BARE BONES AIRSOFT

WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED TO PLAY AIRSOFT? IT’S A TOPIC THAT I SEE COME UP TIME AND AGAIN FROM NEW AIRSOFTERS ONLINE, AND THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS ACTUALLY NOT VERY MUCH! BEN AND BILL WERE OUT TO PLAY TOGETHER LATE LAST MONTH TO PUTTING THEIR HEADS TO “NECESSITIES”, SO READ ON TO FIND OUT HOW THEY GOT ON RUNNING “BARE BONES” ONLY!

It’s been a little while since I ventured out to a simple skirmish due to my brush with “The Big C”, the treatment that entailed, and the slog back to “fightin’ fit”, but as I have a rule that everyone writing for AIRSOFT ACTION must be an ACTIVE airsofter in one way or another, it’s a rule that I have to impose on myself as much as anyone else in the crew!

Now, in ACTIVE I include not only those who are out at games on a regular basis, but also those who shoot in Action Air competitions, those who shoot regularly on the range, and those that are active as Tech’s in the workshop… but fundamentally anyone who writes in the magazine on a regular basis would ideally encompass two or more of those disciplines. However, when Ben and I were discussing this on the long roadtrip down to NAF earlier this year he made a very valid point to me, that without a shadow of a doubt the humble (or these days not-so-humble!) weekend skirmish is still very much the life-blood of airsoft and that we should all get out to one regularly. He said to me “Boss, I know you’ve been through it with your illness, but you really need to get out to a local skirmish… You don’t have to play the full day to start if it’s too much, but just come out to play!”

And so it was that a plan was hatched between us; we would pick a date and a site local to us, Cool Under Fire (www.cufairsoft.com) that Ben plays at most weekends, and I would just simply book on as a player just like any other, no “Do you know who I am?” bullshit, just another player...!

As always, though, there’s always time for a story or article so Ben and I hit on the plan to run that chosen day “bare bones”, using only what was 100% necessary for a skirmish game… and NOTHING more!

Now I am (and always have been) a fan of the mantra “any fool can be uncomfortable”, which you well know, but I also believe fully in “you need to put more in to get more out” and that’s especially true for your personal fitness when you get older, or like me have been through a long-term illness and somewhat brutal treatment plan… and totally true when both are applicable. I’d already started training a few times a week to punch up my general fitness, strength, and overall flexibility, but to be ready to attend, and properly enjoy, a skirmish day I upped this to every day, five days a week; I’ve been doing this for a few months now, and oh boy, do I feel better!

GOOD GEAR TO GO!

When it came to what I would need for a skirmish day I immediately thought “Which gun will I take?”… then I thought again!

Although most of the platforms I run are largely stock internally many have numerous external upgrades so I thought I’d just grab one basic AR and

“MOST NEW PLAYERS BUYING THEIR FIRST AEG WILL FIT A SLING, AN OPTIC, POSSIBLY A TACLITE, BUT THAT’S ABOUT IT. THE AEG MIGHT COME WITH A FOREGRIP IN THE BOX (AS MANY ARS DO THESE DAYS) SO THAT WAS OKAY TOO… BUT THEN I STOPPED ADDING ACCESSORIES… YOU DON’T NEED THEM FOR A SIMPLE, LARGELY DAYLIGHT, SHOOT-DAY!” one AK from the Red Cell Test Pool and job done!

Once I’d decided on my favourite old AKSU and a newer DELTA ARMORY “M4” (an MP5K for Ben!) I started to work on them, setting them up just as I like them… and then I stopped, took all the accessories off again, and sat back…

Most new players buying their first AEG will fit a sling, an optic, possibly a taclite, but that’s about it. The AEG might come with a foregrip in the box (as many ARs do these days) so that was okay too… but then I stopped adding accessories… you don’t need them for a simple, largely daylight, shoot-day! I checked the magazines that came with both AEGs and then added five more for each platform… done. Then it came to a secondary… one Glock with a single mag and a KYDEX CUSTOMS OONI Universal Holster… again, done.

