PenCott Production News

Missed this press release in my mailbox while I was taking my little break (an apology goes out to Lawrence for me not noticing this sooner), many of you may have already read this, but those that haven't might still be interested:

PenCott™ Multi-Environment Camouflage goes in to production

“Woodland”, “Transitional” and “Desert” variants are the first colourways of a wider portfolio  

Voodoo's New Site UP! + D-Day 2011 Details

Voodoo Paintball, profiled extensively in episode 2 of the RDS network's Paintball TV, has revamped their web site for 2011, with a slicker design and user interface, and better graphics. I love the new look of the site, but you can judge it for yourself here.

Also, the details for Voodoo's 2011 D-Day event are now posted, and the skinny is that it'll be held Saturday, June 4th. Those who followed Grey Ops waayyy back in our earlier days (circa October 2010) will recall my News From The Front report on how much I loved Voodoo's field, and the incredible D-Day event as a whole. Here's a recap:

2011 Relay-For-Life Paintball Tournament

As I discussed in a recent post, Paintball events held for charity are a good way to assist a good cause. If you're going to be playing Paintball anyway, why not spend your dollars where they'll do some good?

On that note, for those in the Ottawa area, the second annual Relay-For-Life Paintball Tournament will be held again at JT's Frontline Paintball on Saturday, May 7th, 2011. Last year's event was a blast, and if you can make it out this time around you'll be sure to have a lot of fun (and have a shot at winning some great prizes, including full marker kits).

Thank You from Grey Ops!!!

Today marks the official end of our fundraising campaign for Team in Training, part of The Grey Ops 10k Challenge. We hope you've enjoyed the giveaways to promote the campaign, and we hope you've learned a lot from the articles in the Paintball Fitness series to help you train for The Challenge and/or become a better Paintball player this season.

The results of the fundraising effort, considering the short time it was running, were FANTASTIC! Between reader donations and the SP8 marker eBay auction, a total of $512.50 was raised, and Patricia now stands just $77.00 short of her goal of raising $4000.00 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC). To those who contributed, we at Grey Ops can't thank you enough for your help. If anyone else wants to help in the fight, donations are still being accepted at Patricia's Team in Training page up until Race Weekend here in Ottawa (May 28th & 29th).

But the results of the campaign go beyond just money raised.

Grey Ops 10k Challenge Giveaway Winners

The Grey Ops 10k Challenge giveaways to promote Team in Training's blood cancer fundraising effort have now wrapped up, and it's time to announce the winners! Without further ado, here they are:

Paintball Fitness - Nutrition and Life Habits

As part of The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, Grey Ops will be running articles this week on how to improve your fitness level for Paintball. Bear in mind that the field of exercise science is vast, and mostly beyond the scope of our humble Milsim Paintball blog. These articles will be very generalized, but will provide enough information to get you started on the right track in your quest to become a fitter and more effective player. For a better understanding, conduct your own research into the concepts discussed in this series.

As always, consult a physician before engaging in any fitness program.

Success in fitness is a result not only of how you train "the machine" (your body), but also how you fuel it (with what you eat). Some people think that if they exercise they can eat whatever they want and still get in great shape. They couldn't be more wrong! In keeping with the above analogy, if you put low-grade fuel full of contaminants in the machine, its performance will suffer and eventually it'll be ruined. Beyond a poor diet, certain behaviours and lifestyle habits can hurt your health and performance as well.

Paintball Fitness - General Agility

As part of The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, Grey Ops will be running articles this week on how to improve your fitness level for Paintball. Bear in mind that the field of exercise science is vast, and mostly beyond the scope of our humble Milsim Paintball blog. These articles will be very generalized, but will provide enough information to get you started on the right track in your quest to become a fitter and more effective player. For a better understanding, conduct your own research into the concepts discussed in this series.

As always, consult a physician before engaging in any fitness program.

This article in the Paintball Fitness series will discuss general agility, and how it relates to Paintball. We'll also talk about how to improve your own general agility, and how it can make you a better player.

Grey Ops 10k Challenge Gear Giveaway #8

As I explained in my recent post on The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, one aspect of The Challenge involves promotional giveaways of Paintball gear. Together, these giveaways and The Challenge aim to promote fitness for Paintball, increase awareness of blood cancers, and encourage donations to my fiancee Patricia's effort to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC).


