Mesh Masks
 

So I just got a mesh mask and I absolutely hate it. It hurts my nose (my nose is tiny) and just doesn't feel comfortable. I always play CQB and the max fps is 350, I was wondering if it'd be dangerous for me to play without a mask or with a bandana maybe...
Because the mesh mask really annoys me and I am having a hard time aiming and using my red dot.

Played at Ultimate Airsoft 2 weeks ago, and Got nailed 3-4 times in the face first few games, I literally bought a mask on the spot since I dont normally play CQB.
Believe me a mask is worth dental repairs, and dont say I keep my mouth close because it will happen eventually.
Not to mention when you come home with your face covered in welts it is no fun or good looking.

Do wear a mask. If not, try a shemagh and look like a bandit.

Your third option is to buy a cheap mesh goggle with lower plastic mask, and just use the lower plastic mask only.

Buy soft foam, and glue it on? Maybe that wil help cushion it out?

when playing indoor CQB, I wear a full face paintball mask..

1) bend the mask to aid fit.
2) no need to do the straps up white knuckle tight.

I bought a mesh face mask off a team mate yesterday....put it on and while yes it is a bit uncomfortable the 10 round burst I took in the face from about 40 feet would have hurt more. Also another team mate took a round from a sniper rifle right in the end of the nose which caused it to bleed....he wasn't long putting his mesh mask on after that.

We had a guy chip a tooth yesterday at an outdoor game. That's convincing me to start wearing mine. I've been wearing a shemagh and I think it would do fine, but I'm not going to take any chances anymore.

Lots of guys cut them down in size and attach them to the bottom of their goggles via zip ties or other means. This way, they sort of float off your face and you cut them to a size that protects your teeth well but also let's you have most of your other facial and neck movements.

Just keep bending the mesh mask to get the fit you want. Can take awhile to get it perfect tho.

If you pinch the nose area itll relive the pressure off fhe bridge of the nose. You could also cut it along the outline of the bottom of your goggles and then ziptie it onto the goggles and remove the strap. I personnaly hate the damn thing bought it screwed with it for a cpl days and nos it sits in my closet try one of ghose neoprene face masks they sork well for protecting teeth the one without a mouth hole obviously

We suggest trying to bend the mesh grille as much as you can to fit your face properly. Scarves/wraps look cool but they can cause you to fog up! Paintball masks are still going to be your best full face protection but dont look as cool :D

I don't like the goggles and mesh attached.

1) If I'm in a situation where I want my eyes covered but not the mask I can unstrap. Drinking, eating or whatever.
2) If you duck and bump the mask on your chest or a object you'll increase the chance of moving the goggles.

buy this

http://www.torontoairsoft.com/ACM-Me...e-A_p_460.html

take the mask off it

ziptie to the bottom of your goggles, making sure most of the lower vent holes of your goggles are OUTSIDE the mask,

the mask is low profile, and flexible, no problem with cheek-weld, I have 2, one fixed to a pair of ESS goggles,

and another fixed to a pair of SCOTT PB goggles for use at PB fields.. have been using them since 2005 ..

On Saturday, I took a double tap direct to the face from 2 feet from a 420 FPS gun shooting .28.. my face would have been a mess without the mask. With it.. nothing.. carry on.

Ill see if I can post pics..

not keen on the mesh.. they start to rust in time.. and that is just nasty

Unfortunately, running something like that at, say, Finch's during the summer is a recipe for fog. Mostly solid (even with venting) plates of plastic or whatever just end up routing moisture directly up into your goggle area.

Mesh can be cleaned, painted to protect from rust, is maleable for shape and is very inexpensive. In addition to those nice properties, it's the best for breathing airflow (for staying cool), best for PTT acoustics and the best for shouting. The one acoustic drawback I'm aware of is whistling. I'm unable to whistle at people through mesh.

not my experience, when properly installed it excludes breath from the goggles,

I have run my setup, day, night, summer, winter, raining, snowing.. fog not a issue, this unit is vented directly in front of the mouth and nose, but still impervious to BBs

I have run the mesh as well, and yes, it works.. but is bulky and affects use of arms.

but to each their own.

Are you talking about the one that is only lower face or the one that is lower face + ear protection? I can't see how the plastic one would be lower profile than the mesh minus the ear protection. Everything bends to contour to your face while the plastic one does not have that property.

The one with ear protection on the other hand is very bulky and you would be correct :)

I suspect the plastic is more malleable (or plastic as they say) that steel mesh.

As for rust; sweat less?

Is it true that sometimes BBs go through the mesh mask? .20 or .25 BBs?
If so would it be a good idea to wear a Neoprene mask + mesh?

I am very PROTECTIVE of my teeth!

That must be one hot gun...or are you talkng about fragments?

! On mobile; sorry for any spelling mistakes or autocorrects!

Yeah, I tried shooting my mesh mask and it breaks the BBs into small pieces.

The mesh mask is there to protect your teeth while not fogging goggles. There are some side benefits to protect you face but your teeth are the weakest link.

Any BB that shattered on the mesh will have dissipated it's energy; it won't knock a tooth out.

it's a soft flexible plastic.. so you can get excellent cheek-weld

I found the mesh, OK but also not as comfortable

Does it maintain its shape after you flex it to your liking?

! On mobile; sorry for any spelling mistakes or autocorrects!

