PumpPlayer

Here's a great tip in case you're looking to make some great camo for cheap. Find your local arts and crafts store and give them a call to see if they stock plastic or faux-silk flowers. I know it sounds silly, but bear with me, here... You're looking for anything green and leafy, but not bright. (Though mad props to anyone who plays with a dozen roses sticking out of their mask! Call yourself Cassanova or something...)

Oak leaves, ferns, cattails (if you like swampy areas), etc. can all be found at most craft stores. Sew or (if you're lazy) staple them to your camo and wire-tie them to your mask and marker. If there's one thing that makes regular camo stand out, it's the lack of shadow and depth. Plus, you will now 'blow' in the wind, unlike someone with regular camo on. Moreover, the increased ammount of shadow will really help conceal small movements. Cost is maybe $5-10 for a mask and marker and maybe $20-30 for a full suit of super-camo. Depends how fancy the fake foliage you get is...

Just my thoughts on the issue of velocity: Most studies have shown that the injury limit for paintballs is around 15 ft-lbs of muzzle energy (does not apply to face and eyes). Meaning that anything below that is not likely to cause permanent damage or injuries requiring hospitalization. Modern paintballs have a denser fill than they used to, but even still, the velocity cap is about 400 fps. Keep in mind that 400 fps is 'likely' to cause injury. Most markers will not fire this fast and, even if they did, most paintballs cannot withstand the more rapid acceleration. However, there is still the risk of injury at lower velocities, though less likely. Keep in mind that the kinetic energy is a function of the square of the velocity (F=1/2mv^2) and so the pain difference from 280 to 290 is a lot less than the difference between 310 and 320. Likewise, when you start talking about getting up into the 325+ category, your potential for injury increases dramatically. Paintball is almost guaranteed safe (assuming your goggles are approved and in good condition) at 310 fps and lower. Higher than that, however, you push the limits of your goggles and your sanity. A goggle hit at 310fps warrants a lens replacement. 280 or so you might let go for one or two hits, though a replacement is still recommended. If you get a goggle hit at 350 fps, and it doesn't crack the lens visibly, keep in mind that your lens will most likely break upon the next shot. Playing at velocities over 310fps is asking for trouble, strictly from a safety standpoint, to say nothing of pain and discomfort. Moreso, if you're playing in your back yard or on an uninsured field, YOU need to take the initiative to ensure safety.

Lastly, just in case you're still adamant about playing at high velocity because "it's more accurate", just a little bit of fluid dynamics for you: fluid resistance (air) increases cubically with the velocity of the projectile. Thus, if you increase your velocity 10%, you increase your friction by about 33.1%. With the increased friction, you will actually get less and less 'flat' trajectory with each increase in velocity. Will 325fps go farther than 310? Yes. But by how much? It's less than 3% with about three feet more of flat trajectory. And is it worth it? It takes almost 15% more gas to fire a single shot. Firing at 280 will get you more than 35% more shots out of your tank.

The size, mass and velocity of paintballs has been designed so as to work properly between about 265 and 310 fps. This velocity range will give you the best accuracy and trajectory as well as minimizing discomfort and virtually eliminating the possibility of injury. In fact, you might want to cap it at 290fps as the trajectory/accuracy increase past that is minimal. Speedball is played at 310 in order to facilitate more breaks at close range. At long range, it doesn't really matter. You will rarely see a rec field operate in excess of 300 fps mostly for insurance reasons. Most rec fields are in the 280-290 range for a reason.

Playing at high velocity doesn't make you tough, it makes you look stupid.

Edit: Let me edit this for Aaronj5: The mass of a paintball (depending upon manufacturer) is about 3.5 grams. The mass of an airsoft pellet is .10 or .12 grams, depending upon which you use. The mass difference means that you can certainly safely shoot airsoft at 400 fps or even higher.

__________________
Before: "You're playing with WHAT?"
After: "Crap, it's that guy with the pump!"