Today's (final) 10k Challenge gear giveaway features an OD Green Tiberius T8/T8.1 MOLLE Holster, from Action Gear Canada!

Mike Kicks Your Collective Asses

As you've seen over the past week, Grey Ops has featured articles on Paintball Fitness, as well as several giveaways to promote The Grey Ops 10k Challenge. We at Grey Ops are in full fundraising mode for blood cancer research, attempting to raise $600 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, and trying to convince readers to run 5k or 10k for cancer awareness on May 28th. Our grand total so far, after 7 days of 10k Challenge-themed articles, and multiple giveaway posts drawing attention to the cause? A grand total of $25...

Grey Ops 10k Challenge Gear Giveaway #7

As I explained in my recent post on The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, one aspect of The Challenge involves promotional giveaways of Paintball gear. Together, these giveaways and The Challenge aim to promote fitness for Paintball, increase awareness of blood cancers, and encourage donations to my fiancee Patricia's effort to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC).


Today's 10k Challenge gear giveaway features a pair of Damascus DTPK Low-Profile Tactical Knee Pad Inserts.

Paintball Fitness - Flexibility

As part of The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, Grey Ops will be running articles this week on how to improve your fitness level for Paintball. Bear in mind that the field of exercise science is vast, and mostly beyond the scope of our humble Milsim Paintball blog. These articles will be very generalized, but will provide enough information to get you started on the right track in your quest to become a fitter and more effective player. For a better understanding, conduct your own research into the concepts discussed in this series.

As always, consult a physician before engaging in any fitness program.

This article in the Paintball Fitness series will focus on how to improve your muscle and joint flexibility.

Let's take a look at some common stretching techniques, the pros and cons of stretching, some myths and little-known facts, and how stretching can impact your ability to play Paintball.

Grey Ops 10k Challenge Gear Giveaway #6

As I explained in my recent post on The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, one aspect of The Challenge involves promotional giveaways of Paintball gear. Together, these giveaways and The Challenge aim to promote fitness for Paintball, increase awareness of blood cancers, and encourage donations to my fiancee Patricia's effort to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC).


Today's 10k Challenge gear giveaway features a Proto Switch Turbine Goggle Fan, designed to keep humidity and fog out of any Paintball mask in the Proto Switch line.

Paintball Fitness - Strength

As part of The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, Grey Ops will be running articles this week on how to improve your fitness level for Paintball. Bear in mind that the field of exercise science is vast, and mostly beyond the scope of our humble Milsim Paintball blog. These articles will be very generalized, but will provide enough information to get you started on the right track in your quest to become a fitter and more effective player. For a better understanding, conduct your own research into the concepts discussed in this series.

As always, consult a physician before engaging in any fitness program.

This article in the Paintball Fitness series will concentrate on how to develop your strength. Stronger muscles will make you more resistant to injury out on the field, allow you to move with stronger bursts of power, and allow you to carry more equipment on your person without becoming fatigued and weighed down.

Grey Ops 10k Challenge Gear Giveaway #5

As I explained in my recent post on The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, one aspect of The Challenge involves promotional giveaways of Paintball gear. Together, these giveaways and The Challenge aim to promote fitness for Paintball, increase awareness of blood cancers, and encourage donations to my fiancee Patricia's effort to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC).


Today's 10k Challenge gear giveaway features a Ranger MOLLE Vest in OD Green, from Action Gear Canada!

Grey Ops 10k Challenge Gear Giveaway #4

As I explained in my recent post on The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, one aspect of The Challenge involves promotional giveaways of Paintball gear. Together, these giveaways and The Challenge aim to promote fitness for Paintball, increase awareness of blood cancers, and encourage donations to my fiancee Patricia's effort to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC).


Today's 10k Challenge gear giveaway features a brand-new in box Invert Reloader 2 electronic Paintball loader!

Paintball Fitness - Endurance

As part of The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, Grey Ops will be running articles this week on how to improve your fitness level for Paintball. Bear in mind that the field of exercise science is vast, and mostly beyond the scope of our humble Milsim Paintball blog. These articles will be very generalized, but will provide enough information to get you started on the right track in your quest to become a fitter and more effective player. For a better understanding, conduct your own research into the concepts discussed in this series.

