improvised gas masks?

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dannyboy71me

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I saw on the internet people in Syria were making gas masks from paper cups, plastic bags, tape, cotton and charcoal. Even if one had military gear wouldnt ya need an atropine injector and the antidote to the atropine? The concern is sarin gas. Wondering how one would test the effectiveness of such. Any volunteers? Lol
 
If I heard someone might drop sarin or chlorine bombs on my location any time now, you can bet your ### I would be whipping up some impromptu NBC gear, post haste.

I'm not sure how effective sarin is. I was stationed in Japan when that cult released it two stations from my gf's train station.

Lots of people lived. On the news, they showed people literally dusted with powder, coughing, but they recovered.

Maybe the cult didn't make good sarin, I don't know.
 
I saw on the internet people in Syria were making gas masks from paper cups, plastic bags, tape, cotton and charcoal. Even if one had military gear wouldnt ya need an atropine injector and the antidote to the atropine? The concern is sarin gas. Wondering how one would test the effectiveness of such. Any volunteers? Lol
I actually have a lot to say about this, as I'm an ex-paramedic with HAZMAT training and actual field experience using protective stuff.

When it comes to gas masks, I think they're good to have for certian reasons...but are a very low priority item.

First, nerve agents like sarin, tabun, soman, VX, VN, and the newer Novichok agents get absorbed quite readily through the skin.

You can have the best gas mask system in the world, and it may add five minutes to your life (at best) if you're exposed to any of the above nerve agents even in small quantities.

Also, gas masks have expiration dates, and many of the surplus models are past their sell-by date. It's the same with the filters. Also, many surplus masks contain large residues of inhalable asbestos dust.

If you really want to concern yourself with sarin and similar stuff, you need to be fully encapsulated in a protective suit...and most (but not all) protective suits are only good for 8 hours or so.

As for atropine, it can help keep you alive in some circumstances...but it's meant to be used in conjunction with full-fledged decontamination facilities. Multiple injections of atropine may prolong life a bit, but it's like giving a nitro tablet to a man suffering a massive heart attack.

As for the Novichok agents, many of them are 25 to 70 times more potent than sarin. A half-gallon of the stuff would be enough to kill every human being on Manhattan Island.

How does anyone think that a gas mask would do any more than buy a tiny amount of time under the circumstances?

Now...as for what they're good for?

I like the idea of full-face respirators and gas masks in a pandemic. I like the idea of a NATO NBC cartridge (good for biological warfare) protecting me from a respiratory disease. This is also good for riot agents like tear gas (CS gas and CN gas) which are used by the police.

You've all seen those hand-pumped sprayers for garden insecticides? I keep one so I can fill it with bleach water and spray down a masked person exposed to a patient with, say, MERS or avian flu.

The vast majority of the time, a gas mask is useless.
 
I actually have a lot to say about this, as I'm an ex-paramedic with HAZMAT training and actual field experience using protective stuff.

When it comes to gas masks, I think they're good to have for certian reasons...but are a very low priority item.

First, nerve agents like sarin, tabun, soman, VX, VN, and the newer Novichok agents get absorbed quite readily through the skin.

You can have the best gas mask system in the world, and it may add five minutes to your life (at best) if you're exposed to any of the above nerve agents even in small quantities.

Also, gas masks have expiration dates, and many of the surplus models are past their sell-by date. It's the same with the filters. Also, many surplus masks contain large residues of inhalable asbestos dust.

If you really want to concern yourself with sarin and similar stuff, you need to be fully encapsulated in a protective suit...and most (but not all) protective suits are only good for 8 hours or so.

As for atropine, it can help keep you alive in some circumstances...but it's meant to be used in conjunction with full-fledged decontamination facilities. Multiple injections of atropine may prolong life a bit, but it's like giving a nitro tablet to a man suffering a massive heart attack.

As for the Novichok agents, many of them are 25 to 70 times more potent than sarin. A half-gallon of the stuff would be enough to kill every human being on Manhattan Island.

How does anyone think that a gas mask would do any more than buy a tiny amount of time under the circumstances?

Now...as for what they're good for?

I like the idea of full-face respirators and gas masks in a pandemic. I like the idea of a NATO NBC cartridge (good for biological warfare) protecting me from a respiratory disease. This is also good for riot agents like tear gas (CS gas and CN gas) which are used by the police.

You've all seen those hand-pumped sprayers for garden insecticides? I keep one so I can fill it with bleach water and spray down a masked person exposed to a patient with, say, MERS or avian flu.

The vast majority of the time, a gas mask is useless.

Ya, I am aware of military full mopp gear. Am aware of just how toxic substances are. Chances slim even with gear and training. Bioweapons more devistating than nuclear. I am aware that all the survival preparations in the world only slightly increase my chances. We are all sitting ducks waiting for SHTF. Any recomendations on NBC gear available to civilians?
 
It's all available. You can get the charcoal lined suits, the MCU 2 poppa gas masks, the Mickey mouse boots and duct tape. Just depends on how much you want to spend, and how long you want to search.

The only reason I would have a gas mask is for riot control agents. Anything else, I don't have a cleaning station set up at the BOL, or a decon area with another fully suited person to assist me, or any of the stuff the MIL has to make all that work, MAYBE...

When I was in the Gulf, SOP for a potential chem/bio release was "suit up, and GTFO" and I doubt that's changed, and we had all the gear in the world.
 
The best idea that I could come up with is having an RV with sealed windows and doors, with a recirculator that processes the air to remove the CO2, and, perhaps, a charcoal filter to pull the air from outside and purify it on the way in.

An expensive proposition, but such a thing would give you and your family a chance by driving out of the area in a protective vehicle, which would also allow you to bring a lot of your stash.

A birdcage with finches should be available to cycle through a window airlock so you can see if they die. That's your indicator for poison gas and chemical agents, but it won't work for anthrax spores, as birds are immune to it.
 
Plus in the RV you wouldn't be sitting there, fully suited up in 100+ degree heat, wondering how high the sweat is going to reach up your boots. For HOURS and HOURS lol. I have this bottle, and I can connect it to my drinking tube, but.... Should I? Hahaha yeah. We could have used more training, hindsight being 20/20.
 

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