Shoulder armour - molle

Yet the very first reply is just a sarcastic dig taking the piss. And it took 10 replies until someone finally sends OP a resource actually kind of helpful.

Get over it. OP wants shoulder pads? It's not down to you, me or anyone to say he can't, and this thread certainly isn't a place to have that discussion.
Education and fairness always has a place.

Guys looking some more advice - I currently own an 8Fields Hard Armour Plate Carrier, found side pouches for some protection - keep getting hit where there's no Armour, on that note I'm wondering, I've seen some Flye shoulder pads and wondered if they can be fit to any molle vest? If not are there any alternatives?
No, the OP very clearly indicated an intention to keep padding up, not only to deliberately impede feeling hits but to keep trying to cover up more and more for the sole sake of 'padding'.

We're happy to help people, but people should be told that padding for paddings sake is detrimental to the game of 'others'.

My comment was meant to be humorous, not at face value, and not sarcastic, but because shoulder armour is equally pointless (yet exaggerated) in LARP, but padding for padding/protection in paintball. I italicised the comment because I did not intend sarcasm.

I will defend what has been said here, I asked the same questions when I was new, and if I have been rude to OP in turn i am sorry, but there is no malicious intent.

Understand me, padding which makes it impossible to 'feel' a hit, for that sole or primary purpose (>50%) is WRONG. Just like free speech rhetoric, I will stand up for wearing anything in airsoft when it's purpose is not the deliberate (irrespective of malicious intent, lack of awareness, or otherwise) harm to the enjoyment of the sport by others.

Understand, there is a difference between padding which reduces the force of BBs hitting your skin, and padding rendering BBs impossible to feel. If that 'clothing' in the latter case is not for some other purpose, it is wrong.

But also understand the accepted caveat that making an "impression" (a certain look) IS a purpose.

 
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As far as shoulder padding is concerned, I'm going to stay away from this one, there have been enough opinions on this post already.

What i will say though, is PAD YOUR KNEES.

I'm 20-odd and consider myself reasonably fit.

3 weeks ago, we had a skirmish at my local site - on the last game of the day (literally 5 minutes before the end), I found myself at the top of one side of a deep, narrow V-shaped valley (which was about 8 feet deep). On the other side, at the top was a team mate of mine needing a medic.

After hitting his 'killer' I moved to medic my teammate back into the game. I started to take the steep side of the valley at a bit of a run (too steep to just walk down)... Unfortunately a vine, or a stick or something pulled my feet from underneath me - leaving me to fall the remaining 4 or 6 feet or so, with nothing to land on but my knees.

I always wear one and only one knee-pad on my right knee. Most of my weight landed on my right knee.

Today, almost 3 weeks later, I'm only just able to walk properly and completely pain-free (I've been hobbling around for weeks).

After all that the lesson learned is:

WEAR KNEEPADS - THEY PROTECT YOUR KNEES. This protection is nothing to do with bbs hitting your knees, it is protection against all the unknowns that airsoft entails as a sport. If I hadn't been wearing mine I know that my injury would certainly have been much worse.

Especially you guys who are older than me, there are a few 40+ guys who regularly play at my local site, and the last thing you need is a wonky knee when your recovery time will be longer than that of a 20 year old.

I suppose the same principal could be applied to shoulder pads, but I've certainly smashed my knees into the ground a lot more than I have my shoulders while playing.

 
Appreciate the advice on the knee pads, been looking at some trousers to match the rest of the load out that comes with them.

 
Education and fairness always has a place.

No, the OP very clearly indicated an intention to keep padding up, not only to deliberately impede feeling hits but to keep trying to cover up more and more for the sole sake of 'padding'.

We're happy to help people, but people should be told that padding for paddings sake is detrimental to the game of 'others'.

My comment was meant to be humorous, not at face value, and not sarcastically, but because shoulder armour is equally pointless (yet exaggerated) in LARP, but padding for padding in paintball. I italicised the comment because i did not intend sarcasm.

