New, but too old ?

[Gronk]

Hi Folks....

 * I posted this on the Airsoft Society site and wanted to say hello as someone new to airsoft that lives downriver. You might just yet see this old greybeard on a field before long.

My name is Mike and I'm new to airsoft. I bought an airsoft gun a little over a year ago, in part to teach my younger daughter firearm use and safety. In a few months I went from a $50 Gander Mtn. spring M4 to three AEGs and several co2 pistols. My daughter got bored with it after a few backyard 'range days', but I got to handle decent replicas of guns I could only dream of owning in 'real steel'. I was hooked....<G>.

I never thought I'd be interested in trying to actually play airsoft, but that siren song is starting to call to me. I've watched a lot of the mil sim and tac gear vids on Youtube over the past 14 months. I've acquired a little bit of gear, but still need more if I'm going to play. I'm trying to learn as much as I can but I'm currently a solid 'chair softer' or so I've learned from some videos.

The biggest issue for me is my age. I'm 50+ and from most of what I've seen online, I'd be way outside the normal age curve, especially for a new player. I have a job that is mostly warehouse and light mechanical work but I can't say I get a lot of cardio.

I'm in SE Michigan and just found the MiA site as well, so I may at least get a chance to try it all out at some point. Sorry for the wordy intro, just wasn't sure how to approach my probably unusual circumstances.

Thanks for lending an ear.

[Zzan]

Welcome!

There are plenty of older players in our group.  I myself am 44 and while we may not be the majority we are not a minority of the player base.
The community is very open and welcoming and will make you feel right at home.
Just check out the events section and see if any games coming up are in your neck of the woods.

Hope to see you on the field.

[Gimpalong]

Anyone, no matter the age or physical condition, is welcome to come out and play airsoft. We tolerate everyone, even the intolerable.

While it is true that the majority of Michigan airsoft players are from the younger set, there are plenty of older players who come out to roll with the young folks. It's not at all uncommon for there to be at least some players in their 40s and 50s, and I'm not just talking about parents accompanying their children. If anything, older players are appreciated because they actually tend to think about what they're doing and not just sprint off at full speed to get shot out.

As far as physical conditioning, there's no need to worry. Again, yes, there are people who are very physically fit. That said, plenty of airsofters are just regular folks out to have a fun time running around in the woods and aren't necessarily fitness fanatics. While there is a physical component to airsoft, the most important thing a person brings to a game is their brain.

[Breathe]

Welcome! You're never too old to have fun. While it is true a lot of airsoters are relatively young its not an uncommon sight to see older guys around.

My only advice is keep your rig simple and affordable. I started playing when I was 12 and at age 16 I began buying all sorts of gear thinking it was going to work good. I probably spent close to 500$ on tactical gear alone and I hardly use it. I made the mistake of being sucked into the "tacticool" crowd for a short time and I regret it.

[Stinger]

My only advice is keep your rig simple and affordable. I started playing when I was 12 and at age 16 I began buying all sorts of gear thinking it was going to work good. I probably spent close to 500$ on tactical gear alone and I hardly use it. I made the mistake of being sucked into the "tacticool" crowd for a short time and I regret it.

Or if you know you're going to put time into the game in the long run, do a lot of research and THEN drop a lot of money on the gear that you know (from your research) will work.
I've put way more than $500 into my gear and I've only improved because of it.

[Marauder]

Hey there, young man!

You're by no means too old to come out and shoot with people. Not even for one moment should that thought be in your mind. So long as you have the will to have fun, you will.

And remember, An old snake is no less deadly.

[Sev]

Saying you're too old to play airsoft would be like saying you are too old to mow the lawn!!!

[Stinger]

Saying you're too old to play airsoft would be like saying you are too old to mow the lawn!!!

That doesn't make any sense. My grandfather literally can't mow his own lawn.

[Marauder]

Saying you're too old to play airsoft would be like saying you are too old to mow the lawn!!!

That doesn't make any sense. My grandfather literally can't mow his own lawn.

I don't think that your grandpa was the subject of his statement though. :x

[Spidey]

And besides, have you seen some of the people mowing their lawns these days. Man, hope I have that dedication when I get to be that age!

[zorak]

A few thoughts from another guy in his 40s...

• Start with rec games and work your way up. In a rec game, you can play for 20 minutes and then sit out a round if you need to stop, hydrate, and take a load off your knees. If you like it, condition your way up to scenario or milsim play.
• Focus on getting good health and safety gear first. You can have fun and enjoy being at a game even if you're not competitive, because airsofters are generally fun people to hang around with. It's a lot harder to enjoy yourself if your mask is always fogged, or if you're not staying hydrated and become incapacitated in the middle of the day.
  
