My very first airsoft game was with 6 strangers in a 40-acre private, wooded lot in the middle of nowhere.
I showed up an hour late, and they had already prepped and were heading into the woods. I introduced myself, handed the organizer my waiver and unpacked my gear.
It was hot... Like 90 degrees.
I thought I would make some friends by bringing a few gallons of ice old water with me to share with anyone who didn't bring enough. That was a bad idea.
I ended up carting 2 gallons of water, in addition to a TON of gear about 2 miles into the woods, and nobody even needed my water! I learned a valuable lesson about what I needed to bring for a day of airsoft and what to leave at home.
Basic Gear
At very minimum you're going to need a rifle.
Rifles are generally either gas powered or electric. The vast majority of rifles are electric, because the price point is lower, you don't have to worry about filling up on gas, there's less components to worry about and they are more reliable in cold weather. A lot of experienced players prefer gas because of the more realistic experience of the blowback, and I think they carry more of a punch.
My current gun is an electric Elite Force/VFC Avalon Gen2. It's a bit expensive if you're just getting into things at $385, but it's a gun I've used a lot and I can recommend. If you're just looking to spend like $100 on a Walmart special, you're better off just renting a field gun a few times. Your experience will be better, and you can save up for a decent gun.
Slings
Along with that rifle you're going to want a sling to carry it around. There are three types of slings: single point, two point or three point. I don't know of many people who use a three point sling, so go with a single point or two point. I personally use the Blue Force Gear 2 Point Padded Vickers Combat Applications Sling.
I prefer a two point sling over a single point, because single point slings tend to bounce the rifle against your body when you run.
QD Swivel
If this is your first gun, you may not realize that slings need some additional hardware to attach to the gun.
Most guns have Quick Detach points that look like this.
For a two point sling, you're going to need to buy 2 Quick Detach Swivels to connect the sling to the attachment points.
BBs
Yep, believe it or not you're gonna need some BBs.
I've been really happy with the Elite Force brand of bbs.
There are three popular weights: 20g, 25g, 28g and 32g. I'd recommend 25g and 28g for most guns. The 20g are often not heavy enough to fly straight at distance or penetrate bushes. Remember, you want your targets to know they are hit. The 32g's need some serious umph to get going and most budget level rifles will struggle to fling them far.
Magazines
The last piece of gear that you'll need at a minimum are magazines.
There are two types: Hi-Caps and Mid-Caps.
Hi-Caps can hold like 300 bbs. That sounds great, right? Well, those bbs bounce around every time you move, so you sound like a giant baby rattle on the field. Better to go with 120 round mid-caps which are silent.
I personal prefer VFC QRS MID-CAP M4 MAGAZINE, 120 ROUNDS
If you haven't purchased any load bearing equipment, like a chest rig or battle belt, then just keep an additional mag or two in your pocket. With one in the gun and 2 in your pockets you'll have 360 bbs, which is more than enough for a round or two on the field. Most rounds last 20-40 minutes, then you can top off your mags. And they are mags, not clips. Don't call them clips.
I'll get into extended gear loadouts in Part 2. For now let's just continue with what to expect from your first day on the field. Some additional gear I'll get into in Part 2: helmet, comms, chest rig, battle belt, combat uniform, gloves, footwear, pistol, ifak and other accessories.
Oh, real quick...
Safety Gear
There's two other pieces of required gear:
Face Protection
If you get shot in the nuts it'll sting for a minute, but you'll be back in play in no time. If you get shot in the eye or mouth, you're going to be in a world of pain. Not to mention no girls want to date a toothless cyclops. Face protection is a must, and all fields require eye protection at a minimum.
A basic set of airsoft rated safety glasses like these Lancer Tactical glasses will do the trick. At under $13, they're not going to break the bank, but they're also not going to be the most comfortable or fog resistant goggles out there.
To keep those pearly whites in tact, a simple mesh mask is fine. Something like this 2G steel mask works great. You'll likely want to upgrade both eyewear and mask for comfort down the road.
Dead Rag
Lastly, grab a cheap dead rag. Some fields will give them to you for free, but bring one just to be safe, and don't wear anything red.
Paperwork and Money
Every airsoft field will require you to sign a waiver. Waivers are just there to protect the field owner from liability in case of an injury. That means you're responsible for your safety, so don't take your face protection off on the field and don't be jumping out of buildings.
Bring some cash with you, generally $20 - $40 to pay for the field. More if it's a special event, or if you want to buy snacks or rent gear at the field.
Food and Water
Running around full Pew Pew all day is physically demanding.
You'll want to eat a solid breakfast and pack a lunch. The easiest thing to pack is generally a sandwich. Snacks like granola or jerky is a great idea as well.
The field may have water, but bring some of your own anyways. Freeze a gallon of water the night before and keep it in a cooler the night before if game day is going to be a warm one. Gatorade is a nice upgrade.
Is that it?
Pretty much, if you're just looking to get out there your first time.
Now you might look like a newb in blue jeans and a tshirt. If you don't have any cammo, at least try to wear earth colors like greens and browns. Stay away from bright colors and don't wear anything red.
Boots are preferred if outside and sneakers if indoors.
tips
Check the weather the day before if your field is outdoors. If it's calling for rain make sure you bring rain gear. If it's hot, bring extra water.
Visit the field page and read the rules. Print out your waiver, most available on the field's website, the night before so you don't forget.
Try to connect with some local airsoft teams. Let them know you are a new player, but are looking to meet some local players.
Thanks for taking the time to read till the end. Part 2 coming soonish.