Airsoft clothing for cold, wet weather: layering for rain and cold
most people don't quit airsoft because they stopped enjoying the game. they quit because they once stood four hours in pouring rain with wet feet and a soaked hoodie, and never felt like going again.
winter airsoft clothing in a cold, wet temperate climate is a different problem than in a place with real hard cold. we rarely get properly cold. we get 4 degrees, wind, and rain that keeps nagging all day. that's more treacherous than minus ten with dry air.
the rule that solves everything: no cotton
cotton soaks up moisture and holds it. wet cotton against your skin pulls heat away, and that's exactly what you don't want when you're lying still for twenty minutes in a ditch waiting for the attack.
so: no cotton t-shirt as a base layer. no jeans. no cotton hoodie under your BDU. this is the one piece of advice in this article that has no exceptions.
what you do want: merino wool or synthetic (polyester/polypropylene). merino is more expensive but lasts longer without stinking. synthetic is cheaper and dries faster. i run merino in winter and synthetic in autumn myself, purely because merino at 12 degrees is too warm.
the layering system, practically
layer 1, base layer. tight against the skin. the job is to move moisture, not to insulate. long sleeve, and long johns if it's below 8 degrees.
layer 2, insulation. fleece or a thin quilted jacket. this layer comes off while you're playing and goes on during the break. that's the most important point in this whole article: you cool down in the safe zone, not on the field.
layer 3, wind and rain. a softshell stops wind and light drizzle. a hardshell (a proper rain jacket with a membrane) keeps water out but breathes worse and rustles. for a cold winter day in the woods i grab the softshell, unless it really rains all day.
your plate carrier or chest rig only goes on top of that. not the other way around. if you have to pull your rain jacket over your rig when it starts raining, you're in for five minutes of wrestling.
why you're always too warm and then too cold
airsoft is an interval sport. you lie still for ten minutes, then sprint for thirty seconds, then lie still again. if you're dressed for lying still, you sweat yourself to death during the sprint. and that sweat cools you down afterwards.
practical fix: dress a little too cold for the start of the game. if you're comfortably warm at the start signal, you've got too much on. take a fleece in your dump pouch or leave it in the safe zone for between games.
rain: where it actually goes wrong
water doesn't come through your jacket. water gets in through your neck, your sleeves and your trouser legs.
- a shemagh or buff around your neck helps more than an expensive jacket.
- gloves get wet, full stop. bring a second pair in a ziplock.
- trouser legs over your boots, not tucked in. sounds silly, but that way water runs down along your boot and not into it.
a spare pair of socks and a dry shirt in the car isn't a luxury. that's the difference between "nice day" and "i'm going home".
gloves and fingers
cold fingers are the first thing to ruin your game day. you can't get your mag into the magwell anymore, your trigger feels like a block of wood.
thin Mechanix-style gloves are fine down to about 8 degrees. below that you want something with a bit of insulation, or just a second pair over your first. waterproof gloves exist in theory, in practice they get wet inside from your own sweat.
tip nobody tells you: keep a hand warmer in your belt pouch. two euros, and after an hour lying still in the cold you'll be glad of it.
head and face
you don't lose "70% of your heat through your head", that's a myth from an old army study. but your head is the easiest part to regulate: beanie on when you're cold, beanie off when you warm up. faster than taking off a layer.
watch out for fog on your goggles. cold face plus warm breath equals fogged lenses. a mesh lower face mask helps, otherwise anti-fog spray. fogged goggles are a safety thing too: people lift their goggles to wipe them, and that's exactly the moment a BB comes past. never do it on the field.
camo matters less than you think
everyone starts by asking which camo pattern. in a bare winter forest, with leafless trees and brown ground, multicam, flecktarn and plain olive green all work fine. what does get you seen is movement and shine. a cheap BDU that doesn't shine beats an expensive jacket with plastic buckles that catch the light.
black works badly in the woods. in a CQB building it's actually fine.
what i recommend when you're just starting
don't buy everything at once. start with:
- a decent synthetic base layer, top and bottom
- wool or synthetic socks, no cotton
- a cheap BDU set (second-hand is fine)
- a fleece for in between
- a softshell or just a rain jacket you already own
that doesn't add up to hundreds of euros. the expensive jacket comes later, once you know you're sticking with it.
common mistakes
- cotton hoodie under the BDU. gets wet, stays wet.
- too many layers on at the start.
- no dry clothes in the car.
- rain jacket under the plate carrier.
- breaking in new boots on a game day. blisters in the mud are no joke.
i've written a separate piece on footwear, because that's where it goes wrong just as often.
Also on Airsoft-FOB
- also available in dutch: Airsoft kleding voor Nederlands weer: laagjes voor regen en kou