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NBC gas masks

4K views 30 replies 15 participants last post by  jimb1972 
#1 ·
While I am prepared for a pandemic with N99 masks, I have no NBC capability. How many of you have NBC gas masks and what kind?
 
#5 · (Edited)
While I no longer live near any nuke plants, I used to be within an hours drive. As far as poison gas, thousands of shipments of hazardous chemicals travel over the highways and railways everyday. An accident with one could easily mean a gas cloud of deadly consequences. The Bhopal disaster in 1984 or the 1987 (I think) release of never gas outside Salt Lake City. An NBC mask covers all.
I'm more concerned over an accidently release of a hazardous gas. While I don't have the type of suit the military has, I do have the white bunny suits that are readily available. According to what they show in the specs. it is better than nothing until I can afford to spend more money.
As I asked at first, anybody out there got the equipment?
 
#6 ·
I have masks for the entire family, they were extremely cheap when I bought them 10 years ago. I am not overly concerned about the risk of chemical attack but I have a hard time resisting a good sale, I also have multiple spare filters for each.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Get a box of maintenance tyvek suits sold at Amazon.
We use these a lot water, chemical proof and just throw them away.

http://www.amazon.com/DuPont-TY122S-Disposable-Elastic-Coverall/dp/B0008F4HPQ/ref=pd_sim_indust_1
They are only about $7 a peace.

They are good to have for any job that is so dirty or contaminated that you don't want to get stuff on your clothes or skin.

I just ordered 5 myself. Noticed the high rating it seem all the people that gave it a 4 instead of 5 was because they ordered the wrong size.
 
#10 ·
As a former CBR officer i would have told you a mask for nuclear radiation is useless. However with terrorism and the threat of dirty bombs one might prove useful. Ordinarily your body exposure would have made a mask pointless. Putting on a mask until you can get up wind of a dirty bomb where you can shower and dispose of your cloths now seems like good prepping.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the heads up GT.

As far as radiation, I understand a mask does nothing to stop radiation. But it does stop the inhalation of radioactive materials that are radioactive. Once you are out of the radioactive area you can be decontaminated, but if you inhale or ingest radioactive materials, your in deep sh!t. A mask is only a small part of being prepared for a radioactive event.
 
#12 ·
Correct me if I'm wrong but don't you have to replace the filters every 20 minutes? Not to say I haven't placed these along with chem suits in my prepper supplies but I have been looking at some of the respirators at my local hardware store that I can readily stock up on filters instead of the surplus stuff.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Good question. The last time I used the masks was escaping the Cedar fire in San Diego that burnt 200,000 acres and killed many people. My daughter who was two at the time still ended up in the hospital for smoke inhalation. I remember being more scared in my life looking at my daughter, driving illegally down a closed HWY 8 with nothing but destruction on both sides of the HWY. I look at masks for more than just chemical attacks but anything that could arise.
 
#16 ·
Seems to me that if you are sheltering in place, you don't have to worry about decontamination and body suits but DO need to worry about toxic gases/vapors that you cannot totally seal out so an NBC mask itself would be all you need. But if traveling or trying to bug out to your hidey-hole, THEN the cheap TYVEK suits that are out there seem like a reasonable option. Thoughts?
 
#18 ·
I have several Israli military gas masks - they are a little nicer than he super old civilian versions, and I have brand new NATO canisters to go with them. I also have several tyvek suits but just saw some neat looking surplus German NBC suits in thesportsmansguide.

Meangreen - to answer your question I believe the NATO canisters are supposed to last about 8 hours, at least thats what the details with my masks said - but of course they put a nice caveat on there saying that they may need to be replaced as soon as 45 minutes if in a heavily gassed area.

Do I really think a gas attack would happen? No. For about ~$100 I have suits, masks and backup filters just in case - although a chemical spill or nuclear leak are other possibilities - especially if I am trying to drive to a bugout location.
 
#24 ·
The problem is that most nuclear, biological and chemical agents won't be stopped with just a mask. Most will be absorbed or penetrate the skin so you would need a full suit. How long can you stay alive in a full NBC suit? Answer; three days in good weather?
 
#26 ·
I'm living in an area that is about as safe as any. I would have to go through a lot of area to get to a place that is any safer. Besides, I couldn't imagine driving in an NBC suit and walking in one for any distance would kill me.
 
#27 ·
You're lucky. I had and will have major highways and railways too close to my house. While I might have to evacuate, I am also prepared to bug in and seal up a room to try and protect wife and me from chem spill. Which is the most realistic scenario I believe would happen.
 
#28 ·
Paraquack.... the Israeli masks are a good buy. They still issue them in their schools and to the general public. There are a few places you can buy them. I would get 6 canisters per person to stock up on. I have one myself and it fits very well. My bug out bag has 3 tyvex suits, gloves and duct tape. Radiation comes in many forms, you cant normally escape gamma or xrays, but alpha and beta particles are to be avoided and are found in fallout. Tyvex suits will prevent particles from landing directly on your skin and the mask will prevent inhalation. Once in a safe area, decontamination is simply scrubbing your skin in a shower, there is nothing special about decon. I also have potassium iodide tablets that are readily available and cheap.

I think neing prepared for the most likely scenario first is ideal, but after that start to add more preparedness options. I see nothing wrong with what you are asking or doing.
 
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