When it comes to paintball, nothing strikes fear into the heart of a player more than running out of ammo. Both serious players who regularly visit the local field and amateurs who like to run around in the woods with their friends stand to benefit from preventing this problem through proper use of paintball tubes.

A paintball tube is a cylindrical container used to hold extra paintballs for when the hopper runs dry. They come in a variety of sizes and colors. However, the most common is likely the 140 tube in good-old simple clear. Some tubes have a simple latch and hinge to hold on the lid at the top, while the fancier ones have a spring loaded cap for maximum refilling speed. Expect to pay about $5 to 15 for a tube, with the more expensive ones being the aforementioned spring loaded model.

As far as actually using the tubes, one more piece of paintball equipment is necessary before rushing into battle: a harness. A good harness will last forever and faithfully hold tubes for the duration of its use. A harness holds anywhere from two to eight paintball tubes. Pick one that meets the needs of the position: front men typically need speed and agility, so they should consider the two-tube harness. Back men need all the ammo they can get, so they typically have the eight-tube harness.

To use a tube, simply open the lid on the marker hopper and the lid on the tube and transfer the paintballs from the tube to the hopper. If in a crouching position, rest the marker on the knees, and the non-shooting hand can be used in a cupping motion to assist the pour and minimize spillage. In a standing position, one hand must hold the marker while the other fills the hopper alone. It will take some practice before the refilling motion becomes second nature and can be performed accurately and rapidly, even under heavy fire. Some players consider the skill so important as to spend some time practicing the movement in isolation; however, many learn it on the fly in real game situations.

Unless the paintball matches one is involved in are of surprisingly short duration, the procurement and proper use of paintball tubes is a valuable skill in any good player’s arsenal of both equipment and techniques. Spend a little time and effort looking around for some good tubes and a good harness, and a player will be well on the way to taking their game to the next level.