So, then it was onto “kit & gear”! Let’s be honest, all of us like a bit of an “OPR8R vibe” of one flavour or another, but did I need all the “Gucci shizzle”? Not really, not just to go out and play airsoft. What I NEEDED I’ll pop in a short list below:

• AEG Primary Platform (AR or AK)

• Spare Magazine x 5

• GBB Secondary (for pistol games!)

• Holster

• Gun Case or Bag

• Eye Protection

• Waterproof and solid boots with good ankle support

• Decent Socks

• Gloves

• Sturdy, comfortable layered clothing

• Waterproof Jacket and Trousers

• BBs and Battery (plus a spare battery)

• Some way to police mags; a simple chest rig and a dump pouch

• Something to carry a water bottle, snacks, a speedloader, some extra BBs and a spare battery in the field

• A simple wristwatch (some games are timed after all!)

• A thoroughly positive mental attitude and the ability to take the hits and keep on rolling with a smile!

Yup, that’s the lot really; less in this case is definitely more! So, with this list in mind, what did it all cost, and what budget does a new airsofter need?

Although I would always recommend renting your first AEG and GBB on-site so that you can try different platforms, if when you have your Defence in Law (in the UK) these days you can have a thoroughly field- worthy AEG for UK£150-£250, often at the higher end with a battery included, and a basic G-Series or 1911-style GBB will set you back under UK£100, so let’s say UK£300 for both.

A holster for your pistol can cost very little, but losing your pistol in the woods is both annoying and expensive! Although there are cheap holsters out there, buy a decent one, with decent retention; I used the new KYDEX CUSTOMS OONI “universal” with their mid-ride extender and it was an awesome combo... prices range massively here, but if you buy a “universal” model it will let you easily use it with different models of pistol; a simple belt-mounted cordura “universal” will set you back as little as £UK15-20 at your local airsoft store.

You’re going to want some extra mags without doubt and my advice here is to get yourself a mix of mid-caps and a couple of hi-caps so you can immediately vary your style of play in different settings (woodland or CQB for instance). I largely use NUPROL mags these days; a STANAG Hi will set you back about 13 quid a pop, a 30/140 BB adjustable mid a quid or so more… their excellent N-MAGS are a little more, but they look great and function perfectly. Allow UK£20-25 for a spare battery, around UK£10-15 for a big old bottle of quality BBs and you’re pretty much all set!

An AEG (or GBBR!) and a pistol in fairness are the “big spend” for all of us, but if you continue renting you AEG on site that spend can be worked up to, and you can try lots of different styles of platform too; in my experience airsofters LOVE to talk about their personal AEG or GBB and some may let you have a go on the range with their “baby” too, so again you can check out different options before you buy. When you do get round to buying your own “airsoft child”… don’t mess with it! Use it until something goes wrong (and at some point it WILL go wrong!), and then take it to a proper tech at your local store to get it fixed. By that time you’ll have begun to understand what “more” you want from your personal platform, and this is the time to get those specific upgrades sorted by the tech too.

So, back to my little list…

Most of the clothing you’ll need you probably already own so don’t sweat it over the “Gucci gear” at the beginning! Most of us own base layers these days, and for my “skirmish day” with Ben I just used some that I have for outdoor pursuits, same with a light fleece to go over, although in my case this was a VIPER TECHNICAL MID LAYER FLEECE TOP which you can pick up for around UK£25. I recently got myself a new lightweight waterproof and breathable jacket (see our maintenance article this month) in the shape of a PENTAGON MONLITE from www.military1st. co.uk, in plain tan so I can wear it for airsoft and every day too; along with surplus waterproof over-trousers (UK£10 locally) this will have you set for wet weather .

Ben and I chose to go a little “PMC” so we just wore some old jeans, but any outdoor pursuits-style trouser will serve you well. I chose to wear the LOWA ZEPHYR GTX boots I already have, but equally I could have worn my MERREL MOAB GTX MIDS that I use for general outdoor as both offer good foot and ankle support; simply adding a neck gaiter and a ballcap completed things, although I did stuff a watchcap and insulated jacket (a VIPER FRONTIER) in my Safe Zone pack for staying warm between games.

I already have a few chest rigs, so I just pulled a simple old BLACKHAWK model out of my “CAGE”, but something like the VIPER VX BUCKLE UP READY RIG I saw many players wearing on the day will only set you back about UK£35, and they’re totally fit for purpose, letting you carry some extra mags and things like a small first aid kit, multi-tool and taclite safely and easily.

