Selecting a Full Mask Gas Mask

[sams]

Hello Team,

I just found out that one the PPE supplier of my local company, I don't live in the USA, sell industrial full gas masks.

So I would like your advice to choose which is the best one ? Anybody has experience with this ?

Requirements:
1- Long term storage (because I live in Africa chances of NBC attack quite low)
2- Filter out NBC particles

Available:

Full Mask
SR200

Sundstrom
Full Face Mask
DH-FFM

DROMEX UNIFIT DH-FFM FULL FACE MASK. Dual Cartridge.
3M 6000 respirator

3M(TM) 6000 Respirator
1715011

Honeywell Optifit
Single filter full‐face respirator
1715241

Honeywell
Optifit Twin full‐face respirator

[Snarg13]

You’d likely be better off with military grade if you can get it but any full face with organic vapor acid gas cartridges would be a good prep if that is all that is available to you.

Edit - Somewhat limited reply bc i was having trouble posting. I’ll edit this when I get back to my home pc where I have a more in depth answer written up.

[Morning Sunshine]

agh.... I think that years ago, Dainty did a very thorough review of civilian gas masks (she had major health problems so finding a good one was life-and-death important to her).  I will see if I can find that.


Here is a thread she started: http://thesurvivalpodcast.com/forum/index.php?topic=33100.msg369323#msg369323
She may have commented in other places as well, but there are some 1300 posts by her, and I was unwilling to search through 44 pages of posts 

side note - I still pray for her, and hope she is well.

[fritz_monroe]

1- Long term storage (because I live in Africa chances of NBC attack quite low)

I really don't think that any place has a higher or lower risk of NBC attack.  An area in Africa may not be a primary target, but could be a testing grounds for an attack.  It may be easier to acquire the materials for a weapon in some areas.  It could be less likely that an attack will be properly investigated in some areas.

[sams]

I really don't think that any place has a higher or lower risk of NBC attack.  An area in Africa may not be a primary target, but could be a testing grounds for an attack.  It may be easier to acquire the materials for a weapon in some areas.  It could be less likely that an attack will be properly investigated in some areas.

I see your point, especially in the next 10 to 20 years I bet southern africa willl be a warzone.

[Snarg13]

Said I'd get back, but it's harvest season here and it's been a bit crazy trying to get produce brought in & put up.

That thread that was mentioned; I gave it a glance and I would say it would be worth reading in depth.  I would highly recommend reading what Ken325 said. There are so many bad situations it's nearly impossible to be prepared for all of them. Industrial chemicals could become a target of opportunity. Some chemicals have histories of dangerous accidents.  When pressurized vessels bust they can inundate an area and displace the oxygen in the air. That's a bad day.   Anyway if you live in a developed area try to stay situationally aware if you can.  In the US there is a law called EPCRA - Emergency Planning and Community Right to know Act - you can find out if the industry in your back yard has super nasty chemicals.  Hopefully you have some way of finding out your surroundings.

[Hurricane]

 

[Ken325]

I sometimes work as a safety officer and I use a resperator at work.  There is a lot you need to know if your going to use a resperator safely.

• How are you going to use it?  Are you going to wear it all the time and train to put it on in 8 seconds like people in the military do?  Very inconvienient and it probably will not work.
  
• Are you going to wear it when you enter a contaminated area and then do a proper decon when you leave?  If so what is your motivation for entering a contaminated area?  Just get the heck out of there and go upwind to get away.  Don't come back.  If it is a persistant nerve agent then a drop the size of the head of a pin will kill you dead 50 years from now.  Radiation is also bad news.  Just avoid it if possible.

Some other things to consider.  Fit is very important.  I am a large man but I wear a medium resperator becasue it fits my face.  Do you have facial hair?  If it is really bad stuff, then a small leak could kill you.  You need to be able to talk, see (glasses), and move when wearing it with no leaks.

What kind of filter?  You need different kinds for different contaminates.  Some filters are good for 30 min and some for 3 hours.  What kind do you need?  Honestly, you need a profesional Industrial hygenist to pick the right one unless you use supplied air.  Then you probably only have a 30 min tank.

I personally keep my work resperator at my desk.  I work in a downtown area, and that is the most likely place I would need it for a dirty bomb or chemical attack. Everywhere else I keep cheap disposable N95 filters and plan on exiting the area as fast as possible.  If it is a non-persistant chemical that breaks down in a few hours then I will wait before entering an area.  If it is persistant, then you are better off just getting away becuse a small mistake can kill you.  You don't have air monitoring equipment.  You probably don't know what the contaminant is, and you don't know if your filter will protect you. If you screw up durring decon then you could still die. Most of the time the best answer is leave as fast as you can and don't come back till someone tells you it is safe.

[Fyrediver]

I think all of the masks you mentioned are NIOSH certified.  If not, that would be my first filter.  NIOSH and UL certified.  Then you have to select the cartridge.  I'd pick one you can stack:  acid gas/organic vapor nearest the mask and a P100 outside.  The P100 will stop oil laden vapor and particulates and the AG/OV will stop quite a bit more.  Of course it has to fit.  Beard or goatee can make it leak like Ken325 said.  Cartridges have a long shelf life if they are in their original sealed packaging.  I'd get a couple sets and extra P100 cartridges for training etc.     

What are you thinking you're trying to defeat?  Ebola?  Chemical agents (can include simple agents like Chlorine), radiological?  Dust from building collapse?

Then you need to consider the rest of you.  Tyvek/Saranex suit with hood and booties, gloves, boots. . . . Finally, the decon corridor to prevent contamination of your final destination.  Decon can be generic with soap and water with some bleach to hit the biologicals.  It can also be specific if you know what you're going after. 

[Prepper456]

what are the odds of needing one? how should i figure in for griwing children? i dont want to keep buying them.

[sams]

what are the odds of needing one? how should i figure in for griwing children? i dont want to keep buying them.

The odds are probably lower however with this CoronaVirus outbreak I am considering at least 1 for an adult in case one person has to take a bullet to move an infected person to quarantine away from the family.

Since it is adult you don't have to build new ones all the time, keep budget low, and there must be some consumer available or even trashbag+duct tape solution to isolate the rest of the body, even if in both cases I would douse myself with javel and isolate myself for at least a week or two

[Greekman]

as a few days ago, I had a look at suggested precaution in the hosp[ital level.
For both airborne and droplet spread viruses N95 masks are suggested.
And then there are N99 & N100 masks to opt for