I will defend what has been said here, i asked the same questions when i was new, and if i have been rude to OP in turn i am sorry, but there is no malicious intent.

Understand me, padding which makes it impossible to 'feel' a hit, for that sole or primary purpose (>50%) is WRONG. Just like free speech rhetoric, I will stand up for wearing anything in airsoft when it's purpose is not the deliberate (irrespective of malicious intent or awareness, thus intentional or otherwise) harm to the enjoyment of the sport by others.

Understand, there is a difference between padding which reduces the force of bbs hitting your skin, and rendering bbs impossible to feel. If that 'clothing' in the latter case is not for some other purpose, is wrong. Understand making an "impression" IS a purpose.
I never ready anything about OP wearing shoulder pads to make him impervious to any kind of hit. Although he did mention that he sustained an injury earlier on and wanted some extra protection. Personally, most of these shoulder pads have the hard ABS outer and you'd feel and hear a hit just fine - no different to a helmet.

 
Today, almost 3 weeks later, I'm only just able to walk properly and completely pain-free (I've been hobbling around for weeks).

After all that the lesson learned is:

WEAR KNEEPADS - THEY PROTECT YOUR KNEES. This protection is nothing to do with bbs hitting your knees, it is protection against all the unknowns that airsoft entails as a sport. If I hadn't been wearing mine I know that my injury would certainly have been much worse.

Especially you guys who are older than me, there are a few 40+ guys who regularly play at my local site, and the last thing you need is a wonky knee when your recovery time will be longer than that of a 20 year old.
Listen youngster dont think just because we are older we are more fragile. Yes we take longer to heal but we are generally tougher than your soft ass generation.
Turned 40 in May and fractured my foot in 7 places playing a week later. Still got back out playing on it the same day and was back to sprinting on it 4 weeks later at the forum game. Three weeks for a little owie on your knee....... bloody girl.?

 
I never ready anything about OP wearing shoulder pads to make him impervious to any kind of hit. Although he did mention that he sustained an injury earlier on and wanted some extra protection. Personally, most of these shoulder pads have the hard ABS outer and you'd feel and hear a hit just fine - no different to a helmet.
I didn't quote others, but not all of that was for you sorry if it was rough or condescending in formatting. :) Same applies to this post.

I never ready anything about OP wearing shoulder pads to make him impervious to any kind of hit.
Everything about the original post says otherwise and it's clear the OP has not considered every angle, admittedly if he said he played exclusively CQB that'd be some leeway, and as always the impression distinction wins.

I summarise it like this "You play your game, we'll play our game; but when your game detrimentally impacts our game due to something which does not improve your game and only impedes ours then that's not right."

Read emphasis on game. :)

I realise there's the "but it hurts" counter argument, but the fact is that many airsoft bbs are not travelling with very much energy after 50% of the distance, this is what this is all about.

Not those few high power shots in the first 15-20m but the shots in the 20-90m ranges. :ph34r:

But the concern here is not whether or not he buys the shoulder pads, its the reason the OP wants them. If he wears them to a game, I'm not going to say anything, no one is - but before he's bought them, there is plenty to say about how that decision affects others, and instil some awareness.

If he goes on to buy it just for padding, no one really cares, if he goes and tells all his friends that no one raised an issue; I don't know about anyone else but I really care about that, it's not paintball and if we all pad up to the hilt CQB speedsoft will be all that's left.

EDIT:

Also, the "but it hurts" can be countered by the simple fact that padding does not actually help you play the game, because only dead players benefit... - if we assume a player is dead the first time they're hit.

For live players, whether you have armour or not does not affect whether their bb hit you, in most cases it makes you a larger target.

Funnily enough though, I have at time taken risks in game due to the fact that I have padding, but whether or not I got hit doing so still would have happened without the padding - thus the padding did not improve my game.

Thus if it doesn't improve my game, and is very potentially detrimental to another's game how on earth can I justify it?

