Food and Water





You will need to bring your own food and water to Spartan as there are no facilities on site for those who don’t. Your need for calories will increase because of the amount of exercise that you’ll be doing, so you will need to bear this mind. For example, walking uphill will use up over twice as many calories as walking over level ground. Whilst it is tempting to get this energy from foods which provide a quick rush of carbohydrates from sugars (e.g. chocolate), this will actually deplete your energy in the long run. It is best to get your carbohydrates (and thus energy) from starchy foods that release the energy steadily. In addition, high fat foods, will interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates, so are best avoided during the day. Foods high in fat and protein are best reserved for the end of the day on overnighters so that you are able to properly digest them for the following day’s activity. (check out out reviews page!)

Water containers





Dehydration is a serious health risk whilst playing airsoft throughout the year, and therefore you should ensure that you are carrying enough for the day. The most obvious way to carry water is in army surplus water bottles that come with their own webbing pouches. These typically carry a litre of water and are very sturdy. The downside is that a half empty water bottle makes a lot of noise as you move. A solution to this is to use a collapsible water bottle, such as those made by Platypus, which are a lot tougher than they look as their flexibility reduces the force of impacts. Hydration systems, like the Camelbak, are designed to carry large amounts of water that is readily available to the carrier (through a drinking tube) and tactical vest designers have worked this into their products (by having pockets on the back for these systems and places to attach the tubes on the front). If you’re using a tactical vest, a hydration system is well worth considering.

Mess tins, cups, and eating utensils





If you’re planning on having hot food and drinks then you will need to ensure that you have the necessary kit to eat with. Army surplus mess tins, cups and eating utensils are readily available and cheap. They are designed to fit into webbing and are hard wearing. More specialist lightweight camping gear is expensive and offers few advantages.





Stove

Stoves can be both bulky and heavy so it may be worth thinking about whether you want hot food or not. On overnight games hot food is definitely a good idea but for winter game days is not absolutely necessary. Hexamine stoves are cheap and work effectively, but they take a long time to boil water (which is required for most of the camp foods/army ration packs that people buy). Whilst not a problem when the day is over and you have the time to spare, on a short break you may find that the game has re-started before you’ve eaten your lunch/dinner or drunk your coffee. Gas stoves are slightly more expensive but are more efficient cookers. If you plan on eating hot food on game days then it is worth investing in one.