• Don't buy gear for the sake of having gear. Carrying all that crap around starts to add up after a few hours. Going out there dressed like you're going to spend 72 hours behind enemy lines in North Korea just hurts you if the games only last 15 minutes each.

[li]Do think about the gear your need and take the time to buy the right stuff. A great price on gear you don't use ends up being a very bad value.
[/li][/list]

[luke213]

Agreed I'm older in airsoft terms or at least the average age of most players in my mid 30's. Actually right now I'm the oldest guy in the group I've played with lately but it's not a big deal. I'm not as fast or in as good of shape as some of the younger guys but I keep up pretty well. I do need to hydrate allot more than I used to and I tend to take some painkillers before playing.

If your in decent shape and don't overdo it you'll do just fine. I'd rather have older players myself, more reliable in most cases and tend to have more patience.

Sent from my XT912 using Tapatalk

[Gronk]

 Well I played my first day of rec airsoft last Saturday. I had fun, learned a lot and found out  just how tough it is to pull an old body out of 'storage' and run around on an 86 degree day...heh.

  My biggest issues were fogging goggles and not stretching-conditioning enough. I now understand how tough and frustrating it is to try to play with fogged goggles 80% of the time. I invested in a pair of Revision Desert Locust, used the special wipe they provide and still had problems. I did get some good suggestions to try in the future, which will hopefully be Sunday at the Field Day in Taylor. It is really hard to do anything with the fogging problems.

  I tried to pretend I was 20 again, took several tumbles while running to spots and got myself pretty winded. Took a few days after to get my legs to loosen up and I've been conditioning a little this week. If nothing else, my desire to be able to play has motivated me to 'get off the couch' and help my general conditioning. This makes my Wife happy......

   I used the bug spray a ton and it helped. I was still waving the mini clouds away from my face, but the 'juice' kept the bites to just a couple.

  I also learned that too much gear and goodies are more of a hindrance than help early as a beginner. I dropped my plate carrier, extra mag pouches and hydration pack halfway through the second game. Too much for so hot a day in a rec game situation. I'm going to try an inexpensive chest rig with a few mag pouches, a dump pouch and maybe a water bottle this week. Light and efficient are what I'm aiming for currently.

  Thanks again to all the advice from Vic, Monk and kcjones from the boards who I played with. There were some other good players there who's names I didn't get. All in all had a good time and looking forward to more.

                                    Mike - gronk

   

[luke213]

Well I played my first day of rec airsoft last Saturday. I had fun, learned a lot and found out  just how tough it is to pull an old body out of 'storage' and run around on an 86 degree day...heh.

  My biggest issues were fogging goggles and not stretching-conditioning enough. I now understand how tough and frustrating it is to try to play with fogged goggles 80% of the time. I invested in a pair of Revision Desert Locust, used the special wipe they provide and still had problems. I did get some good suggestions to try in the future, which will hopefully be Sunday at the Field Day in Taylor. It is really hard to do anything with the fogging problems.

  I tried to pretend I was 20 again, took several tumbles while running to spots and got myself pretty winded. Took a few days after to get my legs to loosen up and I've been conditioning a little this week. If nothing else, my desire to be able to play has motivated me to 'get off the couch' and help my general conditioning. This makes my Wife happy......

I will say this was one of the reasons I first got involved in airsoft, it's good exercise;) But it seems to be a little tougher each year, but a large part of that for me is I'm just not in the shape I was 10 years ago. I've found cardio is the biggest thing, even if it's walking etc. On the goggles it's a tough thing, I fog almost any goggles. Thermal lens is better than not, I haven't tried the revision goggles but I've heard they are pretty good. That said when it's hot it's tough, might be worth looking into something with a fan since that has helped allot of guys who always fog.

   I used the bug spray a ton and it helped. I was still waving the mini clouds away from my face, but the 'juice' kept the bites to just a couple.

A Thermacell might be worth looking at in conjunction with bug spray, I've found it helps allot. You can also refill them yourself which makes it much cheaper over time.

  I also learned that too much gear and goodies are more of a hindrance than help early as a beginner. I dropped my plate carrier, extra mag pouches and hydration pack halfway through the second game. Too much for so hot a day in a rec game situation. I'm going to try an inexpensive chest rig with a few mag pouches, a dump pouch and maybe a water bottle this week. Light and efficient are what I'm aiming for currently.

When it's hot I pair down my loadout allot, last game I ran just a belt with a double mag pouch, dump pouch and holster. Since I couldn't stand running a full vest and for the types of games we were playing I really didn't need it. So I'd start there then consider some type of lightweight chest rig.

Luke