Protect Your Dome: GatorMaille's Skull Cap
Look at these two stylish gentlemen, connoisseurs of fine paintball head gear
Late last year, at SuperGame Maryland, my teammates and I were looking to leave our old team and reform as something new. Part of that was getting with new sponsors, and meeting with new people. One of the new people we wanted to work with was Damian Fowler of Gatormaille. If you don't know Damian, know that he has over 25 years of paintball experience, and a wealth of knowledge that has helped him in creating one of the very most distinctive paintball brands in the industry---Gatormaille.
If you've seen something that looks like chainmail hanging from someone's mask, you've seen Gatormaille. They make neck protection for the masses, saving your neck from welts incoming at 280 feet per second. They use o-rings and aluminum loops to absorb the energy of paintball hits, and keep you from having to answer questions or get awkward looks from co-workers after a weekend of paintball. There are no welts behind them because the ball never makes it your body. These neck protectors are popular with not only players, but with refs as well.
If you've seen something that looks like chainmail hanging from someone's mask, you've seen Gatormaille. They make neck protection for the masses, saving your neck from welts incoming at 280 feet per second. They use o-rings and aluminum loops to absorb the energy of paintball hits, and keep you from having to answer questions or get awkward looks from co-workers after a weekend of paintball. There are no welts behind them because the ball never makes it your body. These neck protectors are popular with not only players, but with refs as well.
Protect ya neck
Now, beyond making great throat and neck protection, they also have branched out to saving other valuable things---namely protecting your tanks, and for the ladies, protecting your girls. In other words, they make both tank covers and they make armored sports bras that can help protect sensitive and/or expensive things that you've brought with you.
Knowing that they don't just do neck protection, I spoke with Damian about an area that I hate getting hit, and that matters for me for work---head shots.
I work in sales/business development, and am on calls with clients regularly. As in several times a day. Usually, that means video calls. I really, really don't want to have welts to explain. And head shots happens. So, what can we do to stop that?
The answer came in the form of the G1 skull cap, and adding Gatormaille's unique touches to it. G1 makes a skull cap with a thick padded headband, non-slip silicone highlights to fight any slippage, and a breathable, mesh material that goes over your dome. It's a great base for protecting you as a headband, and breathable for your noggin. But that's not going to protect you from hits ABOVE that headband. So what did Gatormaille do? Solved that issue.
Knowing that they don't just do neck protection, I spoke with Damian about an area that I hate getting hit, and that matters for me for work---head shots.
I work in sales/business development, and am on calls with clients regularly. As in several times a day. Usually, that means video calls. I really, really don't want to have welts to explain. And head shots happens. So, what can we do to stop that?
The answer came in the form of the G1 skull cap, and adding Gatormaille's unique touches to it. G1 makes a skull cap with a thick padded headband, non-slip silicone highlights to fight any slippage, and a breathable, mesh material that goes over your dome. It's a great base for protecting you as a headband, and breathable for your noggin. But that's not going to protect you from hits ABOVE that headband. So what did Gatormaille do? Solved that issue.
Protection for your head with a low profile
The top of the Skull Cap got the full Gatormaille treatment, complete with the aluminum and rubber o-rings to protect your head.
So how does it perform? Exceptionally well.
I got to try mine out at Castle Jam, with it being the prototype. If you've read my review on Castle Jam, you know what it is. The best way I can describe it is a paintball rock fight. It's close range shooting, with paint coming down---literally---from the castle. And if you're pushing the castle, you're likely to eat paint. and very likely to get drilled in the head. Which definitely did happen to me within the first 10 minutes of play. I put the skull cap through the paces immediately. I took multiple head shots when repeatedly trying to make castle pushes. And how did the Gatormaille skull cap handle it?
It did exceptionally well. Did I still feel the hits? Yes. I definitely did. It's not a solid metal helmet, or is it magic. However, they hurt less---and just as importantly, they left zero welts. That means that you're not going to sit there and cheat by running them by not being able to feel a headshot, but you are going to get the protection that you actually desire. For paintball, that's pretty much all you can ask for.
I also noted that first day and definitely still feel 9 months later is that you really don't even notice it most of the time. By that I mean you don't feel like you're wearing anything heavy. It's so light, you really don't even notice that you're essentially wearing an armored hat. It protects your head without you feeling or thinking about it. It's not enough added weight that it's likely to bother you at all.
And the other thing I can report after using it this long is that it's exceptionally well-made. I've worn it at Castle Jam (a certified meat grinder), SuperGame Oregon, Bones and Ashes, and SuperGame Maryland. The thing looks brand new. You can wash it without fear (don't dry it in a machine!), and it'll come out just fine. It's durable protection, and in terms of paintball costs---it's not expensive. It can get it's ass kicked---so you don't---and will just keep on chugging along.
