Going Vestless

It’s interesting how even after 400+ laser tag arenas I am still having first experiences at arenas along my journey, like going vestless. Now obviously I have played plenty of tactical laser tag that are vestless in that they are just phaser and headset combos that do not normally utilize a full laser tag vest, but this past weekend I made an impromptu stop to Puttin Plus in Saugerties, NY where I was delighted to find them using Laser Blast’s vestless CyberBlast option, which was my first time playing with a phaser-only version of one of the major traditional tag systems.

I have been aware of this seasonal mini-golf course for awhile and have wanted to pay a visit, but my travels never took me in this direction during their open season before now. This time, as I was on my way home from Long Island, I hit the timing just right and was able to stop by and get in a game at a rather unique arena.

I met owner Sherry Elkind who told me she and her husband have owned this business for 26 years and they added the laser tag about 15 years ago. She says her customers love the Laser Blast’s vestless CyberBlast equipment and that they have used this manufacturer’s gear for the entire time they have had laser tag as an attraction at their site.

She sent me in for a 1v1 game with second generation staff member Josh (whose mother used to work here too making it a family tradition!) and he showed me the rack of phasers before we entered the 45x60 ft arena.

This is exactly the kind of homegrown laser tag experience that I really enjoy. Unlike the cookie cutter “sameness” that I see in so many arenas, this arena was cool because it was so unique! Sometimes you have to sift through the dirt to find the diamonds. And sometimes you stumble onto those diamonds in the rough, which also makes them special.

The arena feels larger than it is thanks to open windows in the walls, reflective surfaces and LOTS of turns, corridors and little alcoves.

It has a dungeon/Halloween theme going on and the way the arena is built makes the theme feel like a perfect match to the space.

There are walls accented with a sheet of metal. Not a mirror exactly, but reflective enough to effectively bounce a shot and tag the light reflection off of it.

This whole experience was a blast (or should I say a CyberBlast) and it was refreshing to get to play in an arena so original in its design that was simply a lot of fun on this beautiful day out at Puttin Plus.