For keeping your kit squared away in the Safe Zone any old pack and guncase/bag will do to be honest, but if you want something to carry snacks, a waterbottle, speedloader, some extra BBs and a spare battery in the field then I’d thoroughly recommend the little VIPER CHARGER PACK which you can find for around UK£35.

Protective gear! You may wish to chuck on some kneepads for protection from stones and roots if you wish, but I’m personally not a fan. I am, however, a fan of decent gloves, and a pair of tactical/shooting gloves is a great investment as getting a BB on a bare knuckle if no joke! You’ll’ no doubt be able to pick up a pair from the same airsoft shop where you bought your AEG, or indeed from the shop that most sites have running in-situ on game days. I currently run a pair of lightweight RAGNAR RAIDS VALKYRIE MK1 gloves that you can pick up for about UK£15 and are excellent.

The real biggie… EYEPRO! This is ultimately a specialist area (you’ll find numerous articles on this alone in BACK ISSUES), and as we all say “You only have one set of MKI eyeballs, so look after ‘em!” and this is something that should be written in stone! No doubt your local site will offer a full-face mask (recommended for younger players anyway!) or reputable shooting glasses as a part of your initial rental package, but trust me, you’ll want your own. Don’t just ask other players what they use, but research this extensively, visit a store that knows what they’re talking about in this respect, and buy something with the correct safety compliance… that actually fits your face! I use BLUEYE and NUPROL BATTLE PRO glasses these days which are well-priced and offer correct levels of safety compliance, although I do have a bit of a collection…

One thing to note is that as I’ve got older I now need regular glasses for reading, and although expensive “tacticool models” are available with inserts for prescription lenses the more sensibly-priced BATTLE PROS come with reday-to-go inserts but you’ll need to visit an optician for the lenses if you need them.

Honestly, like decent supportive boots, DO NOT SCRIMP on eyepro, spend some money here and get the best you can that fit and protect you properly!

And that my airsoft mates, is THAT… total spend minus the AEG and GBB (that’s down to your choice of primary and secondary!) comes out at around the UK£250 mark for kit that will last you a very good while, and give you some in-game options. A trip to an army surplus store will net you a full set of waterproofs and some MTP gear for very little when you’re ready, and of course online stores like www. military1st.co.uk can cater to your every clothing, footwear, and kit desire if you want something different!

Hitting The Field

So, how was my “bare bones skirmish day” with Ben? Frankly... Awesome! It was a special Halloween game and there were some righteous outfits, the sun shone and it was T-shirts all the way for Ben and I even though it was nigh on November, so running light and “bare bones” was actually a pretty good call!

Cool Under Fire proved to be the perfect site to make my post-cancer “skirmish day comeback”, not too big but superbly developed with a whole host of cool structures dotted throughout the woodland and scrub.

Luke and the Marshal team were friendly, inclusive, kept things rolling well but were not obtrusive during the games. The Site Shop, run by the extremely friendly Scott and Michelle from Alpha Delta Airsoft, was well-stocked, bright and inviting, and the food onsite was spot-on!

The players were obviously a close-knit group but made me very welcome, and every single one of them was 100% banging and on-point all day long with objectives closely-contested and hard-fought-over. I had one misunderstanding over hits with another player (it happens!), but we both took a hit, shook hands, and both went back to Respawn… He said to me “It’s only airsoft”, and I have to agree… airsoft done very, very right, and I loved every minute all over again after all this time! Cool Under Fire is local to me, and I will return.

Just remember that playing airsoft is all about that… PLAYING AIRSOFT, and playing it right, hard and with honour! If you spend all your money on unnecessary gear and accessories just because they’re cool, well… money only stretches so far for us mere mortals and I’d rather we all spent our money hitting a game day than hauling around extraneous stuff that we “might” need. Keep it tight, buy what you NEED, and what you WANT can come later!

Many thanks to Luke, the Marshals, and all the players at Cool Under Fire (www.cufairsoft.com) for a great skirmish day and for helping out with ingame images. If you’re ever down in Kent then I’d thoroughly recommend a visit to this awesome little site! AA