Three Paintball Fields to Tickle Your Trigger Finger in Portland

Paintball has become a driving force in the lives of my husband and I. Mr. Kawaii prides himself on his custom paintball marker creations, and I enjoy going along for the ride. This year marks our first year as husband and wife, and the first year that I will be attending some of the major scenario games in the Northwest. So, without further adieu here are our paintball field recommendations for those of you lucky enough to live in the Portland Metro.

Xtremez Indoor Paintball: Vancouver, Washington
Rating: ♦
Located at: 1212 W Fourth Plain Boulevard; Vancouver, Washington 98660
Field hours of operation: Fridays 5pm-9pm, Saturday/Sunday 12pm-9pm & available for groups 7 days a week by appointment.

The good: Probably the best thing about Xtremez is that their field is fully enclosed indoors. This bodes well for Portland area paintball players who don't want to take a break from the sport during the late fall, winter and early spring.

The bad: Unfortunately, when we visited Xtremez in 2008 it was on a cold day and we discovered quite early on that the field is either not heated, or heaters were not turned on. Luckily, we were dressed for the weather and were able to keep warm by running around during play.

The ugly: Paint is not kept in a climate controlled area and when we visited the poor quality resulted in a massive mess. All of the players we were with had to remove themselves from play multiple times to clean chopped paint out of their barrels, cyclones and breaches. Another drawback was that the Astroturf covered floor hadn't been cleaned before our visit, and so it was a slippery and gummy mess to run around in from round 1.

Overall: If the weather is bad and you absolutely need a place to play, Xtremez is worth checking out.

SplatAction Paintball Park: Molalla, Oregon
Rating: ♦ ♦
Located at: 32155 S. Grimm Road; Molalla, OR 97038
Field hours of operation: Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm. Weekdays by reservation only.

The good: If you are into Woodsball, Splat has a great 47 acre field for massive group play. If you have enough people to build several teams of players, this is a great place to let everyone loose for battle reenactments and deviant capture-the-flag.

The bad: Although open year round, there is no indoor playing field so if it's pouring rain or snow is falling you and your equipment are going to feel it.

The ugly: The scenery was greatly detracted by the referees that we played with. Unfortunately bogus calls and favoritism were rampant the day we ventured out into the woods. If you happened to play with someone with more of an even keel though, we can see how playing here could be great fun for all.

Overall: It's hard not to have a good time when playing outdoors, especially when you have room to spread out. Be prepared for things to get a little chaotic if you're playing a massive game as refs and employees seem to get a little flustered with all of the activity.

Warpaint International: Salem, Oregon
Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Located at: 3046 Portland Road Northeast; Salem, OR 97301
Field hours of operation: Indoor field: Monday/Tuesday/Thursday 1pm-10pm, Friday 1pm-1am, Saturday 10am-1am, Sunday 10am-7pm
Outdoor field (at Chemawa): Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday by appointment only.

The good: Avoid the rain, or enjoy the sun because Warpaint International has both an indoor and an outdoor field. The indoor field is outfitted nicely with plenty of buildings which makes for much more realistic play than the standard inflatable bunkers found at places like Xtremez. The sawdust covered floor appears to make for a better play surface than Astroturf as well.

The outdoor field has been relocated, and the new field is shaping up to be one of the best fields we've seen. Complete with paved roads, trenches and buildings it brings close quarters battles to as close to real life as you can get without taking a trip to a war zone. The employees are friendly and helpful, and it's very easy to want to go back after spending an afternoon there.

The bad: The hours are a little inconsistent, so it can be frustrating to try and nail down a time to play. Once you get the schedule figured out though it is smooth sailing. Our recommendation is to get a team of at least 10 together and make an appointment. The owner is very flexible when it comes to booking private groups.

The ugly: The worst thing about Warpaint is that after visiting either field, you have a hard time getting into playing anywhere else. They have raised the bar, and it is taking the other local fields a while to catch up with their great service and superb setup.

Overall: This is hands down our favorite place to play. The friendly staff and well thought-out fields make for an experience that you won't soon forget, and will want to revisit over and over again.

Has this article inspired you to check out the fields mentioned above for yourself? Contact them at the links below and reserve a time to play:
Xtremez
SplatAction
Warpaint International