hamster]

if you're looking for ideas then that's going to be tricky depending on what you want to go for, personally i love a good proper forest but of course those don't grow so quick so not all that useful for trying to scratch build a site.

 

 

[Immortal]

8 minutes ago, Seth_K said:

Well, I was looking at the prices for small trees, etc and the variety is enormous! So I thought, let me find out exactly what I want/need before I try looking for a good deal.

 

OK, I'm not the right person in that case. Good luck. 👍

[Robert James]

Plantation do some landscaping I think. @Prisce would know loads more but they've built a maze like tree/bsuh area which leads into a village

 

Then behind that they have the mortar pits etc which I believe is all the excess dirt etc and makes for some good fire fights

[Seth_Erebor]

13 minutes ago, Adolf Hamster said:

if you're looking for ideas then that's going to be tricky depending on what you want to go for, personally i love a good proper forest but of course those don't grow so quick so not all that useful for trying to scratch build a site.

 

 

 

You can get trees for free from some charities and in bulk you can build a decent woodland for maybe 20k

 

10 minutes ago, Immortal said:

 

OK, I'm not the right person in that case. Good luck. 👍

 

NP

 

8 minutes ago, Robert James said:

Plantation do some landscaping I think. @Prisce would know loads more but they've built a maze like tree/bsuh area which leads into a village

 

Then behind that they have the mortar pits etc which I believe is all the excess dirt etc and makes for some good fire fights

 

Is the attached screenshot the entire site? And is the paintball a coincidence or... ?

[Prisce]

@Robert James is 100% right.

 

Airsoft Plantation has natural woodland with a built in barrier(mud mound). A CQB tarpaulin zone, a CQB maze built out of hedges and shrubs, a semi CQB open zone built into the middle of a coppice of trees. 

 

On the far left side of the site is an open field with “mortar pits” mud and water,  with a mixture of trees shrubs open zone and built in decorations to the north of this.

 

The site constantly changes and they are constantly working and improving it.

 

 

RIFT used a heritage woodland in Tewin that they couldn’t do anything in, but nature builds in a lot of natural obstacles and  hideaways.

[Crazy_Crystal]

7 minutes ago, Robert James said:

Then behind that they have the mortar pits etc which I believe is all the excess dirt etc and makes for some good fire fights

 

that kind of things is what I would find interesting and makes the site a bit more immersive. proper emplacements and hides made using log walls with soil piled on the side etc makes things interesting, and is a step up from knocked together plywood or crates scattered around.

 

similarly any subtle features can be exentuated and used to change the flow of a game. things like an old wall, dried up stream bed or drainage ditch can be used as a way onto a target etc. it's rare that even a flat area is featureless when you start looking hard at it... anyways just a few thoughts that I had 🙂

[Prisce]

6 minutes ago, Seth_K said:

 

Top right from lake to boundary is the play area, but they own all of it. The lake is used for fisherman. They don’t do paintball as far as I’m aware. 

 

Oh, and my brother was a landscaper till last week!

[Immortal]

TBH unless you have years to wait then you'll pay a lot for mature trees. Pine is a quick grower but can cause allergies to certain types of people (hence why people wear masks in Japan for example). Silver birches grow fairly quick but can be quite sappy, but quick in tree years not human if you know what I mean.

 

Sapplings are potentially fragile so if you're planting to make a game site you'll want to leave it kind of fallow for a long time otherwise most will just get damaged one way or the other or be so insignificant it wouldn't really be a forest till you retire.

 

How about Elephant grass - instant forest, same for giant bamboo... they both spread like Rabbits.

[Seth_Erebor]

1 minute ago, Immortal said:

TBH unless you have years to wait then you'll pay a lot for mature trees. Pine is a quick grower but can cause allergies to certain types of people (hence why people wear masks in Japan for example). Silver birches grow fairly quick but can be quite sappy, but quick in tree years not human if you know what I mean.

 

Sapplings are potentially fragile so if you're planting to make a game site you'll want to leave it kind of fallow for a long time otherwise most will just get damaged one way or the other or be so insignificant it wouldn't really be a forest till you retire.

 

How about Elephant grass - instant forest, same for giant bamboo... they both spread like Rabbits.

2

 

Elephant grass! I like that! That is just the kind of thing I am looking for.

