Eyewear

Eye protection is a crucial part of all MilSim gaming, if you dont have this, you wont be able to play. Prior notice can ensure that spare equipment is available for use. Many different types of eye protection are used. These include fullface paintball masks, ballistic goggles and ballistic sunglasses.

Fullface protection is recommended during close quarter battle games.

Full Face Paintball Masks
These offer full face and side of head protection, often with large fields of view. But sometimes can be quite bulky and uncomfortable during play. They can be hot and susceptible to fogging. There are various manufacturers of goggles with different sizes and shapes that suit people differently.

Ballistic Goggles
These smaller lighter goggles offer only eye protection as they leave the face unguarded, sometimes players do what is seen here and attach the bottom of paintball masks to ballistic goggles, this simple mod is quite comfortable for wear and offers more face protection. There are also simple mesh 1/2 masks available that can offer some protection without the weight, but with more airflow than the full face masks.
The Revision Desert Locust goggles (http://www.revisioneyewear.com/locust.html) were selected by the NZDF in 2009 as they offered the greatest durability and functionality as a ballistic goggle. They were chosen to protect the wearer against blast fragmentation and other non-ballistic threats whilst also protecting the eyes from wind, sand, dirt and snow. They also have a version with a built in fan.

Ballistic Sunglasses
These are the ultimate small and lightweight alternative. Only for the brave though. Unless you have a great dental plan and already have a messed up face, these are not recommended for CQB. Sometimes they are used during greenrole field games in open bush areas where engagement distances are increased or during shooting competitions.
The ESS ICE ballistic glasses (http://www.esseyepro.com/ICE_18_category.html) are used by the NZDF on current operations. They provided the greatest overall comfort and interoperability with the ACH helmet and PRR. They come with three coloured lenses to allow use in low-light and sunny conditions. These will protect eyes against blast fragmentation and other non-ballistic threats.

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