Gear guide
What to buy first, how to soak your gels so they actually feed, and the blasters people really run in Australia.
Buying and loadouts
Skip the expensive mistakes. Get your ammo right, start with a reliable electric rifle, buy spare mags early, and protect your eyes. Everything below is a snapshot from live Australian retailers.
The one-paragraph primer
A gel blaster fires 7 to 8 mm superabsorbent polymer balls (dry beads of about 2 to 3 mm that swell in water) instead of paint. They are low impact and leave no stain or mess, which is why family sessions run for ages as young as 6 at some venues.
Get this right or nothing feeds
The number-one new-player problem is ammo
Standard soft gels hydrate to 7 to 8 mm from a dry size of 2 to 3 mm. Soak soft gels 4 to 5 hours in room-temperature water and hard gels 2 to 3 hours. Do not exceed 8 to 10 hours or they over-soften and split in the feed.
Two families
Recommended first buy
For realism
What people actually run
Electric M4
Electric AK / SLR
Performance brand
Gas sidearm
Indicative entry pricing (AUD, from around)
The cheapest models start from as little as around $20 at some retailers. Prices move: check the live page before you buy.
Do not run dry
The M4 and V2 receiver ecosystem shares magazines widely. JG SLR nylon P-MAG magazines are sold as fitting JM Gen8, Gen9 and Gen10, plus BD556, SLR, TTM, HK416, Kublai and Magpul-style receivers. Buy spare mags early: running dry mid-game is the most common avoidable problem.
Where the hobby goes deep
Maintenance rhythm: charge your batteries before a session, and lubricate the gearbox every few months under regular use.
Turn up ready
Eye protection (non-negotiable)
Impact-rated safety glasses or full-seal goggles, mandatory at every distance. Look for ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 / Z87+ or EN 166 / EN ISO 16321. Sunglasses and mesh are not sufficient.
A reliable electric AEG rifle
In the roughly $120 to $180 range for reliability and upgrade headroom.
Spare magazines
Buy them early so you never run dry mid-game.
Charged batteries, a charger, and pre-soaked gels
Keep gels in a sealed container so they stay hydrated on the day.
Full-face protection where the venue requires it
Many indoor CQB and family venues mandate a full-face mask, not just glasses.
Enclosed shoes and long sleeves / pants
For comfort and to take the sting out of close-range hits.
Where to buy
From our directory
No gear picks are listed yet.
Community gear picks will appear here as they are added. The guide above applies in the meantime.
