Ok, lets put this myth to rest!
1. Your paintballs will not freeze! Do a test, put a handful of paintballs in the freezer, and see how long it takes for them to freeze. Check back every 10 minutes or so. If they haven’t frozen in an hour’s time span, they aren’t going to freeze while you’re playing. Since you already have them in there, see how long it takes for them to actually freeze period. You will find that the shell becomes brittle and stiff, but the paint inside will never freeze. So the idea of paintballs freezing when you shoot them or hurting more is nothing but a myth.
2. Paintballs hurting more? They do, and at the same time they don’t. Think of it this way. You know how when it gets cold out, you run around and flick people’s ears cause they’re red and it stings? Well the same principle applies to paintball! They don’t exactly hurt more; they just sting a heck of a lot longer. Here is the catch though. During the winter you typically dress heavier to go outside. All those layers of clothes that you’ll wear to stay outside all day will make you like the marsh mellow puff dude and you probably wont feel a thing.
3. Will my marker work correctly? Again, we have a double standard here. Tippmann’s are known to work under almost any conditions. They use a CVX valve that can handle liquid CO2, which is crucial during time of cold weather. Since it’s freezing cold out, the liquid CO2 never actually has a chance to warm up to change it’s liquid form into gas. So because of that limitation, you’re going to get a lot more liquid into the gun then you typically would during the summer. Also you’re going to think you’ve run out of C02 a lot faster. Keep your tanks warm between breaks in the game. Those neoprene tank covers do NOT keep the tank warm, in fact, in most cases they keep it cold! A heating pad kept on by a few layers of socks is a very good idea. I used to do this back in the day and it helped out a lot! If your marker can’t handle liquid CO2, then you wont be playing much paintball when it’s cold. I suggest upgrading to HPA if you do own a Tippmann and you play on playing in the winter months.
I think that covers it. I play in all types of conditions, all throughout the year. Feel free to ask any questions anytime. Always glad to help out. To you three new comers, welcome to PBF!
- Brian