Paintball vests come in lots of different shapes, sizes, colors and configurations, and are offered with many additional add-ons.  Choosing a vest can almost be overwhelming.  This article will include information to help you choose the right tactical vest for your style of play, specific needs and to complement your existing uniform.  Lots of companies manufacture vests, including: RAP4, FullClip USA, Valken’s VTac and many others, so the focus of this article is to look at some of the options to consider rather than focus on a brand. 

Vest Size
Some vests are specifically sized (with actual chest/shoulder measurements or small/medium/large) however most rely on a more generic one-size fits all approach.  Non-size-specific vests (often under the heading of ‘regular’) are generally made in a size that would equal an adult medium or large.  They don’t have to be an exact size because many vests have adjustment straps on the sides customize the fit.  Most players prefer the adjustable vest because it gives more flexibility when wearing different uniforms, layering clothing for colder days, etc. 

Vest Weight
Consider when you play – is it hot, cold, or a bit of each?  Do you normally play events that require lots of gear or lots of movement?  If your vest isn’t comfortable, you won’t want to wear it and it might reduce your fun while playing.  While a light vest allows you to stay agile, they are often more limited as to what you can carry with them.  On the flip side, a heavier vest will allow you to carry more gear but may be a bit bulkier, more restrictive and perhaps hotter.

Most tactical paintball vests are made over a light mesh material and are very lightweight; allowing you to safely load it down with much gear without making it too heavy.  There are also very lightweight tactical MOLLE vests that are like a lighter/less dense body armor made of a extremely thick material that provide excellent protection.  With the MOLLE system of straps and snaps, you can easily customize these vests with literally any configuration of pouches you want. 

Carry Capacity
If you are a backman or a sniper, you may have paintballs, grenades, extra air supply and a myriad of other items to carry.  A frontman won’t need so many things and should try to stay  light and flexible.  When deciding on which pouches to customize your vest with, consider how much you need or want to carry and narrow down your choices based on this.  Also consider what type of scenarios you play.  Most recreational games will last 15-30 minutes per game.  Depending on the requirements of the position you play on the field, decide which pouches you will need to carry the bare minimum paintballs and equipment for that time period.

Only carry what you need, because everything else is just weight you have to lug around.  If you do multi-day tournaments that don’t offer a friendly staging/re-staging environment, you will obviously need a lot more carrying capacity.  Customize your vest to carry the right amount of paintballs in pod pouches; carry your air tank on the back or side of your vest in a tank pouch.  If you use a remote line, you can carry your tank (‘remotely’) on your back, greatly freeing up your marker.  If you prefer to keep your tank attached to your gun, use the air tank pouch to hold a back up air tank as a reserve. 

The great thing about tactical vests for paintball is there is a pouch for anything you could possible carry in a paintball game.  There are pouches and pockets made for paintball grenades, paintball gun magazines, radios/communication devices and even paintball pistol holsters.  Many tactical vests also offer a ‘camel back’ feature; this is a bladder that lines the back of the vest to carry drinking water – it’s even equipped with a straw to sip from that exits out a tube on the shoulder of the vest. 

Color Pattern
If you play woodsball, scenario style paintball, camo is going to be your best bet.  Most vests offer a wide variety of different camouflage patterns and a good variety of patterns are available.  Whenever possible, try to match the camo pattern of your vest and gear with the most common environment you play on.  For example, if you play most of your paintball in the woods during the fall, perhaps you should choose your vest camo colors to be Real Tree or Mossy Oak.  Before committing to a particular color/camo pattern, check on the availability of matching pouches and fatigues of that same pattern.  If you choose a pattern that’s not very common, Italian Desert Camo for example, make sure all the pouches you want are also available in that color before you buy. 

Tactical vests also come in solid colors as well, including black, tan, olive drab, bright orange and dark blue.  Often, black is the color choice for law enforcement, SWAT or Special Ops groups.  Dark Blue is also used by Navy and special law enforcement units.  Choose bright orange for a hunting vest or for a referee.  Many tactical vests also come with Velcro patches in certain places to customize with patches; your name, unit, patrol, military branch, etc. are all available types that are easy to apply and cheap to purchase.   

General Design Configuration
Most paintball vests offer numerous sewn in pockets.  From there, it is a broad range of choices as to the types of fasteners (buttons, zippers, Velcro, flaps, etc.), pocket styles (cargo, covered, uncovered, zippered, etc.) and the general layout of all these choices.  This is a matter of personal preference, but an important one.  If you want to be truly flexible in your choices, a MOLLE system may be your best bet.  MOLLE systems start with a bare bones vest.  Then you add pouches, pockets and other options where and how you want them.  Sometimes, this is a bit more expensive, but a very good option if your play needs vary.  You can also start small and buy things as you find them needed, and it may keep you from having to buy two vests.

You can get the best deal on a paintball vest by purchasing one that’s already put together, like the Strikeforce vest for example.  Most of the vest packages come with pouches that are very useful for paintball, making your decision of what to put on your vest much easier - it’s already done for you!  All you have to choose is the color pattern.  You may also find a better deal by purchasing a vest package, then adding a couple pockets to customize it the way you want it. 

Conclusion
Choose a tactical vest based on your specific equipment needs during a game.  This will depend on several factors including the position you play, how much you like to shoot and how long your game is.  Don’t forget to factor in the weight and comfort of the vest while playing a long match.  Like many other pieces of equipment, it is often best to try out some things your friends have before making this purchase.  Whenever you’re ready to take the plunge, though, be sure to check out ChoicePaintballGuns.com for a huge selection of vests and MOLLE systems.