[kev]

Over the years I have had a difficult time justifying buying gas mask and other biological and chemical survival gear.

The nearest chemical plants are about 100 miles south of my location.

The nearest biological and chemical warfare targets are between 2 - 5 hours drive north and south, which are houston to the south, and dallas to the north.

If I lived in a large metropolitan area with chemical plants, or if I lived in a location that was a good target for some kind of biological or chemical attack, then maybe I would buy some of the gear.

So I am kinda on the fence as to buying a good quality gas mask. If anything, maybe a gas mask would help if there was an outbreak of an airborne infection.

I am looking at some of the Israeli M15 military gas mask that will fit a nato filter, but I do not want to buy something that has been sitting in a warehouse for 20 years and dry rotted around the seals.

But where do you draw the line on biological protection? I have a case of N95 (the case has not been opened) facemask for airborne infections. A military grade gas would offer much better protection then the N95. If anything, maybe I should buy 1 or 2 M40 mask?

The M17 seems to be about half the price as an M40. So would the M17 be a better buy over the M40?

 

[backwoodsbullets]

Im in the same boat almost like you are. Id like to kniw that awnser to. I have St. Louis 100+ mi north but south the next big city is 180+ mi away.we gave dust masks for a earthquake like that. But. Dont know if should get some for sure c
gas masks to.

 

[Vectorwoman]

I am in a rural area and wish I could afford some kind of mask protection. I just can't. I am not sure why it would be needed but if it does become needed it would be a nice thing to have.

 

[Vectorwoman]

I just thought that a wandering contaminated person might would somehow travel and wander up to your land and you would need it then. If there had been a biological attack.

 

[AlgoRhythms]

Over the years I have had a difficult time justifying buying gas mask and other biological and chemical survival gear.

The nearest chemical plants are about 100 miles south of my location.

The nearest biological and chemical warfare targets are between 2 - 5 hours drive north and south, which are houston to the south, and dallas to the north.

I would say, in your case, that a gas mask would be a really low priority.

If you lived in NYC, it wouldn't.

 

[NorIDhunter]

I live just a few miles downwind of a pretty busy BNSF railroad line/crossing that moves quite a bit of / stuff down the line into Spokane and not a huge distance from the regional refueling depot (which is only about 40' above the aquifer - gotta love that ) .
So I consider a chemical event a "when" not "if" probability, the "what" & "where" is the main concern for us. We got some Israeli stuff that I hope will be sufficient, but will try to be upwind/uphill/upstream as much as possible and do my best to be able to cover up the incident with my thumb. "If you are in/at a hazmat incident and can't cover up the spill with an extended arm thumb up, you are MUCH TOO CLOSE!"

 

[wyldflwr]

Why not have the gear just in case? You could travel to any areas that are likely targets for some reason.

Also someone who's infected could come to you.

Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it if you think something like this could actually be a concern. I work for an insurance company. I'd worked there for about a year when the entire building was escorted to the main floor and herded into the cafeteria. We were all being quarantined while white powder that came out of an envelope in the mailroom was being checked. Thankfully it was talcum powder, but I wished I was prepared for that then and I wasn't. It was not a good feeling, but it was something I had decided wasn't a risk, it's an insurance company for crying out loud. My mistake, fortunately not a fatal one.

 

[TAKEZO]

I just love these dunce who stock up on gas masks and chem gear.
What a waste of money and time--not to mention stupidity.

First off... if you stock up, you also have to stock up on mask filters. FYI--these will only last a few hours before they have to be replaced, and they have to be replaced in a "decontaminated area." ... which few on this forum know how to do without killing themselves being exposed to the stuff they are trying to shield themselves from.

This stuff is a waste of money is you are trying to shield yourself from chemical and bio agents--you're doomed if this happens.

But if you want to shield yourself from say CN, CS or regurgitants--then yes, this is a good idea. All you need is a good mask and a couple of spare filters.

ST

 

[Tampagt07]

I live just a few miles downwind of a pretty busy BNSF railroad line/crossing that moves quite a bit of / stuff

I think NorIDhuter hit the nail on the head..I would seriously look into how far you are from a railroad line that moves all kinds of hazardous gases and chemicals...It is really a good idea to even carry some equipment while you are out and about in your vehicle..You never really know when a tanker car could be ruptured...There is also a lot of nasty stuff on the roadways and highways...Just something to consider...