Honestly i bought a pair of revision goggles. And a lower mesh before i even played once. First i pried the material around the outside of the mesh off. (Took a looonnggggggg time, alot of patience. And hurt fingers) then line ur mesh up to ur goggles. Mark. And cut the mesh down so its flush with ur goggles. Then re glue the material back onto the mesh. My first game was at UA and GOD was it ever uncomfortable. Make sure u put ur goggles on first. Get a good seal then put ur mesh on. Make sure its not super tight. And bring the strap over the strap of ur goggles and up further on the back or ur head.

It was hurting the bridge of my nose as well. Bent it a little to relieve some pressure. But still annoying. By my third time playing airsoft. Im talking months later. Its now magically fine. It doesn't touch my nose. And i dont even realize im wearing my face gear anymore. Now i cant use my iron sights in game. But thats what red dots are for. I know that once i get a red dot. Ill be able to actually aim

Hope this helps

I just tie wrapped it to my goggles. It kinda just floats 5 mm over my mouth.

In the semi-arid conditions I play in the mesh has worked out best for reducing fogged out glasses. I molded my mask over my glasses in the basic shape of the plastic masks. That is, with the cheeks closer together and the nose/mouth piece further out. I am able to make a solid cheek weld and use my iron site. I am using the low profile one with no ear pieces or that funny camo jaw.

In CQB a mask is a must. A chipped tooth happens all too often. Find a way to make it fit. don't be shy, give it a good bend to mold to your face, maybe add some padding...get creative, no mask is not an option.

I'm looking for a mesh mask that you can get a cheek weld on an M4 with. Does anyone have any recommendations or experience with this model?
http://www.torontoairsoft.com/ACM-Me...ACK_p_831.html

This one is alittle harder to get good cheek weld as the mask also covers the ears. Get the one that doesn't cover the ears.

What would your recommend to protect the ears, then? I've heard some horror stories about burst ear drums from airsoft accidents.

ComTacs or Sordins headsets are your best bet for ear protection without the cheek to ear mesh. They are good for comms and if you have never used or read any info on them, you'll find them very nifty because they amplify ambient sound while cancelling out loud sharp noises (i.e. gunshots/explosions). The noise cancelling only works on the real ComTac/Sordin though, not the repros. The repro headsets are okay, however they do not last very long and in many situations are a good way to set $80 on fire.

However, IMO unless you want to drop $200-$600 for a MSA Sordin, I really think the cheek to ear face mesh is your best bet. They do get in the way of ADS off the shelf, however this is easily corrected as you can bend the shit out of it and get it to a comfortable form. I have several friends that switched to them and since "MacGyvering" them have no more difficulty with ADS than using a standard face mesh. I myself will be grabbing one.

With relation to your comment regarding burst ear drums, these are extremely rare occurrences. However, the easiest way to rid yourself of that issue is using a standard face mesh and simply use a double ear bud headset for your comms (simply eliminating the ability for a BB to get inside your ear canal). You can buy these from EBay for $10 or less in most cases and are actually decent to use for comms. You can also bum it and simply wear a toque pulled over your ears, but That's if you're really desperate. Lol or you can try a stylish Nike headband. I digress..

Another option is to get the mesh mask that covers the ears and get an optic (or optic and riser rail).
That way instead of resting your cheek on the stock and using the iron sights, you can just look through your optic (and use the riser rail if you need it to sit higher).

I'd prefer not to spend a ton of money on ear protection. I mostly just want it because I'm really paranoid about these kind of things. I was considering some kind of cloth protection like a shemagh, but I'm not sure if that provides enough actual protection, and also, that sounds fairly uncomfortable in the heat.

I hadn't thought of that; that sounds like it would work pretty well. I have a cheap red dot sight that should be good enough.

A balaclava covers your ears but obviously you sweat like a pig in anything mildly warm.

Can you elaborate on an how an eardrum was burst during a game? There is no argument that getting shot in the ear hurts. It's one of my least favorite places to get dinged. But burst eardrum?

I was lurking on these forums a while ago and saw a thread about airsoft injuries, and one person said something about someone taking a BB straight into the ear canal and having severe damage to the ear drum.

If you are concerned about optics and ability to use them efficiently, a T-1 micro and most EoTech sights are easily used even with most low pro paintball masks.

The very first time I played airsoft I was just wearing goggles. I got hit in the nose and the bb got imbedded in my skin. Next week I got a cage and a scarf. I put the scarf over my nose then the cage on top and it works perfect. But I'll never play without full face protection. It's not even worth the risk.

Jesus, are guns normally powerful enough to embed BBs in people's skin?

You can try these:

http://shop.ehobbyasia.com/ea-ear-protector-od.html

A friend of my uses them. He never had any issues.

As other people mentioned, headsets and such will protect the inner ear. Wear a boonie also helps alittle.

Worse comes to worse get shooting earplugs, like

http://www.surefire.com/ep3-sonic-defenders.html

They do allow sound to get in, but slightly quieter.



As for your last exclaimation, yes it can happen. Especially during close range confrontations like in CQB. That's why I prefer not to roll up my sleeves. in those situations.

Yes, but a BB could even get embedded with a lower powered gun. Just so happens that it happens more often with high fps guns

That is a horrifying thought; I will definitely use a mask then.

Ya guys. It's something you shouldn't take lightly. I've seen guys get bbs shot threw there ears and get stuck in there foreheads. It took all but 10 min for it to happen to me so make sure you have the right protection.

I usually position my googles strap to cover my ear and especially ear drums.

And I always wear lower mesh. Dantist is way more expensive.

through the ear, and into the forehead??? that's one hell of a shot!!!