[woda]

I am a new field owner, but I've been in paintball for over a dozen years. Most fields I have been to take down their netting in the winter.

Due to the proximity of the fields to the staging area I can still operate with no netting, but it will require a 300 ft buffer zone which will block off 80% of my parking lot.

How do other field owners in snowy parts of the country deal with this?

Will paintball netting hold up in the winter or does it get brittle when its cold?

I lower my netting to the ground when it is not in use so blizzards and other high winds are not an issue for me.

I'd rather not learn "the hard way" that netting can't take harsh New England winters.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks,
Woda

[TargetIndy]

I'm in the Midwest and I keep my netting up year around. Ice and snow will inrease the weight and wind load, but cold weather itself won't damage the netting. My nets have been through several winter floods as well and it's no worse for wear.

Your biggest challenge may be trying to raise a net that's firmly frozen to the ground.

[woda]

Do you leave them up during a snow storm?

[TargetIndy]

Yes, but that's simply because we're in a floodplain. For us, dropping the net isn't an option. Our netting system is overbuilt to withstand snowstorms, floods, and high winds.

[woda]

Thanks for the help!

[tvise]

Originally Posted by woda

I am a new field owner, but I've been in paintball for over a dozen years. Most fields I have been to take down their netting in the winter.

Due to the proximity of the fields to the staging area I can still operate with no netting, but it will require a 300 ft buffer zone which will block off 80% of my parking lot.

How do other field owners in snowy parts of the country deal with this?

Will paintball netting hold up in the winter or does it get brittle when its cold?

I lower my netting to the ground when it is not in use so blizzards and other high winds are not an issue for me.

I'd rather not learn "the hard way" that netting can't take harsh New England winters.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks,
Woda

We take ours down.

The reason is wind. We have very sturdy poles holding them up. We have had our poles bent in the winter due to wind. We are located in California. We do not get snow so that part I can not say for sure but I would take them down. We have netting where the whole size in the netting gets bigger the higher you go to more wind will pass through.

[Yankee Paintball]

I tie mine up to the wire so it's not on the ground for the critters.

[woda]

Yankee - do you have a picture of your netting up?

[tvise]

Originally Posted by Yankee Paintball

I tie mine up to the wire so it's not on the ground for the critters.

And how do you get them up?

Wouldn't it put a lot of stress on the netting while putting it up?

[Yankee Paintball]

I use some light line and run it back to the ground so I don't have to climb up to take it down. No pics right now, we did have it up for the hurricane but have dropped it to reopen.

[tvise]

Originally Posted by Yankee Paintball

I use some light line and run it back to the ground so I don't have to climb up to take it down. No pics right now, we did have it up for the hurricane but have dropped it to reopen.

Is it much of a hassle to get it up?

And how long is your netting?

[MstrKey]

Ok, you have your netting strung along a wire or rope at the top. Now along the bottom of your netting in say 20 foot intervals(depending how heavy it is) you attach long ropes(at ground level). These ropes are then tossed up and over the top guide lines and down to the other side. Maybe put some pegs in the soil to tie them to.

What this does is allow you to go along at the end of the day, pull on the smaller ropes and raise the netting upward to the top guide line. Almost like a stage curtain type of thing. If you get my meaning. It may take two guys together since the net can be heavy but it'll take away most of the parachute effect. You just have to make sure your ground pegs are firm and deep.

The only thing this won't help you with......is freezing. The netting will get stiff when it's really cold.....and may give you problems. I don't know if you plan on running games in the snow or what.....but you'll just have to try it and see. I've never known anyone to run a field in that kind of winter since it's rarely ever profitable, and highly problematic.

[pbamike]

We use K-Pro netting (which I highly recommend). It survived 2 canadian winter without being damaged by the snow/ice/wind (it got slashed by vandals, but that's another story...)

[thecman]

Quality netting, installed correctly will last many years. There is no need to raise or lower it. I use hybred netting from Kee Action Sports. Absolutely the best netting and a great price. I have netting that is 9 years old and working great! Dont cut corners on the installations.

[nielsen_paintball]

Originally Posted by TargetIndy

Yes, but that's simply because we're in a floodplain. For us, dropping the net isn't an option. Our netting system is overbuilt to withstand snowstorms, floods, and high winds.

I'm positibe there will be a drop during the snowing months (about 5-6 months where I am at), but on average how much in your area? Here everyone knows it is coming and when it does they go about their business so though I know we will have a drop, I think we will at least make over head.

What netting do you use for the snowstorms, floods and winds?

[TargetIndy]

Originally Posted by nielsen_paintball

I'm positibe there will be a drop during the snowing months (about 5-6 months where I am at), but on average how much in your area? Here everyone knows it is coming and when it does they go about their business so though I know we will have a drop, I think we will at least make over head.

What netting do you use for the snowstorms, floods and winds?

We'll get a few floods a year that will reach the nets. Most of the flooding occurs in the winter months, but flooding is possible any month of the year. The worst flood occurred in June of 2008 and put every inch of our playing fields under 6-10 feet of water.

The USGS has a river gauge a few miles up river and they put out flood forecasts on a daily basis. Their forecasts are rarely accurate, and they've failed to forecast a few floods (including that flood in '08), but it at least gives us an idea of what to expect.

I've used several brands of netting in the past and I've found K-Pro's product to be the most durable. Some of my netting K-Pro netting is 8 to 10 years old and still passes the ASTM testing standard. That's quite a feat, considering our netting stays up year around.

[Adrenalineguy]

we leave it up but it's only half way.

be careful moving in when it's cold as it may rip easy.

the big problem in winter is Mice, anything under the snoww may be eaten to crap. mouse bate the whole are.