Nonairsoft accessories worth taking for a skirmish
In airsoft I really like that it's such an eclectic hobby. It combines areas as pure physical activity, exploring various military tactics and what probably suits me the most - DIY. Due to the fact that it is such a diverse field of interest, we do not have to limit ourselves only to typically airsoft products. We can instead use some other solutions. Today I would like to introduce you to 5 nonairsoft accessories that I practically always take to ganes and use them very often. These will be products that are mainly used, for example, in automotive or other sports, but they have one thing in common - they are also extremely useful on the airsoft battlefield.
Keeping your eye protection clean
The need to use personal protective equipment in the form of ballistic glasses, goggles or masks is for me as strongly associated with airsoft as uniforms, tactical equipment and ASG replicas. I am glad that over time the community stop using the cheapest safety glasses from the market and chooses more proven brands such as Wiley X or Bolle. Unfortunately, despite the use of more and more sophisticated glasses, we still struggle with the prosaic problem of them steaming up. There is nothing strange here. Usually, the eye protection we buy are designed to be used at the shooting range or without all the rest of the equipment, such as stalker masks, helmets or balaclavas, which may disturb the air flow around our face and lead to glasses getting dirty or moist. Unfortunately, this can lead to dangerous situations, when steamed glasses obstruct our view and we do not notice the obstacle or, horrifyingly, take them off to wipe the lenses. One possible solution to this awkward situation could be using an antifog preparation. As for my experience, the anti-fogging spray found in a supermarket at an automotive stand works best. There are several different types of them, and they all work similarly. Apply a thin layer of the spray on the cleaned glass, wait for it to evaporate and wipe it dry. I usually use this procedure the day before a skirmish and just before going out into the field, and I notice a definite improvement. It's not possible to completely eliminate fogging in difficult cases, but in most games, I don't have to worry about the lenses of my ballistic glasses.
Since we are already on the topic of eye protection, it is worth to mention another small item that helps a lot in keeping clean and is also easy to find at the automotive stand of a local supermarket. Regardless of whether we use goggles, paintball masks or ordinary ballistic glasses - sooner or later we will have to clean them with something. My experience shows that regular microfiber cloths are perfect for this purpose. Buying them in automotive or other detailing stores has the advantage that they are usually larger and more cost-effective compared to those typically dedicated to optics. Their use is not limited to eye protection only. The fact that they are made of soft fibre, which additionally absorbs moisture well, makes them applicable wherever we have dirty glass. We can successfully clean optics with them, such as red-dots, scopes or magnifiers, but also lenses of sports cameras, if we use them in airsoft games. As a user of a paintball mask, I am particularly pleased with this solution. The car microfiber is relatively large and cleans the large visor of my mask efficiently.
Pocket workshop
I would like to receive a penny every time someone tried to improve something in their replica at the last minute. Sometimes players even try to fix their guns at the briefings. Despite the fact that in recent years the replicas have become more and more reliable, it still turns out that the best remedy for possible faults is proper preparation. Perhaps the most useful accessories that we can take from home and. Eliminate a lot of faults with their help are insulation tape and cable ties. If our replica is equipped with a MOSFET system, the electrical tape may be necessary to bring it back to life in the field. Some time ago I was in this situation myself. One of the wires soldered to the board with my MOSFET loosened and I was able to temporarily fix it with a humble roll of black tape. The cable ties, on the other hand, are a rescue for all kinds of lost pins, broken straps and other external parts that must keep our replica in one piece.
However, sometimes superficial repairs aren't enough and we have to open the replica. One of my favourite solutions, quite often used in newer ASG replicas, are screw-on pins. This makes them much harder to lose. However, they have one disadvantage - they usually require an Allen key to unscrew them. One example of such gun is my Specna Arms Core replica, which has twisted pins. In such a situation, an ordinary bicycle multitool may be a salvation. And it doesn't have to be some sophisticated model at all. Most of these types of tools can easily fit in a backpack or pocket of our tactical vest, and even the simplest ones have bits or keys that are most often used in airsoft. I myself happened to correct the position of the new hop-up rubber in the replica several times, which required unscrewing the body of the gun and taking the barrel out. It would not have been possible if I had not had one of these multitools in my backpack. With such a tool we can easily tighten the red dot sight or other tactical accessories to our replica or correct the optics zeroing.
Something to keep you warm
Pyrotechnics in ASG games is something that awakens my imagination. Whenever the organizer allows its use, I try to take at least a modest supply of smoke grenades. Such materials, however, would be completely useless if I did not take a lighter with me. Apart from the fact that it is necessary to detonate the charges used in our scenarios, it can also be a great complement to the styling. More than once, I have seen players proud of their accessories appropriate for the era or military formation on which they style themselves, and lighters were often part of such a set. In addition, anyone who has recently purchased new tactical equipment such as vests or pouches knows that threads often stick out of them, spoiling the aesthetic impression and exposing our equipment to premature wear. The best way to fix this is to carefully burn them with a lighter. Of course, with extreme caution and never when we are wearing a vest or a pouch. In my opinion, there is no reason not to take a lighter with you for airsoft games. They are light, take up little space and can turn out to be extremely useful.
Summary
The hobby of airsoft is a very extensive field of interest. Apart from various types of tactical equipment, airsoft guns replicas imitating various real and fictional constructions, tactical and agility aspect is also the area of maintenance and servicing of our equipment. That was the main axis of this text. As you can see, you do not need to look for specialized tools or devices to successfully repair the replica or improve the comfort of your game. I am curious if you also have any non-obvious accessories or those that you have borrowed from other areas of interest and you also use them successfully in airsoft? Let me know - I'm curious about your opinion.
Author: Boreq
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