Outdoor gear in airsoft - does it make sense?
It's no secret that the military and outdoor industries have always intermingled and learned from each other's experiences. When selecting equipment for an airsoft game, some enthusiasts are primarily guided by compatibility with reality - they want to use typical military equipment to get as close as possible to the conditions of real operations. Others, on the other hand, are guided by functionality and comfort, having no problem packing a “civilian” sleeping bag or hiking bottle in their backpack. For both, we have prepared a list of interesting outdoor equipment, which can be successfully used during various airsoft events - from a few hours of skirmish starting to several days of miles away from civilization.
Survival and outdoor gear at Gunfire
Perhaps the biggest common denominator between airsoft and the outdoors is the fact that essentially these activities involve being outdoors. By this we mean the outdoors term in a very broad sense, which can consist of things like survival, bushcraft and mountaineering. A lot of hiking equipment is designed to support and improve comfort from being outdoors. So why not use the same technologies on tactical grounds?
Let's cut to the chase - here's a list of equipment from the outdoor and survival category that military enthusiasts may be interested in, along with practical examples of their use during airsoft and other activities. The order is completely random!
- Thermos - a decent tourist thermos will allow you to enjoy warm coffee or tea on the respawn. In the colder months, nothing will improve morale as much as a spoonful of thick and nutritious soup eaten during a break in the scenario. Such a thermos will not take up much space and we can easily fit it in a tactical backpack or a MAP-type backpack attached to a vest.
- Water bottle - not all players use hydration systems, and classic military canteens are rarely in use anymore. With help comes a reusable bottle made of BPA-free plastic (such as the iconic Nalgene made of tritanium), which we can throw in our backpack or loader so that we can hydrate regularly during the game. Also a great invention are so-called soft flasks, which are bottles made of soft plastic that we can roll up to a small size after emptying to take up even less space.
- Cooking set - what about when we haven't provided ourselves with hot tea in a thermos, but have enough to brew it fresh? If only on the morning before the skirmish, while waiting for the game to start or after the game is over. During event, when we have a prospect of waiting several hours for the start of a scenario. That's when a lightweight gas stove will come to the rescue, or when you don't want to carry a gas cartridge with you - a so-called solid fuel stove. Such stoves, such as the Maverick Wood Stove from Fire Maple, we can power with wood, brushwood, or even dry leaves. Add a simple pot, a coffee brewer and you're set!
- Hiking socks - socks are an often underrated piece of gear. Players can spend considerable sums of money on great quality tactical or trekking footwear (because such also performs excellently in tactical applications, and maybe even better) putting on cotton socks to complete the set. Meanwhile, good quality socks with merino wool, or a suitable blend containing wool, will allow your feet to breathe, cooperate with the membrane in your shoe (if you have one) and prevent unpleasant chafing and blisters.
- Sleeping bag and mat - a typical outdoor sleeping bag or self-inflating mat may be average for being outdoors due to their not-so-masking colors and often considerable weight and size, but if you're going to a rally and won't be sleeping in a trench but in a tent? Then you can afford a bit of comfort and a soft mat complete with a sleeping bag with reasonable thermal comfort. After all, nothing recovers the fatigue of a day's shooting like a good night's sleep, right?
- Gaiters - a trekking item of tourist equipment, which is not necessarily useful on a regular shooting trip, but already on a milsim or any other maneuvers, where you expect a long march in difficult terrain - as much as possible. Gaiters in a faded military color will match the uniform, and will very well protect the boot upper and pants from water, dew, mud and other forest debris.
- Spork – a gadget indispensable not only during outdoor trips, but also in the daily EDC kit. After all, you never know when, outside the house, you will get the urge for something delicious. Instead of wasting paper cutlery or improvising, with such a spork we can eat an MRE ration and freeze-dried food during military operations, or a grilled sausage after the end of a Sunday skirmish.
Is it worth using outdoor equipment in airsoft?
As you can see, the military situations in which outdoor accessories can be extremely useful can be multiplied, and we have cited only a few of them. In summary, the use of hiking and outdoor products in airsoft can significantly increase comfort and convenience. With the right equipment, players can focus on the game, getting maximum pleasure and adrenaline from it. Ergonomic solutions and advanced technologies used in outdoor equipment ensure safety and comfort, which translates into better performance and greater satisfaction with the game.
Check out our recommendations, and if you yourself use any outdoor accessories while playing, be sure to let us know in the comments and help us grow the list!
Author: Dominik "Chaos" Marzec