As always, consult a physician before engaging in any fitness program.

This article in the Paintball Fitness series will concentrate on Cardio-vascular endurance. As I discussed in the introductory article to the series, a higher level of endurance will allow you to stay in the game longer, and be a more effective player for your team.

As Paintball is played on your feet (and because the 10k Challenge is a running-based event), this article will focus on running for improving cardiovascular endurance. If you suffer from some sort of injury or illness that hinders your ability to run, the same principles would be applicable to exercise bikes, elliptical trainer machines, and other "cardio" activities.

Who is the Paintball Manufacturer to Watch in 2011?

"Who is the Paintball Manufacturer to Watch in 2011?" was the question I asked via Grey Ops' Facebook page. Over a hundred people answered, and here are how the results came out:

Grey Ops 10k Challenge Gear Giveaway #3

As I explained in my recent post on The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, one aspect of The Challenge involves promotional giveaways of Paintball gear. Together, these giveaways and The Challenge aim to promote fitness for Paintball, increase awareness of blood cancers, and encourage donations to my fiancee Patricia's effort to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC).

Today's 10k Challenge gear giveaway features a pair of TRU-Spec BDU pants in black! This set is brand new without tags, with the inner tag showing the size as "Large Regular".

RAP4/Tacamo Magazine Kit Update

Several of you may have already heard this through unofficial sources, but it's now official via RAP4. I've previously stated that I think this is best course of action for RAP4, and I stand by that. The crucial part of moves like this is ensuring that you can deliver within a reasonable amount of time, and avoid multiple delay announcements *coughangeleyegogglescough*. The inclusion of easily-removed magazine adapters is a huge plus as well.

Grey Ops 10k Challenge Gear Giveaway #2

As I explained in my recent post on The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, one aspect of The Challenge involves promotional giveaways of Paintball gear. Together, these giveaways and The Challenge aim to promote fitness for Paintball, increase awareness of blood cancers, and encourage donations to my fiancee Patricia's effort to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC).

Today's 10k Challenge Giveaway features a 3-piece accessory kit to trick out your Milsim marker! This kit includes:

1) A nylon rifle stock pouch, in black. Adjustable to fit any stock on the market, this zipper pouch is perfect for carrying Allen keys and other must-haves on the field. The outside features soft Velcro for attaching team patches, name badges, or interchangeable elastic holders (2 different holders included). Use these elastic holders to carry additional CO2 powerlets, Goblin shells, or Paintball tubes!

Grey Ops 10k Challenge Gear Giveaway #1

As I explained in my recent post on The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, one aspect of The Challenge involves promotional giveaways of Paintball gear. Together, these giveaways and The Challenge aim to promote fitness for Paintball, increase awareness of blood cancers, and encourage donations to my fiancee Patricia's effort to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC).

Today's Grey Ops 10k Challenge Giveaway features a replica MultiCam Combat Shirt and Pants Set (Version 2) (brand new without tags). The combat shirt features removable elbow pads, and an Under Armour-style torso for keeping you cool while wearing a plate carrier or Paintball vest.

How to Double Your Chances of Winning

If you've checked out our recent post on The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, then you're probably stoked to win some of the free Paintball gear we'll be featuring in giveaways throughout this coming week. In that post, I also mentioned how donating $5.00 or more to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC) for blood cancer research at my fiancee Patricia's fundraising page could DOUBLE your chances of winning in the giveaways! This post will explain how this system works.

More Giveaways, Curing Cancer, and the Grey Ops 10k Challenge!

Do you consider yourself a charitable person? Could you stand to get in better shape for the coming Paintball season? And do you like winning free Paintball gear? If you answered "YES" to all of the above, read on! Connor and myself are throwing down the challenge to our readers - The Grey Ops 10k Challenge, that is!

The idea of the Grey Ops 10k Challenge is this: We challenge all of our readers under 30 years of age to run 10km (about 6.2 miles, for our U.S. readers) on Saturday, May 28th! We challenge our readers 35 and over to run a lesser 5km/3.1 miles on that date (we understand the need to take it easy on the old-timers). In fact, on May 28th organized runs are taking place in cities all across North America, with the goal of raising money for cancer research and awareness. Why not take part in one of those in YOUR city, as part of the Challenge?