 

5 minutes ago, Prisce said:

Top right from lake to boundary is the play area, but they own all of it. The lake is used for fisherman. They don’t do paintball as far as I’m aware. 

 

Oh, and my brother was a landscaper till last week!

 

Ah, nice. They must have a friendly rivalry with Delta Force then haha!

 

Does he play and is he free for a side project?

 

7 minutes ago, Prisce said:

@Robert James is 100% right.

 

Airsoft Plantation has natural woodland with a built in barrier(mud mound). A CQB tarpaulin zone, a CQB maze built out of hedges and shrubs, a semi CQB open zone built into the middle of a coppice of trees. 

 

On the far left side of the site is an open field with “mortar pits” mud and water,  with a mixture of trees shrubs open zone and built in decorations to the north of this.

 

The site constantly changes and they are constantly working and improving it.

 

 

RIFT used a heritage woodland in Tewin that they couldn’t do anything in, but nature builds in a lot of natural obstacles and  hideaways.

4

 

Hedges and Shrubs, that's also on the list, now to know the right kind, I don't want to introduce anything that will spread like crazy or require a lot of maintenance.

 

6 minutes ago, Crazy_Crystal said:

 

that kind of things is what I would find interesting and makes the site a bit more immersive. proper emplacements and hides made using log walls with soil piled on the side etc makes things interesting, and is a step up from knocked together plywood or crates scattered around.

 

similarly any subtle features can be exentuated and used to change the flow of a game. things like an old wall, dried up stream bed or drainage ditch can be used as a way onto a target etc. it's rare that even a flat area is featureless when you start looking hard at it... anyways just a few thoughts that I had 🙂

 

Kind of like a Pillbox bunker? 

 

I like an idea up the top with bridges, but that's down the line.

 

I look at games with good map design for tips on flow, but I'm not going to worry too much. Everything will change.

[Immortal]

4 minutes ago, Seth_K said:

Elephant grass! I like that! That is just the kind of thing I am looking for.

 

It grows very fast and spreads like the common cold. It'll get to about 8 foot in a few months given sun and moisture.

It will die off over winter but grows back just as quick. You can either chop it back or accept the brown as it dries and dies.

[Prisce]

1 minute ago, Seth_K said:

 

 

 

Ah, nice. They must have a friendly rivalry with Delta Force then haha!

 

Does he play and is he free for a side project?

 

 

Hedges and Shrubs, that's also on the list, now to know the right kind, I don't want to introduce anything that will spread like crazy or require a lot of maintenance.

 

He does play. But with his new job he won’t be able to do anything for a few months now.

 

 

Beech hedges are good for thick coverage, they grow steady too. 

Lalandy trees make a good hedge, fast growing and when they get to the height you want them, lop the tops off and they won’t grow any taller.

[Iceni]

Laurels - they give really good coverage and are easy to maintain. Grow well inside woodland with dense coverage. It's by far the best plant for airsoft because of how thick it can get, and how well it takes abuse. It's also evergreen so you get winter screening as well. It also doesn't flower like buddleia so it doesn't attract so many bees and wasps.

Laurel is also the fastest growing no conifer hedge plant. It can be shaped and grown as a hedge or left as bushes. It's also cheap.

I would avoid fur trees, The reason for not adding furs is they tend to not offer a lot of cover, and most of them will grow vertically. Confier also takes a long time to recover from damage and with people smashing into it I would expect it to look leggy in no time at all.

Slower growing UK trees are actually better, Willow, Silver birch ect. It'll take longer for the site to mature, but there will be less maintenance once it's mature. You also have local laws to abide by. It's not uncommon to have a list of approved trees, and limits on buildings and fences.

Willow also doubles up as building material once it's established. So you can set up structures for other plants to grow on once you get them to the pruning stage.

Fence laws can be used with building laws. It's easy to make a fence village. You are probably allowed climbing frames up to a certain number as well (think lookout towers).

Drainage ditches can also be manipulated. Since you can embank the sides with the spoil. Creating trenches (provided it follows the water flow of the land).

Follow the local laws to the letter, But see them as challenges rather than restrictions. My local (the grange) is now well established and has had to follow some of the strictest rulings i've seen for a site. It wasn't a fast process but the site is now far far better than if they had taken the fast route.

