Head and neck protection - Gatormaille, bounce caps etc

[Hellion360]

I am on blood thinners for at least the next year following getting some surprise heart stents.

It seems I would be wise to up my protective gear game as I will bruise and bleed more easily.

What has worked best for you? Any recommendations that you love?

Thinking that Gatormaille might be a good move, but haven't used it, not even sure it is still in business.

[Nish]

I've used neoprene neck protectors and gatormaille

I can't imagine playing without the gatormaille neck guard at this point. Worth every penny. Enough so that I'm probably going to invest in the head protection as well soon.

[Jonnydread]

Grendel I think uses something, and I know JeepDVLZ45 just picked up some 🐊 ✉️

[JeepDVLZ45]

Eric, I just got my neck guard delivered a couple days ado. Took about 5 weeks. I’ll let you know how it does on Sunday…I definitely don’t want to get neck shot with an FSR 😂. NONOBLITUS has one as well c but I think it just helps him keep his beard clean

[Hellion360]

Sorry to miss the magfed game. If you want to swing over and grab the emf ranger to try out, you are welcome to.
Did you just order through gatormaille's facebook or something? They don't have neck guards listed on their site right now.

[JeepDVLZ45]

Take care of yourself first!

I actually ordered right off their website, it’s strange they’re not listed right now.

I appreciate the offer, but I’m good, I’ll have to try it out when you get back on a field! The weather looks a little iffy, so I may just run the single shot with FSRs

[Glovebox Operator]

I need to keep wounds to a minimum for work and I've used a dye bounce shirt plenty of times to great effect. It's a bit hot but works quite well. I also picked up some old Planet Eclipse pants that are pretty thick have lots of padding. Between those, a jt neck guard and full finger mechanics gloves I haven't had anything bleed or even leave an impressive bruise in a while. Oh ya and exalt arm/ elbow guards.

[Grendel]

I am on "blood thinners" as well, and still play. I use an old "Sniper Vale" cut into a triangle, and wrap the long one from both sides, and tuck it under my headband that goes over the veil. These drapes have some loose fabric protecting my neck/throat and work 90% of the time. I have thought about Gaitormail, but I have not pulled the trigger. The veil also helps protect my cranium a little, but I still get occasional goose eggs. If it is not TOO HOT, I wear a padded shirt (HK Army) under my jersey, but still get welts occasionally when hit in the side. I also wear CRBN SC Pro Slide pants under my Duluth Firehose pants for added protection.

I have been on blood thinners steadily since 2009 and have played a lot of games without protection. Yes, you do bruise more, and they seem to take longer to heal, but really, they never worried me too much. I have always wrapped my head/neck with some form of sniper veil from essentially 1988, so that really has not changed, and the loose fabric has done a good job of basic protection. I wear the shirt mostly to make my wife happy; she worries about the bruises when I get back from playing. Finally, I wear the CRBN SC Slide pants for the knee padding, and they act as compression pants that help out the old body.

My "blood thinner" is Eliquis, and personally, I don't feel I bleed or bruise all that much easier than before I was on it. I was originally on Coumadin (warfarin), and that was a different case. I bruised way more easily, and they took forever to heal. I will never go back on Coumadin. I will just do without, but I really have not had any real negative side effects from Eliquis.

[Fossilhead]

One of my buddies had a brain tumor removed. Came back with a metal plate and a full Flex8 headshield.

And it worked great.

[Chuck E Ducky]

looks like BK has some of those padded compression equipment you might be looking for.

https://www.bunkerkings.com/collecti...-guard-v2-gear

Also an over sized handkerchief works great for the neck. I even got one for the kids that are slightly padded. BK sold them back in the days for reffing but I always like it for playing. Probably be easy to make with some neoprene and a Handkerchief.

[StaticShocked]

I use a exalt bounce cap during the summer and it helps. Not a solve all, but works pretty good. I would guess a 50% reduction in damage to my head. I am balding and have a.. large forehead. So i bruise above the goggles a lot and it helps (the questions during the following work week... i tell ya). I use a neck gater or handkerchief for the neck during the winter with some success.

[autococker04]

The gator people had a booth set up at the last big game with their version of a bounce cap. It looked pretty cool, literally and figuratively. Like a beanie with huge holes but still protective.

[Calvin]

You guys are making me feel young, something not easily accomplished. Thank you!

[Trbo323]

Valken made a bounce vest a while ago. Great protection but I don't overheat because there's no sleeves. I've tried a few others and was always getting too hot

Sent from my motorola edge 2024 using Tapatalk

[ATBen]

I've only used a Gatormaille neck protector and swear by it. I also have a little 1/4" open cell foam I cut to fit inside the surplus BDU patrol caps I wear.

I would think lacerations from shells would be a worry, aside from the bruising concerns mentioned above. So I'd try to keep exposed skin covered. The worse scratches I've received from paintball were from FSRs and branches.

[Hellion360]

Good advice, I normally play with long sleeves and gloves in general. Even so you get scratched up sometimes.

[ATBen]

Learned about FSR shrapnel when played one time in the summer with 100% humidity. I was in a t-shirt and took one to the forearm from about 40 feet away and it looked like a cat attacked a paintball welt the next day.

[Glovebox Operator]

A manager said was going to send us home in bubble wrap one Monday when most people came in with cuts. That might work.

[MrBarraclough]

Planet Eclipse makes a neck guard that is molded EVA foam with a fabric outer layer. It breathes better than the simple neoprene neck guards but offers similar protection.

I used to wear an Exalt neck guard that was similar (fabric-coated, perforated EVA foam) but the velcro wore out rather quickly.

If you want thicker protection with more coverage, DYE makes a neck guard that feels like something just shy of a neck brace. Really effective but it will smother you in the summer.

[Hellion360]

Update: I decided to go all in on the Gatormaille and get the headwrap too. Hopefully it is worth the expense, it seems like it will give good protection and not be hot.
I do not particularly like playing in a cap, though a bounce cap would have been 1/4th the price.