Connor and I will of course be running a 10k in Ottawa that day, putting rubber to the road! And while Connor's running because I blackmailed him with some pics of him drunk, my own motive is to support my fiancee Patricia. She's running a half-marathon on May 29th, all in the name of raising money for blood cancer research through an organization called Team in Training. Patricia's mother was diagnosed with a blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma in 2008, and managed to beat it into remission thanks to willpower, family support, and some high-tech treatments that cost a fortune to research and develop. Patricia's goal is to raise $4000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC), so that they can continue this life-saving research into new treatments. She's at about the $3400 mark as I write this, and we'd like to enlist your help to get her that last little bit to her goal!


"But Mike!" you say. "You got my attention earlier when you said the magic words free Paintball gear. Now you're talking about me giving money away instead. What about the giveaways?"

Paintball Fitness

There's a lot of confusion out there as to what constitutes proper exercise. Having studied fitness concepts (and followed an exercise program consistently) for the past 15 years, I've seen lots of activities classified as exercise, when in reality they should be labelled as "recreation". The line is getting increasingly blurred by government agencies trying to convince the population to get off their collective asses, and dumbing down what constitutes exercise in their recommendations. Lately it's been getting ridiculous, with statements that activities like gardening or walking your dog count as "exercise".

Now don't get me wrong here; I'm NOT saying that walking your dog down the street or crawling around in your garden won't increase your heart rate, make you breathe harder, and release stress. They certainly do these things, even for most fit people. What I'm saying is that these signs alone don't mean you're getting a real exercise benefit from such activities (they just mean your body's doing some work). Here's the kicker: For any activity to constitute proper exercise, it has to be challenging to your existing physical capacity.

TACAMO Conversion Kit Giveaway with Tactical-Mod.com Part 2

Grey Ops, in collaboration with the TACAMO Canadian distributor Tactical-Mod is very excited to bring you another giveaway! The oft talked about conversions kits are still a hot ticket item, so it get a free one while you can. Tactical-Mod is offering this as a gift on the eve of the launch of their new Canadian based website www.Tactical-Mod.ca.

How to win:

1. Become a fan of Tactical-Mod on Facebook
2. Comment on this post (in the form below) saying, "Tactical-Mod rocks!"
3. Profit (that was easy eh?)

RipperCam

Grey Ops has always given you the lowdown on modern camouflage patterns. In fact, it's somewhat of a specialty here at our humble blog! Whether you're interested in A-TACS, Better Camo, MultiCam, SURPAT, PenCott, FEAR Camo, or another up-and-coming 21st-century camouflage pattern, you'll probably hear breaking news about it here first.

In this fine tradition, Grey Ops would like to introduce you to another new and obscure camouflage pattern, one that's certain to become VERY popular. Ladies and gentlemen (but mostly gentlemen), I give you Morning Wood Camo.

Lamperd Less Lethal 44mm Launcher

Familiar?

Tiberius isn't the only paintball manufacturer with their hand in less lethal technology. Lamperd Less Lethal, a Canadian based company, sells a 44mm pneumatic launcher based around the popular (but from rumours, soon to be completely unavailable) Metadyne HAVOC Launcher. They don't explicitly state that anywhere, but it's pretty obvious in comparing the less lethal launcher (seen above) and paintball launcher (seen below).

Save Some Money, Support the Red Cross

Canadianpaintball.com had the awesome idea to combine a sale with portions of orders going to the Canadian Red Cross. This makes a huge amount of sense as people are more likely to buy during sales, so it drives lots of donations to an organization. In this case, the organization is awesome. The Red Cross has low administration fees (which makes that $1 a lot better better than giving significantly more to other organizations), and does some truly amazing humanitarian work. Now go get some cool gear for the upcoming season and feel good while doing it!

Army Camoflage Improvement Effort Solicitation Cancelled

If you've been following the United State's "Army Camoflage Improvement Effort", then you'll know it's been delayed several times, culminating with it being delayed to today. Well it may be the early morning, but the word is out! The entire effort has been nixed, with the United States deciding to go with a cost effective and logistically less nightmarish solution. This is certainly the right way to go, as area specific camouflage is just complete hooey and what's truly important is a sense of visual coherence and solidarity.