[Seth_Erebor]

13 minutes ago, Iceni said:

Laurels - they give really good coverage and are easy to maintain. Grow well inside woodland with dense coverage. It's by far the best plant for airsoft because of how thick it can get, and how well it takes abuse. It's also evergreen so you get winter screening as well. It also doesn't flower like budlia so it doesn't attract so many bees and wasps.

Laurel is also the fastest growing no conifer hedge plant. It can be shaped and grown as a hedge or left as bushes. It's also cheap.

I would avoid fur trees, The reason for not adding furs is they tend to not offer a lot of cover, and most of them will grow vertically. Confier also takes a long time to recover from damage and with people smashing into it I would expect it to look leggy in no time at all.

Slower growing UK trees are actually better, Willow, Silver birch ect. It'll take longer for the site to mature, but there will be less maintenance once it's mature. You also have local laws to abide by. It's not uncommon to have a list of approved trees, and limits on buildings and fences.

Willow also doubles up as building material once it's established. So you can set up structures for other plants to grow on once you get them to the pruning stage.

Fence laws can be used with building laws. It's easy to make a fence village. You are probably allowed climbing frames up to a certain number as well (think lookout towers).

Drainage ditches can also be manipulated. Since you can embank the sides with the spoil. Creating trenches (provided it follows the water flow of the land).

Follow the local laws to the letter, But see them as challenges rather than restrictions. My local (the grange) is now well established and has had to follow some of the strictest rulings i've seen for a site. It wasn't a fast process but the site is now far far better than if they had taken the fast route.

 

Well... thanks! Mind if I ask how you know all that?

[Iceni]

My shooting partner is Ex-staff for the grange. I get to chat to the marshalls on a site level most visits because of him talking to the marshalls about the site and how it's progressing rather than the general conversations you have.

Some of the restrictions are very interesting, but you would never be aware that any restrictions had ever been in place.

[Resistor170]

The laurel I know is a bee magnet! It's a bay laurel and when it flowers the bees are all over it. Maybe it depends on the laurel or the location? I am not an expert. 

 

In my opinion, if you are going to be planting a lot of something which lot's of people will be in contact with and hiding behind then make sure they won't attract bees! I'd rather take a hit from a beebee than a bee 😉. 

 

Also, possibly worth mentioning that bees are protected nowadays, I used to spray chemicals on lawns and on the rare occasion I came across bees nesting then I couldn't spray incase it harms them. So if you developed a proper bee issue then you might find it hard to get rid of them. 

[Resistor170]

That's not meant to be scare mongering though. My parents bay laurel is in a residential areas with gardens everywhere, so bound to have bees about anyway. You may well never have a bee visit. Worth speaking to someone who knows better

[Iceni]

51 minutes ago, Resistor170 said:

The laurel I know is a bee magnet! It's a bay laurel and when it flowers the bees are all over it. Maybe it depends on the laurel or the location? I am not an expert. 

 

 

You'll never avoid flowers completely. Some laurels are bred for a flower show, and some produce more flowers than others. The flowering period for Laurel is reasonably short if a common variety is picked. March/April, and falls in line with most tree blossoms. The rest of the year they should be free of all flowers.

https://www.jparkers.co.uk/10-common-laurel-1000977c


 

[Crazy_Crystal]

2 hours ago, Seth_K said:

Kind of like a Pillbox bunker? 

 

potentially or even just a gun emplacement or similar waist high trench/firing position. just a few photos for inspiration.

[Resistor170]

4 minutes ago, Iceni said:

 

 

You'll never avoid flowers completely. Some laurels are bred for a flower show, and some produce more flowers than others. The flowering period for Laurel is reasonably short if a common variety is picked. March/April, and falls in line with most tree blossoms. The rest of the year they should be free of all flowers.

https://www.jparkers.co.uk/10-common-laurel-1000977c


 

You clearly know much more than me but still if being on your airsoft site then you might want to look into what the legal situation could be in certain circumstances. I used to work with a guy who reacts really badly to stings. Apparently if he ever got stung in the neck then his throat could swell up and block his airways so would need hospital treatment ASAP and a lot of sites are quite far away from help. He used to carry antihistamines in his tobacco tin incase. You only really know how you react if you've been stung. I am looking at worst case scenario of course but just saying it might be worth looking into.