What to wear for paintball boils down to three rules: long sleeves, long trousers, sturdy shoes you don’t mind getting muddy. We provide everything else — combat suit, body armour, full-face goggles, the marker. The mistakes people make are mostly about overdressing, picking the wrong shoes, or wearing something they didn’t realise might pick up a paint mark.
This guide covers the essentials, the seasonal differences, what to bring for kids, and the things people commonly turn up in that don’t work.
The Five Essentials
1. A long-sleeved top
Anything with full sleeves works — a long-sleeved t-shirt, a thin sweater, an old hoodie. The combat suit goes over the top, but you’ll want a layer underneath both for comfort and for a bit of extra cushion if you take a hit somewhere the body armour doesn’t cover. Avoid loose, flowing things — sleeves wider than your forearm catch on undergrowth.
2. Long trousers
Tracksuit bottoms or joggers are ideal — comfortable, easy to move in, the right level of protection. Jeans work if they’re not too tight (skinny jeans are a no — you can’t crouch, sprint, or hide behind cover comfortably in skinny jeans). Old combat trousers, walking trousers, or any standard-fit trousers are fine.
3. Sturdy shoes
Trainers are the default and they work. Walking boots are great in autumn and winter. Football boots without metal studs are fine. The two rules are: shoes you don’t mind getting muddy, and shoes that grip on uneven ground (the woods aren’t a flat surface). Old trainers tick both boxes for most people.
4. Old clothes you don’t care about
Paintball is messy. Combat suits absorb most of the paint and mud, but some always finds its way to the layers underneath, especially around the cuffs and collar. Wear what you’d wear for a forest walk in November — clothes that have already lived their best life.
5. A hat (optional, weather-dependent)
In winter, a beanie under your goggles strap keeps your head warm and stops your ears getting cold during the briefing. In summer, a baseball cap can help shade your face. Neither is required.
What We Provide
You don’t need to buy paintball-specific clothing. Every session includes:
- Full combat suit — goes over your normal clothes, sized to fit kids and adults
- Body armour vest — padded chest and back protection
- Full-face goggles — protect eyes, ears, mouth, the lot
- Paintball marker — the gun, plus a hopper that holds your paintballs
- 500 paintballs as your starting allocation (top-ups available)
Combined, that means you only need to wear what’s underneath. The kit handles everything visible.
What NOT to Wear
- Open-toed shoes or sandals — flat refusal at most venues, including ours. The forest floor is not toe-friendly.
- White or pale colours — paint shows on white. Even if it washes out, the visual is worse on a white t-shirt than a black one.
- Skinny jeans — bad mobility, no give when crouching, sweat traps. The single most regretted clothing choice we see.
- Football boots with metal studs — banned for safety reasons. Plastic studs OK.
- New / valued clothing — paint usually washes out, but mud, sweat and torn knees are the real risks.
- Loose jewellery — necklaces, dangly earrings, bracelets. Take them off or leave them in your car.
- Watches you’d be devastated to crack — body armour straps catch on watches.
Seasonal Differences
Summer (May–September)
Light layers. A breathable long-sleeved top + tracksuit bottoms is plenty under the combat suit. The combat suit is hot in 25°C+ weather — there’s not much to do about that. Drink water between games, take the goggles off in the safe zone to cool down, you’ll be fine. Avoid heavy fleece or thermal layers in summer.
Autumn (October–November)
Mid-weight layer plus a waterproof if rain is forecast. The forest floor in autumn is leaves, mud and conkers — solid trainers or walking boots. A thin fleece over your t-shirt is perfect.
Winter (December–February)
Proper layers: a thermal base layer, a fleece mid-layer, the combat suit on top. Woolly hat under the goggle strap. Thin gloves (your trigger finger needs to move). Walking boots with grip — the ground is often frozen-mud which is hard to run on. Kids should bring a change of socks.
Spring (March–April)
The most variable. Could be 18°C and sunny, could be 4°C and sleeting. Layers you can shed easily — a thin fleece over a long-sleeved top works. Pack a waterproof in the car just in case.
Specifically for Kids
Same rules apply. Combat suits and body armour come in kid sizes. Two parent-specific tips:
- Pack a complete change of clothes. Even if the session goes perfectly, kids end up with mud on their knees and inside their shoes. Trainers off, dry shoes for the car home, fresh joggers, fresh top.
- Mark labels. If your child’s coming for a birthday party with several friends, name labels on coats, drinks bottles and bags save you 15 minutes at pickup.
For 8–14 year olds in low-impact paintball the kit is sized down — smaller markers, smaller paintballs, lower velocity. Same clothing rules apply.
After the Session
Bring a plastic bag or bin liner to put your muddy clothes in for the journey home. The Log Lodge has space to swap into clean kit before food and cake. Most groups eat in their playing kit and change after — your call.
Wash everything as soon as you can. Mud sets if it dries hard. Paint comes out best with a cold pre-rinse before normal wash.
Ready to Book?
Now you know what to wear, the rest is easy. We run age-matched sessions seven days a week — Mini Paintball (8–10), Junior Paintball (11–14), and Adult Paintball (15+). All-inclusive from £26.95pp for laser tag, £34.95pp for paintball.
