Over my time in airsoft, it’s been no secret that I’ve struggled to find kit that fits and works for both my body shape and height - weighing in at 57kg and measuring just 5”3 I’m an airsofter of small stature, meaning often the smallest sizes aren’t small enough but along the way I’ve found brands/product that work for me so I’ve put together a kit list of my go-to protective gear suitable for women and younger players.
FACE PRO
Kicking off this kit feature is face pro! As women’s faces are smaller than mens, the regular mesh/fabric half face masks tend to be a little too long from the tip of the nose on the mask to the end of the chin but, one company has developed a half mesh/fabric face mask based on the feedback of their female customers to create the first specific women’s half face mask for airsoft: The One Tigris Women’s 4.5inch Mesh Mask!
Based on the feedback of their female customer’s, One Tigris have taken their 6” tactical foldable half face mask and cut 1.5 inches off the bottom mesh and shortened the chin fabric of the 2 sides, meaning it fits smaller faces much more comfortably. It fits securely on the head/face thanks to the adjustable straps and the padded sides make it comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. It’s lightweight and the mesh provides enough ventilation for there not to be any issues with fogging.
The 4.5 inch mesh mask by One Tigris retails for £16.98 on Amazon and comes in a range of colours including: black, black MutliCam, tan, ranger green and MultiCam.
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| PC: Stacey Deanne Photography |
GLOVES
Next up in my kit feature is gloves - this has always been a tough one for me as I have really dainty hands but I’ve found two pairs that I keep coming back to!
The EG FUG (Field Utility Glove) is a glove made for paintball, airsoft and outdoor activities from Enola Gaye that is touchscreen compatible, comes in a range of 6 colours including black, grey, camo, tan, digicam and olive drab and has a cute little pistol/sight graphics on the first two fingers as a cheeky FU design feature.
They come in a range of sizes from XS-XL and what’s really cool is that the XS size has been sized to my own hand and whilst they are a little roomy around the back of the hand they fit my fingers and wrist well. They retail for £19.99 and are available from the EG website and EG retailers! They’re a great budget pair of gloves for airsofters that need a smaller glove.
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| PC: James Murray for Enola Gaye |
The PIG full dexterity tactical (FDT) Delta Utility glove is my absolute go to! It’s a slip-on tactical glove that although small and a seemingly ordinary pair of gloves boast a bunch of awesome features including: touchscreen compatible forefinger and thumb, single-layer palm for tactile sensitivity, bar-tacked paracord pull loops and they even have a silicon printed grip on the palm for extra grip making them practical and usable for not only airsoft but for other outdoor activities.
The fold-over finger construction and elastic wrist for quick put on and take off sequence not only make them more comfortable for the user but it also gives them a sleeker, more sophisticated look - nothing like the purpose made airsoft gloves we usually see on the field. They aren't padded or extra thick around the knuckles so getting shot in the hands whilst wearing these does still suck, but honestly? Finger shots are quite rare and I'd rather have the dexterity than bulky protection. They're easy to put on, quick drying after they've gotten wet and the touchscreen compatible finger and thumb is super useful! Overall, I'm super impressed with them.
The PIG FDT Delta Utility Gloves are available in black, coyote, ranger green & carbon grey and are also available in sizes ranging from a small to an extra extra-large the size range is super inclusive. They are available from Tactical Kit for £30.95!
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| PC: L.Sibley Photography |
PLATE CARRIER
The ‘Small Modular Plate Carrier’ from LBX, or the 0300S is the compact model of LBX’s popular Modular Plate Carrier. The carrier has 360 modular webbing, on the front panel, back panel, and cummerbund so players can customise their carrier on all sides. The top rows of webbing on the front panel also have hook Velcro so you can show off your favourite patches.
The carrier can take 8 x 10 plates if the operator chooses to and It features a heavy-duty drag handle which is probably more applicable in real-world application than airsoft but its there if you need to quickly drag your mates out of a firefight. It also has hydration/comms guides on the front and rear panels to keep hydration system and communication systems organised and of course to prevent any loose cables being snagged during use – after all, no one likes catching their lines on door handles!
The 0300S is fully adjustable - the cummerbund is adjustable up to 46", and as my waist is 29” it fits snuggly but can still be adjusted to give me room to wear the carrier over a softshell in the winter. As the cummerbund also has Velcro closure it can be securely fastened. The carrier has adjustable shoulder straps which means the operator can adjust where it sits on the torso. Both shoulder straps have padded strap coverings which makes them comfortable to wear for long periods of time even when the carrier is loaded up. I’ve found very few plate carriers that can comfortably fit my small frame and contour my waist and chest but the 0300S does the job. As I’ve said, the cummerbund fits my waist pretty snug but still leaves me enough room to be worn over a light jacket or hoodie. The overall size looks/feels right on my torso and fits the contours of my body.
The LBX 0300S comes in MAS Grey, MultiCam, Coyote, Black and Wolf Grey. On the LBX website, it is available for $159.95, which works out at £114 to across the pond.
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| PC: Stacey Deanne Photography |
BATTLE BELT
The Cobra Shooters Belt from FRV Tailoring is a low profile, lightweight and affordable load bearing system. It has an inner belt made of one layer of webbing with velcro hook on the outside, you place the outer belt with all your pouches, holsters etc attached over the inner belt and fasten it with the cobra buckle.
The belt is 50mm/2" in width with 18 columns of molle. The molle loops run along the top and bottom of the outer belt and they're compatible with any molle or pal attachable pouches and holsters. The outer belt has a double layer of webbing to give it that rigidity and it has a cobra buckle that is rated up to 4000 lb’s. The belt has plenty of room for all my kit and isn't weighed down by it. The pouches are really secure and don't bounce up and down too much! The best bit about this belt is that it can stay set-up for future use!
The FRV cobra shooters belt is lighter, thinner than most belts I’ve tried and because of this it sits on my hips firmly but doesn't rub. It's comfortable to wear even during long ops such as Tora Bora Raid! The belts are sized to the users waist size. Although I have a 28" waist it is more comfortable for me to wear belts on my hips so I opted for the 30.
What's the cost? The belt retails at £69.99 from FRV Tailoring which is super affordable compared to similar belts on the market, giving airsofters that high end look and handmade quality for less!
BOOTS
The Pentagon Achilles Trekking 6” boots are my go-to airsoft boots!
These were brand new to Military 1st in 2017 and they’ve stood the test of time! They are a coyote suede leather, ankle length boot that comes with features including a Dintex waterproof and breathable membrane lining to keep your feet nice and dry during ops and an Ortholite sole which makes them comfy to wear for extended periods of time.
I usually wear a 4.5 shoe so chose a size 5.to give me a little extra space for thick socks during the winter months. The boots are really comfortable across the toes, instep and don’t rub against my heels. The top of the boot sits just above my ankle so I’m pretty happy with the ankle support they give and they have a pretty decent sole on them as well. I’ve worn these around the world from CQB games in the UK to wet, MilSims in the US and they’ve held up well. They aren’t completely waterproof so I wear a pair of seal socks on wet game days to keep my feet warm and dry.s
They retail at £97.50 from Military 1st.
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| PC: Stacey Deanne Photography |
Hardwick, K. (2018). LADIES AIRSOFT KIT PART 1 - PROTECTIVE GEAR!. Airsoft Action. 93 (December), 40-43.
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