Airsoft Action 05 - Jan 2012 | Page 89

timers. While the ‘alpha female’ wasn’t malicious or unpleasant towards any of us, at the same time she made no efforts to hide her shock and disgruntlement at our being there. She was, however, perfectly pleasant towards me after I’d shown my face there a couple more times. Sian: I play mostly at WW2 re-enactment battles so my kit is normally wool BD and I carry an MP40. I know you both play modern battles as well – what’s your preferred load out? Carrie: For a long time I borrowed guns from my friends. Much as I was itching to own one after my very first skirmish it allowed me to make an informed decision about which one to go for, once I was in a position to buy one. In the end I went for a Jing Gong MP5A4. I’m very much a Heckler and Koch fangirl anyway, but in-game I found the MP5A4 light and easy to use, with the added bonus of having a solid shoulder stock so I could use it like a miniature assault rifle. Carly: British DPM, with a drop pouch, Glock holster and vest. I normally bring my SCAR or AUG. Sian: And what kind of skirmishing to you enjoy? GIRLS N GUNS Carrie: I really like outdoor skirmishing in woodland and prefer themed-days to short games, but CQB is also good. I dislike games that place severe limitations on use of ammunition and find games with medic (as opposed to regen) rules annoying. Carly: I prefer a skirmish where people play by the rules and don’t go off self-healing themselves when they think a marshal isn’t looking. I’d also say a whole weekend game, where you camp over and have a laugh with everyone. Carly: I love the sport and the people are great, and after a while you get to know each other and end up being good mates. The games are enjoyable, exhilarating and intelligent. I love using certain tactics to overcome the opposing team and win. Carrie: One thing I really like about the Sian: Definitely, apart from the hangovers! airsoft demographic is that you get a wide variety of ages co-operating in teams; I learned as much from 13-year-olds as I ever did from middle-aged ex-servicemen. Do you have any favourite sites? Sian: From our experiences it seems clear Carly: Yeah I do. It’s Airsoft Skirmish, TAG that there is no ‘typical’ female airsofter. The things we get from airsoft are as varied as our male counterparts’. The one thing we all agree on was that it is awesome fun. So if you’re a woman reading this, maybe thinking about getting down to your first event, don’t hesitate – you probably won’t be the only lady there and you might soon find you’ve got a new favourite hobby. And if all else fails you can use the giggling-bush technique™ as a surefire way to find love. ■ Wood near Worcester. Sian: What keeps on bringing you back to airsoft? Carrie: At one time I played airsoft every fortnight. Nowadays I’ll sign up at the drop of a hat if someone suggests going skirmishing as a one-off for a special occasion. There are really only two reasons why I don’t play every week: time and money. www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 089