Hot Weather Paintball Storage

In the heat of the summer, barrel breakage is rare.  Breakage on target could also be a problem as paintballs get soft from the heat and humidity.  So now we must keep the paint dry and cool.  Room air conditioning may be good enough for the player but air conditioned air still contains 70 to 80% relative humidity.  Keep the bags closed tight!  If you begin to get a lot of bouncers, chill the paint in the refrigerator (not the freezer!) for 30 to 60 minutes - NO LONGER!  The air in the refrigerator is cool and dry and will condition the paint for use on the field.  Between games, store your butt packs, loaders, and hopper in the air conditioned car (not in the trunk!).  Refill your loaders just prior to heading out to the field.  Keep in mind the exposure times mentioned above.  Also, keep the paint sealed in the bag.  If you cannot leave the car running, I would suggest keeping the paintballs in a cooler with a couple of ice packs.  (Don't use ice cubes or blocks because the bags may leak and damage the carton.  Also, ice packs take up less room in the cooler allowing you to keep refreshments in the cooler as well.)  Deformation of a paintball can occur when a paintball has been exposed to high heat and humidity.  Oblong and odd-shaped paintballs will not return to their original round shape and should be discarded.