I wear a plate carrier with foam, but it distributes the weight on my sling, holds my magazines before it protects me - in terms of motivation for using it. It also keeps me warm and helps with my posture.
It also allows me to rapidly transition between my primary and anything else I carry because I can just drop my rifle.

EDIT2: (TL;DR)

This is an interesting train of thought :D - so yeah, padding can't be justified because "don't get shot then" is just about all there is to say. But purpose can be justified, and if I oppose someone having an "impression" that's impeding their game.

EDIT3:

I tried playing a game day with my PC and a sidearm, after 1 game I ditched the PC because it didn't add to my game at all.

 
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Listen youngster dont think just because we are older we are more fragile. Yes we take longer to heal but we are generally tougher than your soft ass generation.

Turned 40 in May and fractured my foot in 7 places playing a week later. Still got back out playing on it the same day and was back to sprinting on it 4 weeks later at the forum game. Three weeks for a little owie on your knee....... bloody girl.

What do you want? A medal?

Or a chest to pin it on?

 
Listen youngster dont think just because we are older we are more fragile. Yes we take longer to heal but we are generally tougher than your soft ass generation.

Turned 40 in May and fractured my foot in 7 places playing a week later. Still got back out playing on it the same day and was back to sprinting on it 4 weeks later at the forum game. Three weeks for a little owie on your knee....... bloody girl.
Hahahaha top man!

my point remains though, padding to protect yourself from your surroundings (FAST helmets etc. included in this point) should be not put in the same category as padding against hits, and padding knees and your head is a good idea.

Oh. PS - getting older makes you more fragile - FACT.

Sorry pops ;)

 
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What do you want? A medal?

Or a chest to pin it on?
Haha dont need a useless piece of tin and already own the other.Just pointing out that age doesn't mean sod all and that being older just generally means we have learnt to tough things out rather than cry and give up.

Or just more stupid maybe.

It was also meant to be lighthearted but if you want to take umbrage go ahead.

 
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Haha dont need a useless piece of tin and already own the other.

Just pointing out that age doesn't mean sod all and that being older just generally means we have learnt to tough things out rather than cry and give up.

Or just more stupid maybe.

It was also meant to be lighthearted but if you want to take umbrage go ahead.
I got the light hearted bit - no need for the handbags ladies :)

 
my point remains though, padding to protect yourself from your surroundings (FAST helmets etc. included in this point) should be not put in the same category as padding against hits, and padding knees and your head is a good idea.
I think that falls under "purpose" or a sub cat of that for H&S. The intrinsic distinction between injury from BBs and injury from environment is not large though. I could write another essay on this too, I know exactly what I'd say. But I'm not going to.

 
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Step 1. Wear whatever you like and don't judge others for what they wear.

Step 2. Do not wear anything that will lead to inability to recognise hits - ensure that your justification for Step 1 includes step 2.

Simple enough.

 
Step 1. Wear whatever you like and don't judge others for what they wear.

Step 2. Do not wear anything that will lead to inability to recognise hits - ensure that your justification for Step 1 includes step 2.

Simple enough.
Now hang there a minute, no one's judging anyone!

 
To be honest, at this point, everyone's arguing the same side of the argumwnt. More or less.

 
Haha dont need a useless piece of tin and already own the other.

Just pointing out that age doesn't mean sod all and that being older just generally means we have learnt to tough things out rather than cry and give up.

Or just more stupid maybe.

It was also meant to be lighthearted but if you want to take umbrage go ahead.
Sarcasm FTW!

No umbrage taken :)

 
Some long posts that I haven't read as on my phone and prob been answered but....you'll just get hit somewhere else, if you wear to much protection you won't feel the hits and players won't like it, it's all about honesty and feeling a hit is the best way, if only hurts for a few seconds, I always get hit on the side above where my chest rig comes round and clips on, I'm not going to buy more protection..... plus I'll sweat more, just walk back to regen and go back and play ??

Ps I will come back and read the long ones

 
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