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[RidleyReport]

Being outside in the beautiful mountains and forests west of Cheyenne gave me this idea:

For those of you who've played outdoor paintball, you know how fun it is...and how expensive.  Those little paint pellets add up to a fortune!

After playing laser tag outside with my cousin's cheap kit it seems like it could be a better game.

It would give us all an excuse to get together (cheaply), spend fun time outdoors, get some exercise and team-bond.

Not sure if this necessarily would need to be a business, but it could.  As long as it happens that's what's important to me!

I hope to move to the selected state around April '04...sure would be cool if we could be playing by summer...

[Dalamar49]

I played some outdoor laser tag for a couple of years during middle school.

We used those gun/vest kits that Toys 'R Us sells. It kind of sucked though that you could only shoot the little vest thing to score a point. I like the indoor Q-Zar laser tag, 'cause you can shoot almost any part of your opponent to score points.

Man...now I want to play some laser tag......now where are those old guns and vests?  

[goddessofliberty]

Hey, Howie! Come over and play with Ernie and me!   We have a couple of those laser guns that have the little belt thingie that you wear, and you shoot at your opponent, and it goes bang. I have them in a box somewhere. Our kids used to play with them; the kids are now grown and gone, so hopefully the toys still work.

TOOOOOOO MUCH FUN!!!!

[RidleyReport]

Anyone know if there any kind of fairly cheap set you can get and use as a large group?

[LeopardPM]

oh drats! I wanna play too!

[Eric]

I wonder if you could find a source of surplused MILES gear.  MILES gear is the laster tag stuff the US Military uses for training.  When I was in, my favorite field exercises were the ones where we got to play with the MILES gear!  

It would probably be pretty expensive though, what with having to get real weapons for people to use.  Fun to think about though...

eric

[RidleyReport]

>> wonder if you could find a source of surplused MILES gear<<

Well, it's like the old Chinese proverb: A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.  Long as we can get me and one of you out there every week same bat time same bat channel it will grow by itself.  Maybe someday to include MILES.  

My suspicion is that we'll initially be working with lowest-common-denominator type stuff tho to maximize the number of players and minimize the cost.  

Anyone want to browse around and see what kind of gear is the best value for outdoor laser tag?

[Eric]

The International Laser Tag Association has some good info, including downloadable business plans!

http://www.lasertag.org/developer.html

To download anything you have to be a member, but I'm not sure what that entails.

eric

[Eric]

I did a bit more reading on the ILTA site.  It's $495 to become a member.  Pretty stiff just to do research, but hey also have arrangements with about 10-15 equipment manufactureers for $500 discounts on gear purchases.  It looks like they provide advice and reviews on your vendor contracts as well.

OK, and if you just want to do research they have a laser tag business operators intro manual for $20 for non-members.

eric

[RidleyReport]

Geeze that all sounds pretty involved.  If someone does something like this in my area, great!

But if I end up having to set things up it's gonna be cheap and simple, probably just for fun....BYOL - LOL.

Anyone have any ideas regarding the most universally acceptable, compatible, low cost tag gear?

[LeopardPM]

Dada,
relatively easy to rig up sensors and use those $5 laser pointers - probably could build a respectable suit for under $30 - maybe more if you wanted the 'gun' to look at least somewhat realistic...


michael

[Lone Wolf]

Try this link...http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?query=laser+tag&newu=1?keyword=laser+tag_sr

[RidleyReport]

Here's what I have:

http://www.seattlelasertag.com/typeofgear.htm

Apparently this ESS stuff is fairly standard among outdoor laser tag groups.  

Then there's:

http://www.thestrategyzone.com/

Another reason to pick NH!  This is a full fledged outdoor combat simulation laser tag arena near Goshen, about 50 miles NW of Manchester.   They apparently use it for training law enforcement and the military, but it's wide open for private use and walk-ins (tho probably not at the same time).  

Groups get a discount.  It's as cheap as 5 bucks per hour of play, and of course you wouldn't pay for the awesome hours you spend just shooting the breeze with other Free Staters!

We could set up meets there monthly, maybe someday weekly...we'd hit 3 birds with one stone:

1) Porcupine Team bonding

2) Outdoor exercise in a pretty area.

3) Learn real life skills that could make us better contributers to that eventual State Guard so many Porcs seem to favor.      

[arclight]

  Whatever happened to dodgeball??
Wasn't it fun?? Would there be a professional laser tag league, with fines for not interviewing enough black coaches??? I hope not.

[Karl]

Whatever happened to dodgeball??
Wasn't it fun?? Would there be a professional laser tag league, with fines for not interviewing enough black coaches??? I hope not.

We've been playing kickball here in DC for several years -- there are now thousands of players nationwide.  I'm hoping to start a division in Manchester, or at least help out with the fledgling Boston division.  Its not a business, but it is a great way to meet girls.  

At least not everything that comes out of DC is bad!