Airsoft balaclava

A balaclava is a headgear mainly associated with criminals or quite the opposite - with special forces of the military or police. It is also commonly used in airsoft games.

Usage

A balaclava is a headgear made of an elastic fabric or knit that covers the entire face and has an opening for the eyes. One of the advantages of the balaclava is its multitude of uses. It works perfectly well among people who want to hide their identity, such as soldiers of special units. Due to its thermal properties, it is also used by people exposed to facial cold or even frostbite, such as mountain climbers or motorcyclists.

Airsoft players use balaclavas not only during CQB games but also in forest skirmishes. Using a balaclava in a color matching the local flora makes camouflage easier and helps avoid insect bites. For a few years now, balaclavas are undergoing a kind of renaissance due to computer games. The most popular are those with prints, with the pattern in which the lower part is stylized as a skull. When folded, the balaclava fits into a clenched fist, so it is worth having at least one at the bottom of your backpack in case of emergency.

Types of balaclavas

Balaclavas can be divided according to their use and the number of openings. Most common are thin balaclavas with an opening only for the eyes. These allow free breathing and speaking. Less common are two-hole balaclavas, with an additional opening for the mouth, and three-hole balaclavas, which have a separate hole for each eye. The biggest disadvantage of these types of balaclavas is that they do not work well with goggles or tactical glasses. Half-balaclava, also called buff-type scarf, is the best choice for people who want to have the comfort of quickly taking off the balaclava, for example, to have a drink when marching.

When choosing a balaclava, it is worth being guided by the actual planned application. For winter games or mountaineering, knitted balaclavas will work well. For forest games, it is recommended to use thinner balaclavas. It is a good idea to buy a balaclava made of materials that facilitate ventilation, such as CoolMax, which will prevent your skin from overheating and will help sweat evaporate. Using a balaclava on a hot day can cause not only discomfort but also dangerous overheating. It is also one of the factors that accelerate the fogging of goggles and glasses.