[SpagsUnfiltered]

I do not have one in my BOB, but I still use an old school Army promask carrier for my mask. Everyone in my family has matching masks and filters. I run mask-dawning drills with my group routinely and force them to the standard people like you and I learned.

[LocalPrepper]

Good to hear.

[aztec8]

I researched masks back in 2017 because of all of the terrible wildfires in California. In doing so I found that there are masks for specific situations and conditions. Some masks are restricted for sale to people in a certain profession. I found for smoke/ash the N95 was the least expensive and I bought my son and daughter a large amount for their situation. I figured in purchasing myself a box also.

Imagine my surprise, after all of the research, when I heard about masks being needed for the virus. It said right on the insert on the box that these masks are no good against viruses. And if the N95 is no good against viruses then a simple cloth mask or a surgical mask is laughable.

To keep out viruses you most likely cannot breathe the air at all and need some sort of self-containment breathing apparatus.

[LocalPrepper]

GoodStuff™

[sunshine-homestead]

Thank you for restating this about mask vs virus. Still can’t imagine how people believe their little cloth and paper masks are a good thing. SMH. The willful ignorance is real.

[sunshine-homestead]

IMO, the only reasonable use for balaclava mask is for disguise or keeping face warmer in cold weather. It’s not going to stop a virus and not likely to stop an airborne pathogen. Might test the effectiveness of your fabric mask by wearing while using aerosol paint. If you can smell the chemicals, you’re inhaling them.

[aztec8]

There is a lot more to mask-wearing than just putting one on and much depends on the reason you need it. I had no idea till I did some research. So, it might be a good idea to have several different types of masks in the bug-out bag.

So what’s the problem with your beard? Can’t that just act like another barrier?

Not exactly. While human hair “appears to be very thin to the naked eye,” according to the CDC, it’s actually much larger in size than the particles you want to avoid inhaling. N95 masks protect you from airborne particles down to 0.3 microns, but hair thickness ranges from 1/1500 to 1/500 of an inch in diameter. So if we assume each of your beard hairs are .002 inches thick in diameter, that translates to 50.8 microns. That’s going to create a COVID-19 size entryway.

“Therefore, the vast majority of particles, gases, and vapors follow the air stream right through the facial hair and into the respiratory tract of the wearer,” according to the CDC post. “In fact, some studies have shown that even a day or two of stubble can begin to reduce protection.”

Overall, the CDC reports that any presence of facial hair that gets in the way of a respirator mask’s seal can cause 20 to 1,000 times more leakage as compared to a clean-shaven mask-wearer.

[LocalPrepper]

I have a fancy electric razor that solves all bear issues. Takes about 30 seconds.

[Monkey1]

How do you keep others from seeing it and confiscating? Has anyone researched maybe balaclavas over stuff like the anti-fa goons/ feds use ? Not discounting BOB importance. Just like bug out backpack…. Seems like you’re a target.

[sunshine-homestead]

interesting.

[BlackCatGarden]

I was told that unless you are going to carry a mask with you at all times, having one in your bugout bag where you couldn’t instantly reach it would be pointless. If it’s a chemical threat, by the time you can smell the chemical to know you need to use the mask it’s already to late, and if it’s for germs, masks don’t do much. I saw an article that said the cases of covid reinfection were greater among people that were constantly wearing masks.

[giovanni]

I agree with you on this. Back about 15 years ago while working in security for the Eli Lilly pharma, i was given a training on chemical and biological leaks during a factory emergency. The expert giving the training explained that any Chemical agent that is a hazard to the health can be absorbed via the skin {thru the pores} eyes and of course breathing. You would need a Hazmat suit to fully protect the body. A virus like corona virus of all kinds will be absorbed via the pores, eyes and mouth or nose. In order to be protected, a Hazmat suit is needed. you can see this being used in all of the Pandemic movies which shows the scientists protecting themselves fully while the rest of the population is not. What i am trying to say here is that the exposure of covid -19 was so minimum that the government and their media liars deceived the populous to used masks, gloves and other foolish things that do not protect you. the N95 mask is only capable of filtering 95% of “Dust Particles” and not virus!! Not one of the cloth medical mask filter out viruses only the full face mask used in Hazmat but again you would need the whole suit, gloves and boots to be protected. this includes using tape to seal the gloves or boots to the clothing. No one in the streets had this protection and the majority of the population survived.

[sunshine-homestead]

Well said, friend. Thank you for sharing.