Game in the Brain

I’ve been weighing my self and my gear separately in order to calculate maximum effective encumbrance. I know some people may be turned off by this but consider the possible injuries you may prevent, the additional calorie burn with the added mass, maximizing mobility and balance, and of course the power that comes of knowing you equipment intimately.

So that you can get a basic reference: conveniently I’m 5’9.5 at 160lbs (almost exactly medium build).

Lets begin with my favored Gear configuration

• BDU (Cotton Ripstopping Heavy Fabric) Php1400; 4lbs
• ALICE (empty; Y-Suspenders, Pistol Belt, 4 magazine pouches, 1 water pouch) Php640; 4lbs
• Shoes (Hiking Hi-top) Php500; 3lbs
• Gun (JG-0512T Ak Tactical, minimalist config) Php4,350; 6lbs
• 4 AK 600cap Magazines Php 850; 4lbs
• Protective Gear (Wire-mesh mask, knee and elbow pads) Php650 2lbs
  
• Clothes (Shirt, Undies, Soccer Socks, Balaklava Suspenders) 1lbs

total weight 24lbs!
Consider this:

Try to hold 20lbs with just one hand or both of them; then try to run with that?
Then grab a backpack and carry that same weight and run around?

You will notice there is a big difference in your balance and your ability to move. In a combat situation, the ideal movement is fast and smooth. What we mean by smooth is that the movement doesn’t have complicating factors that affect the predictability of its result. Snagging, the half second needed to correct balance, and the strength needed to quickly change direction are all affected by how you arrange your gear. If you look carefully at how you spend your time in a game, The fastest thing to add up is what is lost in the In-efficiency of movement.

Since inefficiency from gear problems is equal to Frequency x Inconvenience, In Game days that run for 4 hours, this adds up Very Quickly. That pouch that takes you 5 seconds to get ready is 5 seconds lost when you find yourself in a situation that I call Need&Have (Better to Have and not Need ; Than to Need and not Have). Consider this also, you will be playing this hobby, trying to get as much Satisfaction as possible and Time is a factor that affects your total satisfaction in the end of the day, month or year.

Of all the times I was being told to take care of my gear in ROTC and in CAT, it was only NOW I understand why. The problem between then and now is that I had something I could DO with my gear instead of just marching around. Working on something that will never happen is a “Brilliant” way to screw up the Work. In airsoft, your working to get better at the game and hone a skill you associate with pride to your own self-image (in other words, your Motivated).

Knowing your gear quite intimately, is part of mastering any skill. As you observe it and reflect on your playing style and self image one realizes the Uncertainties that spring up with concern of the gears performance.

Will that hold? Will it Tear? Will it Snag? Will I break it by accident? Should I arrange my gear so that I can go prone? (a matter if you chose to put stuff in your front torso) Should I get the more durable and expensive one because I tend to play rough? Will this make me lose valuable seconds?

Mastery of the Gear is much easier to instill when there is a goal (unlike ROTC and CAT). Honestly, would anyone ever care if they didn’t have a reason to care? Yeah try selling “nationalist” pride and “grades” to someone who has to wake up at 4-5am to do march and drill up to 3pm on a Saturday!

Gear Load out and Balance. I’ve mentioned the importance of arranging gear to optimally distribute weight. Another aspect of this is injury prevention. Particularly concerning cramps. The athletic demands of a combat game where anything can go, means we might be jumping over low obstacles, pulling ourselves out of our previous positions, and basically using a BUNCh of muscles that we don’t use and didn’t build up any strength for. In our desktop activities keep alot of muscles inert and inert muscles are attrophying muscles (to a very minute degree). You will find many of the strength feats, even just standing up too quickly calling on muscles that never needed to stand up as quickly for months.

Poorly placed gear, like gear that stresses the back in the other hand, even if the gear is well placed but the muscles that make up that part of the body is not well toned or conditioned will certainly lead to injury.

Begin with the basic set of movements you find in the game. Prone to Standing while holding a gun is a typical army excersize that will enlighten you WHY they do it. Then try Standing to Prone very quickly (Ouch!) thats what knee and elbow pads are for by the way. I know some people see it as too much trouble but whe I started using them I realized I can just literally Fall prone (which is very fast) because of the protection it grants. Remember the Idea is to excerise muscles you may not find in regular use during the week, find out what they are, build up their strength, and know not just your gear but your bodys range of movement.

Calories Burn: Work is equal to (Mass x Movement) over time. The more work, the more calories we burn. Pacing yourself is important, as well as the fitness aspect of Airsoft. Carrying at least 24lbs of gear into a 15 min game with all muscles tense and at the ready will burn more calories than one would think. The tense muscle readiness already simulates toning excersizes and the weights add to “resitance”. Elbow and Knee Pads also add resistance to joints as well as the BDU clining securely in many contact points around the body. Don’t forget maintaining an eleveated heart rate for the duration of the 15min game is already 1 full days work out already.

Since you burn so much energy so quickly in airsoft, an experience of many newbies on their first time on the field, pacing and endurance are two factors that affect your overall satisfaction in the game. You would want to learn both. You want to maximize enjoyment, thus you want to play longer to enjoy the game more. Focusing in endurance means you have to red-line every time, not good and not healthy since you might have other health problems even you wouldnt know about until you push too hard too often. Gradation towards red lining is advised so that you can sense problems early enough to give warning and take preventive measures. Who wants to take an injury and be out of commision for weeks or months. There goes all that money!

Although you may never get your girlfriend or wife to get into Airsoft for the excerise at least your trimming up for her.

And finally. If your cheap resist that urge to buy that new gun or accessory, before you thoroughly evaluate what you need. Take the time to fix your own gear. Customize it, or Reinforce it from breaking, conduct some repairs and preventive maintenance. Write it all down so that if you realize something “brilliant” make sure you don’t forget it. After a while all that adds up to make you a better player.

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