 

[his1911]

I've thought about chem/bio gear but haven't gotten any as of yet and may not. My figuring ( and some will argue) is that you not only have to have a mask for most chem/bio warfare but suits and gloves and overboots etc. Not to mention it's nice to have the detection kit and equipment to identify what agents are being used, you also would need differing filters for certain chem attack for improved effectiveness not to mention the active use life of filters are measured in hours in a contaminated environment. Like a earlier poster mentioned you also have to know how to properly change filters and gear in a chem env, plus skills needed to drink and defecate/urinate in an exposed environment. It's a huge investment for what I consider a lower threat.
Now simpler set-ups just for irritants and such might be a wise direction.

 

[kev]

I just love these dunce who stock up on gas masks and chem gear.
What a waste of money and time--not to mention stupidity.

Something else that needs to be mentioned, its not fair for the adults to stock up and leave the children unprotected.

I have 4 children

My wife has 4 children - 3 of which live nearby.

My wifes kids have 12 grand kids, 8 of which leave us.

I can not afford to buy gas mask for everyone, and the other familes can not afford to buy to by mask.

 

[Cool Hand]

You know, in that situation, it might be a good idea to think about a room that is prepped for such a situation. Economically speaking, it would be much easier to provide the basics for a single room than it would be to provide mobility for eveyone. Just a way to hedge your bets and give you something that might provide you with a little more time to think in case of an incident.

Not perfect, but considering the situation, a decent alternative.

 

[goose3]

Why not have the gear just in case? You could travel to any areas that are likely targets for some reason.

The whole business of preparedness is one of making compromises, unless you are so wealthy that no choice is driven by financial considerations.

If you do not have an adequate supply of water, or ways to make potable water, should you put gas masks ahead of that need?

Are gas masks more important than a grain mill?

Or a solar battery charger?

And in the end, how much can you afford, and of what?


As for Kev's original question, I live in a small town in a rural area. I'm unaware of any chemical plant nearby whose demise would put me at risk. I'm not concerned about chemical attacks--we're not a juicy-enough target.

I did recently buy some "flu" masks but not a ton of them. I'm not sure how a gas mask or other breathing apparatus would be all that helpful against a biological threat--you have to eat and drink sometime. Chemicals can disperse to a less-than-harmful level in a fairly short amount of time, or you can head upwind or off-wind from their plume, I don't see a lot of defense against biologicals.

It's a scenario I consider much less likely than a lot of others, including financial collapse scenarios, so prepping for chemical and biological is not on my radar at present.

 

[ForestBeekeeper]

We have Mk-5 gas masks that I got while I was on Active Duty. They are pre-fitted for each of us. However once you pop the seal on the filters, they can only be exposed to fresh air [humidity] for up to 5 hours before they become carcinogenic, and we have few replacement filters.

I think that as a military / government strategy, gases are best used on crowds and dense population centers. One crop-duster flying over a city can effect millions of people.

Out where it is rural, you could crop-dust for days and still not get but a small portion of the population.

With this in mind, I seriously doubt that gas masks will be needed for anyone living in a rural area.

 

[BigDudeGeorge]

I think when prepping for something like this, you need to consider where you are and the weather. If you're in the middle of nowhere, but you are within a few hundred miles of a major metro area and the usual prevailing winds are toward you, then it might be a good idea. It's probably not the most important thing on the list, but it should be on there somewhere.

 

[dontbuypotteryfromme]

Hendra virus for example.

 

[seawind]

If you are really worried I'd look into making my shelter bio/chem safe ie neg. pressure,air filters. As pointed out masks are a short term response. Unless you carry them 24/7 or can access them quickly they won't do you any good. If you have the money and the worry sure go ahead. For most of us, well some thing are just left to fate.

 

[Westfalia]

I would say that knowledge and a basic understanding of the subject is much more important than protective gear. In a real situation knowing what areas that is safe and what area that is not will be the most critical aspect. I would recommend that people first learn how to secure their own home, close ventilation etc before they get a gas mask / suit. Especially biological warfare would be an extremely hard situation to handle since you may not know that the threat exists because of the incubation time.

If you decide to get an gasmask try to get a chance to try it out in a location where they use mace; since the shape of people’s faces vary some mask do not fit closely enough on some people and it may leak and thereby provide no protection even if the filter work as they should.

 

[Robot]

Do you live near a train yard, or track. Toxic Chemicals go through there everyday. I work next to a train yard. They have windsocks there for a reason. I keep a Gas Mask in my desk.

 

[MtnBikeMike]

If you can afford it get it, nothing is rural in america today...