FILLING/ARMING: Only use clean tap water to fill water balloons. The balloon (depending on the type being used) should be filled until the rubber is stretched a decent amount. Filling too little might result in the balloon not breaking on contact. Filling too much and it will drench one's feet at the filling station.

There are two ways to fasten the balloon. The standard is to tie a knot at the opening. The other is simple to twist the opening about 10-15 times and fasten it with a clothes-pin or one of those large paperclips. When throwing, the fastener is first removed, then the balloon is thrown. Since there is no knot, it unravels mid-flight and begin to spray, giving the balloon a larger area effect. However, there should still be enough water to adequately drench the intended target.

TRANSPORTING: How many balloons one should carry really depends on the type of mission one is on. Snipers should really only have at most 1 - 2 balloons since the balloons can be a personal threat when running. Heavy geared people can carry as many balloons as they wish.

It is recommended that balloons be transported in some form of plastic bag. The bag cradles the balloons such that the chance of early rupture is minimized. Also, should the balloons break, the water is kept contained and can be used for other things (i.e. refilling if need be).

It has recently been brought to our attention that some find that plastic bags may tear due to the weight of the water balloons. An email message received suggested the use of potato bags instead of plastic bags for transporting water balloons. Though these bags may not contain the water of a ruptured balloon, they are also less prone to breaking.

USING: Water balloons should really be reserved either for initial distractions/attacks or close-encounters/last resort attacks. Nowadays, water balloons are not as effective as the other water weaponry available. They are also not very environmentally friendly so try to minimize their use.

Aiming is everything when using water balloons. Once they are thrown, there is no way to redirect them. One should also ensure that the balloon is thrown with enough force so that the enemy has little chance of catching it and sending it back one's way. The range of the water balloon really depends on the type of balloon and the user. One may wish to practice soaking objects with some test balloons before using them on the field. One thing one does not want to learn is that one has bad aim in the heat of the battle. Range can be increased by using a sling-shot, but aim just requires practice.