Camouflage Techniques in Paintball

Paintball played in the woods -- which is often referred to a "rec-ball," short for recreational paintball -- shares a lot in common with hunting, and as a result benefits from the use of camouflage. There are several different kinds of camouflage that can be used, but knowing a little about how the human eye works will also help keep you from being seen.

  1. Avoid Bright Clothing

    • If you are looking to do only the minimal amount of camouflaging for paintball then the best thing you can do is avoid wearing bright colors when going out to play. Try to wear earth tones, such a green or brown, that you would encounter in the typical forest. Also try to wear pastel colors, rather than bright colors, which will catch the eye of your opponents. Also cover up any bright colors on your paintball marker or other paintball equipment.

    Camouflage Print

    • Another camouflage option that requires little work on your part would be a set of camouflage print clothing, similar to the kind of clothing often associated with the military. This kind of clothing is characterized by a pattern of various earthen colors, such as different shades of green and brown, that blend in well with the surrounding environment in most North American settings.

    Ghillie Suit

    • If you really want to stay camouflaged while playing paintball, then the best option is a ghillie suit, which is typically associated with scouts and snipers in the military. Ghillie suits are constructed of net, which has various strips of Earth colored fabric or twine tied to it. A ghillie suit breaks up the natural outline of a human body, creates a three-dimensional camouflage, and will also move with the wind, just as the surrounding foliage will do.

    Avoid Moving

    • Even the best camouflage is useless without knowing how to move in the wilderness so that you are not seen. The human eye is predominantly cones in the center, which are good for detecting colors, but not movement. The rods on the periphery of the eye are what are used to detect movement, which is why movement is easier to see in your peripheral vision. So avoid bright colors, but also try to move slowly and stop frequently, so that your movement will not show up in the peripheral vision of an opponent. Instead, let your opponents come to you.