Gas Masks - Protecting your family

[side_job]

I have been giving a lot of consideration to purchasing my family a set of decent gas masks. It is my fear that in our near future have a pandemic spread across this country of ours, either natural biological (avian flu, similar flu to 1918) or tactical release of biological agent or a dirty bomb scenario. Point being, when thousands begin to get sick, it will be too late to try and outfit the family with respiratory protection. That brings us to the question of what are the choices? My time with uncle Sam, I befriended the M17 with the hood, and heavy NBC suit. Pricing one of those now, is a bit expensive. The other question is how old would such a mask be? Some of those out there are pre-Korean war vintage. I'm not sure I want to count on that protecting me from any type toxin. Does anyone have any advice or personal experience with different masks, and suggested sources for purchase. The mask that I am currently leaning to is found at this link.
http://www.jrhenterprises.com/product.s ... ductId=179
My concerns with the Isreali M15 is the age of the masks, and the fact that they do not come with a hood.

[LiveOak]

sidejob this is just my opinion but I came to the conclusion that these mask although they do work pretty well only prolong the inevitable. You have to come out of it sometime to attend to nature's calls. These masks especially with the hood will cause the wearer to sweat unbelievable profuse. The loss of the body's water at such a rate will soon result in severe dehydration, not to mention heat protestration in warm climates.

During my time in the first Gulf War MANY of us found that we were more fixed on getting out of buildings of bunkers during a Scud mission attack.

These mask again in my opinion are quit suitable for short term (read a few hours in warm climate to perhaps a day in cold climate) use against tear gas or other non-persistent chemical attacks .

If the terms of life were to be forced to live inside of an M-17 and a MOPP suit...........I am not sure I would want to live in those conditions. I point you to Revelations......where is points out those who pass on first will be the fortunate ones.

Not trying to be a gloom and doomer.... these chemical suits and mask are NOT fun to wear and are VERY taxing on the body over time. To be effective, the masks must be worn with the entire MOPP suit. The activate charcoal liner imprenated into the MOPP suit eventually reaches its max. ability to absorb chemicals and or become saturated with sweat and body excrements and MUST be changed out every few days or more frequently depending upon condition.

Been there......done that......got the T-shirt, sweat pants, sneakers, and baseball cap. Not saying it is impossible to do but just not worth it in my opinion.

[side_job]

I agree that MOPP gear is no picnic, my interest is more in the 0 minute to 4 hour scenario. With a minimal investment, my squad can have a basic respiratory protection, if nothing else, while we attempt to leave the zone. As you know, they are not intended for an extended period, but those few minutes that you do need them, you really need them. I also think that a more or I guess less restrictive medical type mask, or perhaps a Moldex like this...



Would be most effective with a threat of flu or biological air-borne pathogens.

Does anyone think the med-surgical masks are worth the money?

[308gun]

I would say yes get a gas mask , the greatest use would be after a nuke attack (dirty ) this is very likly to happen , the thing to do after such attack is stay inside in out of the wind for as long as you can, then use mask for short trips out side 10 min. to 1/2 hr. this may be to fight off local attackers / looters etc.. also will help save you if tear/ mace attack on you , and you can keep fighting government gun getters etc.. also must have is Potassium iodate tabs for nuke fallout .. Cheaperthandirt.com has good gas mask from $ 9.95 to $ 29.97 filters for $ 7.97 they are good till seal is broken , that is not true about you must always have suit on ... I have been in gas chambers under 3 different types of gas , and only had mask ,, also had to take mask off and put it back on and clear it , also at cheaperthatdirt is biochemical suite for $ 11.99 that will work, also any good rain suit and hood will work well too .. sometimes a little goes a long way , the people who lost and die give up before they start , it's how you think and God's GRACE that saves you , I walked point in Combat for a year , and everyone who said they were not going to make it , DIdNoT make it, I loved being in danger 2 to 15 miles out front alone , If it did not look right, sound right , or feel right that's because it was not ! TO SURVIVE follow your inner self , forget laws, rules, and orders ETC> ... YOU CAN MAKE IT > 308gun

[Toepopper]

Several years ago I purchased 2 Israeli gas masks and a case of NATO screw on filters for my wife and me. They came with a British Army carrying case and were brand new never issued. These masks were advertised as being manufactured for civilians in Israel. There is no hood, although I did by 2 gas mask hoods at a surplus store that were meant to fit an American M-17 mask. Any gas mask you buy is supposed to be fitted to your face just like a pair of shoes or gloves. Too large a mask will not seal against your face and gas agent will leak through. If you have a beard or a 3 day stubble the mask won't seal correctly. If a mask is too small it will cut off circulation in your face and your face turns purple. I went through gas mask training twice while in the M.C. and it was no picnic. Once in infantry training regiment and the second time was in staging battalion just before being shipped off to die in Viet Nam in 1967. We did the routine where we took off the mask, replaced and cleared it, then had to take it off before we ran out of the gas chamber so as to experience the effects of CS gas on the human body. My nose turned into a fire hydrant expelling copious amounts of mucas and my throat felt like it was on fire. Took 5 minutes before I could see straight and my eyes stopped tearing. We did not have hoods or charcoal lined suits, they had not been invented yet.
I agree with 308gun and believe a gas mask could save your bacon and allow you the necessary time to clear out of the contaminated area. Some nerve gas agents are obsorbed directly through your skin so a mask will not be effective. That surgical mask might stop you from inhaling some of the released agent but if your eyes are left unprotected you will become almost blind.

[side_job]

I am familiar with the fire hydrant hose, as I too had my fun with CS at Ft. Lost-in-the-woods, I think the Isreali masks come in 2 different models, 1 being the M-15 military style and the other being the 'civilian' model. I will probably place my order this evening or over the weekend depending on how much time I find. I think the surgical masks should be included in your preps for instances of viral pandemic, not necessarily a weaponized release, but I do think they would have been helpful during the flu pandemic of 1918.

Watchman Note: - A double-yea on the surgical masks and possibly dust and pollen masks. My wife is asthmatic and the dust masks have prevented problems.

[acet7]

I have a question on msa millenium gas mask with a cbrn filters. The my filters expired on 4/09 (per package) is that really a good date or do you think they will last another year or two kind of like mre's?

[Toepopper]

Is that a screw on filter with the standard NATO thread? If so, and they are a charcoal based filter they will last indefinately as long as the package it comes in remains sealed. Try and store them in a dry cool atmosphere, like all other survival supplies.

[Toepopper]

The last time I was there, Safetrek Outfitters in Bozeman Montana sells several different types of new masks. Also try Surplus City in Sparks Nevada. They sell new military masks from many foreign countries as well as the American M17 mask system. The M17 is a good mask but it must be fitted to your particular face size. If you buy a mask that is too large it won't seal properly and will not work. Also, the M17 may be hard to get replacement filters for because they are flat filters mounted in the cheeks of the mask. The newer masks have NATO standard filters that screw onto the mask with a standardized thread.
I see WW1 era gas masks for sale and a lot of new in the box Russian WW2 military masks and they are cheap. I would not bet my life on them working properly. Better to invest in a newer model. The latest military/police force masks have the screw on NATO filter positioned off to the left side of the mask to make it easier to shoulder and fire a rifle. The latest U.S. issue is the M-40 and M-42 series of masks. They cost about $175 the last time I checked but like everything else the price has probably jumped way up as the civilian/surplus demand skyrocketed. These new masks come with a drinking tube so you can quench your thirst from a canteen during long periods of mask use and they have the standard NATO screw on filter mounted on the left side of the mask.