Lastly, you can get them customized. That's one thing that Gatormaille does exceptionally well. If you want puzzle pieces to support Autism, you can do that. You want a pink ribbon to support Breast Cancer Awareness? That's on the table. You want grey and purple to match your favorite autococker (yeah, that was me), so be it. If you ask Damian, there's a good chance you can do something that screams you. One size may fit all---but you can make them reflect you and your sense of style.
So how does it perform? Exceptionally well.
I got to try mine out at Castle Jam, with it being the prototype. If you've read my review on Castle Jam, you know what it is. The best way I can describe it is a paintball rock fight. It's close range shooting, with paint coming down---literally---from the castle. And if you're pushing the castle, you're likely to eat paint. and very likely to get drilled in the head. Which definitely did happen to me within the first 10 minutes of play. I put the skull cap through the paces immediately. I took multiple head shots when repeatedly trying to make castle pushes. And how did the Gatormaille skull cap handle it?
It did exceptionally well. Did I still feel the hits? Yes. I definitely did. It's not a solid metal helmet, or is it magic. However, they hurt less---and just as importantly, they left zero welts. That means that you're not going to sit there and cheat by running them by not being able to feel a headshot, but you are going to get the protection that you actually desire. For paintball, that's pretty much all you can ask for.
I also noted that first day and definitely still feel 9 months later is that you really don't even notice it most of the time. By that I mean you don't feel like you're wearing anything heavy. It's so light, you really don't even notice that you're essentially wearing an armored hat. It protects your head without you feeling or thinking about it. It's not enough added weight that it's likely to bother you at all.
And the other thing I can report after using it this long is that it's exceptionally well-made. I've worn it at Castle Jam (a certified meat grinder), SuperGame Oregon, Bones and Ashes, and SuperGame Maryland. The thing looks brand new. You can wash it without fear (don't dry it in a machine!), and it'll come out just fine. It's durable protection, and in terms of paintball costs---it's not expensive. It can get it's ass kicked---so you don't---and will just keep on chugging along.
Lastly, you can get them customized. That's one thing that Gatormaille does exceptionally well. If you want puzzle pieces to support Autism, you can do that. You want a pink ribbon to support Breast Cancer Awareness? That's on the table. You want grey and purple to match your favorite autococker (yeah, that was me), so be it. If you ask Damian, there's a good chance you can do something that screams you. One size may fit all---but you can make them reflect you and your sense of style.
Controlling an area while not worrying about any head shots
You may have noticed---or not, if you're not stalking me like some sick bastard---that I'm not in any of these pictures. These are all my teammates, and all seem to be wearing them. There's a reason.
They were so impressed with mine that they picked up their own, and wore them to Fulda Gap this year, where I repeatedly put them into tough spots (you're welcome guys!). And how did they feel about their own new Gatormaille skull caps? They loved them. They said the same things that I did. They were thoroughly impressed with them, both for being way lighter than they expected, and for protecting their heads when they did stick their melons out a little too far. No welts and the pain factor was way down.
I would highly recommend picking one up if you hate head shots, and especially if you work in an industry where you don't want to have to explain a welt on your head. I know what some of you are thinking---he and his team are sponsored by Gatormaille. And you're correct. But I would be saying the exact same thing even if I didn't know and love Damian. Why? Because these skull caps are the best form of head protection that I've seen on the market, and I won't put my name on behind something I don't really believe in. Period. There's nothing else that really approaches the level of protection. And, because of how they approach things and I am nothing if not a snob when it comes to customization, they're one of the only things out there except a headband or mask you can put on your head and make your own. And the cost is definitely reasonable.
So if you're in the market for new head gear, definitely consider a Gatormaille Skull Cap. Your head will thank you.
They were so impressed with mine that they picked up their own, and wore them to Fulda Gap this year, where I repeatedly put them into tough spots (you're welcome guys!). And how did they feel about their own new Gatormaille skull caps? They loved them. They said the same things that I did. They were thoroughly impressed with them, both for being way lighter than they expected, and for protecting their heads when they did stick their melons out a little too far. No welts and the pain factor was way down.
I would highly recommend picking one up if you hate head shots, and especially if you work in an industry where you don't want to have to explain a welt on your head. I know what some of you are thinking---he and his team are sponsored by Gatormaille. And you're correct. But I would be saying the exact same thing even if I didn't know and love Damian. Why? Because these skull caps are the best form of head protection that I've seen on the market, and I won't put my name on behind something I don't really believe in. Period. There's nothing else that really approaches the level of protection. And, because of how they approach things and I am nothing if not a snob when it comes to customization, they're one of the only things out there except a headband or mask you can put on your head and make your own. And the cost is definitely reasonable.
So if you're in the market for new head gear, definitely consider a Gatormaille Skull Cap. Your head will thank you.
