Vipers first impressions.

It’s always nice to hear from players when they like are gear (we even like to know when we don’t quite get it right).. But sometimes someone goes the extra mile and writes a full review. Check this out below from Kerry “Viper” Rosenberry

My first weekend with my new Eclipse gear.......

I just thought I would put something together for those of you contemplating purchasing gear from Planet Eclipse. I recently went out for a day of recball and used my new Eclipse gear for the first time. Here are my impressions.

Eclipse HDE camo pants: As soon as you pick these up and handle them you get a sense of just how tough they are. The material looks great and feels very durable. It truly feels like protective gear designed to withstand punishment and the elements. Once you put them on your really begin to discover how well-thought-out the design is. Heavy-duty stretch material in the crotch, ventilating panels, and integrated pads in the knees and hips secured by rock-solid stitching gives you the sense that they will last forever and protect you from scrapes and bruises. Zippered on standard front pockets that are deep and solid. You feel like you could carry keys and money on the field without danger of losing them. Cargo pockets on the thighs have concealed zipper-pockets behind them as well. Throw in adjustments on the waist, a swab pocket on each calf, and cinches on eth cuffs that have little Velcro retainers for the cinch cords to keep them from flopping around and catching on things and you will be hard-pressed to find any way to improve them.

Eclipse HDE camo jersey: Everything you wouldwant and more. Good looks, heavy-duty stitching, some good ventilation, and a little extra padding to protect you from bumps and scrapes. Now here are the things you wouldn’t expect…there are four Velcro panels with Eclipse patches attached. You can pull these off and use the Velcro to attach nameplates and team patches. And now the cool part; behind each of the Velcro panels on each bicep is a hidden, zippered pocket. How cool is that?

And my Geo2.1: I could write a book! It comes in a padded, protective case that includes a full set of ball-end hex wrenches (yes, ball-end ones!) and the most extensive spares kit I have seen. Gaskets, o-rings, lube, the works. The marker itself is sleek-looking and well-balanced. The trigger has a nice feel to it. And speaking of the trigger, this alone amazed me. Sure it’s four way adjustable. Lots of those out there. But get this…like a magnetic trigger or do you refer a spring? Do you prefer an optical trigger or do you like a micro-switch? This trigger can be any of these or any combination. This alone impressed me before I fired my first ball.

The barrel on the Geo2.1 has Planet Eclipse’s popular design queues including a reverse threaded tip and a design that has the ball travelling off of a travers instead of onto one by having the back thread down into the tip instead of the other way around like many others.

I screwed on my HPA tank. The Geo2.1 features a little sliding on/off. It’s fast and simple with a great low-profile, low-drag feel and when it’s on…it’s on. You won’t find your air accidentally turned off during play.

I gassed it up, loaded some balls in the hopper, and turned it on. The user interface is simple and easy to use once you familiarize with the scrolling and double clicks. The backlit display is easy to read and fires right up. No waiting for boot times.

So I walked the trigger and fired a string of paintballs. There is almost no kick. It’s like the balls just come flowing out of the barrel. It was amazingly quiet too.

Another nice inclusion was a “Training Mode” that provides an audible for every trigger pull and disables the solenoid and the shot counter. This allows you to sit at home, tune your trigger, and practice your trigger technique without making a lot of noise of adding shots to your shot counter. A great idea in my opinion.

All in all there was nothing about the HDE soft goods, or the Geo2.1, that I didn’t find impressive, well-thought out, or well manufactured. You really get the impression that everything that Planet Eclipse produces was conceived by paintballers who knew what we needed, and that they went to great lengths to put quality above profit margins and production costs.

If your goal is to get the best quality gear I would strongly recommend that you take a good, close look at Planet Eclipse. You will be as impressed as I am, of that I have no doubt.

Kerry “Viper” Rosenberry
Viper Paintball Scenarios