MASK

[Lt.Col.Vortex]

First off, shouldn't we have a section for paintball #1 implement?? just me thinking out loud...


Anyhoo, onto the topic before I forget about it... My dad ( and the rest of us ) is finally getting tired of our $10 walmart mask and they are starting to affect our game tactics. Poor lenses with terrible fogging tends to make the game less fun.

So, heres what I want and what you good people can do for me...except Chicago, your a great persons

I'd like a run down on the mask you guys use and why. We are looking for high field of view and least fogability in our mask ( isn't everyone ). Price means nothing to me, so spit out any and all mask you can think of.

We where looking into the V-Force mask a few months ago...but I forgot where that boat was going, so I'm starting over.

[joshsmithers]

I'm a huge fan of Dye masks. I3s and I4s, to be specific. However, the lenses on the masks is the biggest factor to consider.

The first mask I ever felt 100% confident wearing was the Dye Invision 3. Foremost, it fits all head sizes comfortably. The adjustable elastic strap helps it fit snugly on anyone, from kids to adults. The lense is a pain (understatement) to remove and replace, but you get used to it eventually. The ear pieces are soft, foamy, and thin. You can hear your teammates clearly, but it still serves to protect your ears. If you wear a headset, the fit of the mask is tight enough to help hold that in place with minimal discomfort. A feature worth noting on these mask is that Dye makes a small, single-fan system that mounts to the top of the mask. It's not necessary though, as I will explain later.

I thought that the I3 was the best mask until I finally got an I4. The I4 also features the comfort and tight fit of the I3, but is a smaller and lighter design. Unfortunately these only come in one size. The size is great for kids and anyone who has an average-sized head. For guys with bigger heads, while the mask still serves it's primary purpose to protect eyes, the user's ears, chin, and forehead may be partially exposed. Radio headsets still work well with this mask. Because the mask is a fairly tight fit, it helps when you need to rest your head against a stock or a tank. Yet, the most important part of this mask is the quick-change system. Unlike the I3, all you have to do to change out this lense is snap out two locks (one on each side) and the lense slides out. This is awesome if you change between different colored lenses often.

Still, what makes these masks so great (in my opinion) is that they have NEVER fogged on me when I used a dual-pane lense. I only suggest using a dual pane lense with these masks. I used a single pane lense for an 8-hour game and had horrible visibility for most of the game. The lenses are different for each mask, but seem to function equally. As far as visibility goes, you have a full range of view with both masks and, using the clear lense, everything is almost as clear as you see it without the mask. The google system itself is very breathable and well vented. Not only are you able to communicate clearly, but air circulates well, too. You can breathe as hard as you want, because you will not fog up your mask. Maybe it's the lense and maybe it's the mask, but the fact of the matter is I can always put on the mask without fear of it ever fogging up.

These are both great masks and I recommend you at least try them out. Both are in a similar price range of $90-$100. I would recommend the I4 over the I3 because of the quick lense change system on the I4. I frequently switch between clear, yellow, smoke, and reflective lenses.

[DJmatt123]

I have the Dye I4's also and am very pleased with them. They are lightweight, breath well, have a great field of vision, and almost never fog. I have had a couple time that I've had a little fogging but usually its with an old lens that has partially separated from the secondary inner lens. One trick I've found with any lens to help prevent fogging is to rub dish soap on it, inside and out and then wipe it off.

I bought a new V-Force profiler mask and it seemed to breath good until I would lay down and then it would kinda seal up the bottom of the mask and it lost all its ventilation along with having condensation form and run down the inside of the lens. I ended up selling after a couple uses and just refreshing my I4's with new foam and ear pieces.

The only problems I've seen with the I4's is the small profile doesn't cover larger faces well and there is no visor so you're forehead is not protected and you can get some reflections from the sun shining down thru the top vents.

[Lt.Col.Vortex]

So last week we went out to our outlaw field. We started to play, then it started to rain. Its about 93 degrees and its raining.....yah, our mask did squat.

The fog problem we can fix just buy using a dual pain lens, and just about every mask has those now. But the next thing is field of view. I'll probably stay ways form the I4 mask just because my little brothers some times play, and I'd like to have at least a full face covering.

Its looking like a toss up between the V-Force Profiler and the Dye I3. One thing I'm having an issue finding ( oddly enough ) is field of view for these mask. Everyone boast on how good their mask is, but they dont say how wide a field they have.

[DJmatt123]

I'm not sure what the exact field of view was with the profilers, but I'm sure you will be more than satisfied with them. I believe most any of the mid to high end goggles will have enough, once you get away from the walmart masks, you'll be fine. The only time Ive had any problem was once again while laying down, the visors can block alot of your vertical vision so if you are around any hills, you might have some problems. This is probably not going to be a problem for most players.

[Allu]

E-vents has a large field of view, and easy to maintain... personally i find a dyi computer fan/batterey pack is great for those times that you have to lay down.

[joshsmithers]

Vortex, I highly suggest visiting a field/proshop and trying on other player's masks and asking around. One player's opinion of a mask may be completely different from another player's. You just gotta find the one that makes you feel the most comfortable.

When I first started playing I made a DIY fan system. It featured two 2"x2" fans, a 12v RC battery and an on/off switch. The battery was either attached to my belt or mask strap. The fans and switch were attached to the removable visor, making it a very modular system. It worked great and cleared any fogging from my mask as soon as I hit the switch. The best part was I made it completely from scavenged materials, so it cost me $0.00. I am entirely against that idea now, however. KISS is an important principle and paintball is no exception to the rule. That's why I stick with dual pane lenses on high-end masks.

[Lt.Col.Vortex]

Forgot about teh Empires....will look into them.

I'd LOVE to look at and try on mask, but the closest field/shop is like 2 hours form me. Basically ANYTHING is better than what I have now. I'm not that picky, I just like to play in the woods and shoot my family. I'm no tourny player where every ounce of weight and every degree of field of view counts.

[Allu]

joshsmithers is right with the kiss... but then again, some things i think wouldn't work actually do and if you never try you'll never know...

[joshsmithers]

Here's a quick list of a bunch of good masks:

Jt Proflex
Empire E-vents
Empire E-flex (combination of the above two)
Vforce Grill
Vforce Profiler
Sly Profit
Dye I3
Dye I4
SavePhace masks

There is an Invert version of the e-vent as well. As far as I know it's the same thing. Also, there is a proto mask very similar to the I3.

[Lt.Col.Vortex]

Very helpful guys, thanks...now I gota wait till Christmas