Gear Bag Review #4

Welcome back for part four of my personal gear bag review series.  Today I’ll be talking about what air tanks and pod carrying options I currently have in my kit, and why I chose those particular items.  We are starting to wind down on the list a bit, and the next couple of posts will likely be shorter than the first three, simply because there is less to talk about with these items.  Still, they are important to my particular kit, and it wouldn’t be fair to leave them out. 

Air Tank:
I’m currently running with two 20 oz. JT brand CO2 tanks that I bought along with my first paintball marker.  If you are playing in the woods privately, it is always a good idea to have a spare tank to switch out if you don’t have a refill station nearby, and that was my thinking when I purchased a second CO2 canister.  The 3 markers mentioned in my previous posts run perfectly well with CO2, and some sources that I found online seem to indicate that the stock Tippmann A-5 seems to prefer CO2 unless you have a high pressure HPA tank.
I won’t get into a debate over which source of propellant is better, but I will say that I plan to get an HPA tank in the future if I upgrade my electronic marker down the road.  The main reason behind this is that I would like to work my way up to a more expensive electro marker like an Eclipse Etek or something similar, and those markers will only take HPA.  

That being said, CO2 tanks are very inexpensive as is filling them.  They are a logical choice for the aspiring paintballer on a budget, so there is no shame in using this propellant source if your marker can run on it.

Pod Packs/Vests:

My very first pod pack was gifted to me by my friend after we had played a few times together.  It was an old Brass Eagle 4 pod pack with a clipping belt and a tank pouch.  The pods sit horizontally which I don’t care for, but it was a functional pack to begin with as I had been running around with pods stuffed into the cargo pockets of my pants prior to using that harness.  My second harness was a Valken Fate 4 + 3, pod carrier meaning that there are 4 Velcro pod carriers with 3 additional elastic bands stitched between them that can potentially carry 3 additional pods.  

Valken Fate 4+3 Pod Pack

My favorite thing about this harness is the adjustable Velcro waistband with its elastic adjustment straps which allow you to make the harness fit snugly.  Rather than constricting your mid section, the harness provides a pleasant amount of back and side support that helps save you some discomfort while kneeling and bending around cover.  Maybe that last part only seems true to me, but it feels better than running around with nothing most of the time. 

GXG Tactical Vest w/tank pouch

I also recently purchased a GXG Tactical paintball vest with a tank pouch to run with my Tippmann A-5 and a remote line/coil.  I haven’t had the chance to use this on the field yet, but I wanted to use a full chest carrier rig to carry my CO2 tank while using a remote line. The vest I’m using has plenty of pockets on the front that could be useful for carrying tools and other supplies during slow paced woodsball games. Furthermore, the pod pouches and tank pouch are removable so that you can change the arrangement and position where they sit on your back.  It will be interesting to see how this works for me on the field with my A-5.  

There are a number of different pod carrying solutions available, but the most important thing is to choose one that suits your particular needs.  If you are very conservative with your shots, you may even be able to get by without one, but I haven’t met a player yet who could get by without at least one refill during more intense games.  Keep it simple to begin with, and then upgrade your carrier as needed.

That’s all I have time for today, but stay tuned as I wrap this series up by listing my optional kit items.  Until next time!

~Krimmit