Buy Gas Masks

More and more people this year will buy gas masks to protect their families in the case of a nuclear or biological catastrophic event. A gas mask is a device that is secured to the head with straps and when applied properly, will form an air tight seal over the wearer’s nose, mouth and eyes offering protection from inhaling airborne particles such as toxic gases and biological pollutants such as bacteria and viruses.

M40 Gas Mask

Many people who buy gas masks will not be sure of what to get as they are available in different styles with varying levels of protection against toxic materials. Toxic airborne contaminants can be either gaseous in nature or particle based such as bacteria and viruses. If you want the best protection you will want to buy gas masks which protect you from both of these types of contaminants. The abundance of different gas mask products on the market may make it difficult for the average person to know which one is right for them. Therefore, we have listed some key points to consider before you make your purchase:

1. Always buy gas masks that are new. Never buy used or surplus. Surplus gas masks are surplus for a reason. They are usually old and possibly defective or have expired, ineffective filters in them. The same goes for used masks. Don’t trust your life on someone else’s junk.
2. Avoid the following masks altogether as they have proven to be ineffective and are obsolete yet they can still be found on the E-bay market and other auction sites:
* Russian M41 Aardvark Protective Mask
*  Canadian M69 C-3 and C-4
* Canadian C-4 Protective Masks
* Russian/German M-10-M Protective Mask
* Russian SMS Snorkel Protective Mask
* M9 and M9A1 Protective Mask
3. The best masks are those with a HEPA filter (ideally coupled with chromium-free impregnated carbon that filters both inorganic warfare agents like chlorine,   phosgene, cyanide as well as organic agents like VX, sarin, tabun, mustard gas and lewisite).
4. Make sure the mask is NATO or NIOSH rated
5. A gas mask is only as good as its filter. Gas canister and filters should be NBC, which give protection against chemical, biological and nuclear agents.
6. New top of the line gas mask usually range from $150 – $200. Very acceptable gas mask start at $75 on average.

Some of the best NATO rated NBC gas masks that will provide you with a great level of protection are:

* M40 ($265)) Most Popular
* MSA Millennium CBA-RCA Gas Mask ($288)
* M-95 Military Mask Kit ($175)

In the next post we will break down how a gas mask actually works.

Gas Mask

A gas mask is a device designed to protect the wearer from noxious vapors, dust, and other pollutants. Masks may be designed to carry their own internal supply of fresh air, or they may be outfitted with a filter to screen out harmful contaminants. The latter type, known as an Air Purifying Respirator (APR), consists of a tight-fitting face piece that contains one or more filter cartridges, an exhalation valve, and transparent eye pieces. The first APR was patented in 1914 by Garret Morgan of Cleveland, Ohio, an African American inventor also credited with major improvements in the traffic signal. When the Cleveland Waterworks exploded in 1916, Morgan showed the value of his invention by entering the gas-filled tunnel under Lake Erie to rescue workers. Morgan’s device later evolved into the gas mask, used in World War I to protect soldiers against chemicals used in warfare. Since that early time, there have been significant advances in gas mask technology, particularly in the area of new filtration aids. In addition, masks have been made more comfortable and tighter fitting with modern plastics and silicone rubber compounds.

Today air purifying respirator gas masks are used to filter many undesirable airborne substances, including toxic industrial fumes, vaporized paint, particulate pollution, and some gases used in chemical warfare. These masks are produced in several styles… half gas mask which only cover the mouth and nose and full face gas mask which cover the entire face, including the eyes. They may be designed for military as well as industrial use but, even though the two types are similar in design, the military masks must meet different standards than those used in industry.

A full face gas mask consists of a filter cartridge, flexible face covering piece, transparent eye lenses, and a series of straps and bands to hold the device snugly in place. The filter cartridge is a plastic canister that contains a filtration aid. Carbon based filters are commonly used because they can adsorb large quantities of organic gases, especially high molecular weight vapors like those used in chemical warfare. However, inorganic vapors are not usually strongly adsorbed on carbon. The adsorptive properties of carbon can be enhanced by impregnating the particles with specific reactants or decomposition catalysts. Such chemically treated carbon is known as “activated carbon.” The type of activated carbon employed in a given filter cartridge depends on the specific type of industrial contaminant to be screened. For example, carbon treated with a combination of chromium and copper, known as “Whetlerite carbon,” has been used since the 1940s to screen out hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen chloride, and formaldehyde. Today, due to concerns about chromium toxicity, a combination of molybdenum and triethylenediamine is used instead. Other types of activated carbon employ silver or oxides of iron and zinc to trap contaminants. Sodium-, potassium- and alkali-treated carbon are used to absorb sewage vapors (hydrogen sulfide), chlorine, and other harmful gases. The “skirt,” or face-covering piece, of the mask is used to hold the other components in place and to provide a secure seal around the face area. Depending upon mask design, an exhalation valve may be inserted in the face piece. This one-way valve allows exhaust gases to be expelled without allowing outside air into the mask. The eyepieces used in gas masks are chemically resistant, clear plastic lenses. Their main function is to ensure the wearer’s vision is not compromised. Depending on the industrial environment in which the mask is to be used, the eyepieces may have to be specially treated to be shatterproof, fog resistant, or to screen out certain types of light. Most gas mask manufacturers do not make their own eyepieces; instead they are molded from polycarbonate plastic by an outside supplier and shipped to the manufacturers for assembly. The elastic straps that hold the mask on the face are typically made of silicone rubber. Supplementary straps may be added to allow the mask to be comfortably hung around the neck during breaks in work. The design of the mask itself varies by the industrial application. Some masks are designed with speech diaphragms, some are built to accept extra filters, and others are made to be connected to an external air supply. Although the fundamental design does not vary for a given type of mask, the kind of filter used will vary depending on the product’s intended use. Manufacturers stock a variety of mask styles and cartridge filters. When they receive orders for a specific type of mask, they can custom design a mask that has the appropriate features.

M95 Gas Mask

The M95 gas masks are specially designed with outstanding qualities to help combat the dangers of warfare. They render the very best in NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) protection. The attractive feature about these masks is that they are lightweight making them very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. It comes as an added guarantee that the masks will definitely not interfere in any way with the performance of the user.

The M95 gas masks are made of high quality chemical resistant materials and are cleverly fitted with a six point harness for extended wear. The extremely subtle stretch properties of the polyester/Lycra head-harness go a long way in ensuring the comfort of the wearer, especially when it has to be worn for long periods of time. The head-harness of the M95 gas mask is resistant to chemicals and aging, which is why it has a shelf life of 20 years. It is a perfect match for the protective NBC suit. It has a very favorable rating of offering individuals very high efficiency levels and is the ultimate in modern comfort and protection.

M95 gas masks have a close mask fit which allows the wearer to have an extremely wide field of vision. The M-95 gas mask has been excellently designed and it is compatible with a wide range of tactical equipment used in field operations. You may be surprised to note that these masks have very thoughtfully been fitted with a leak-proof hydration port that facilitates the intake of liquid and comes with a direct-connect canteen. It is also comforting to note that the Halo-butyl rubber used for the M95 Full Face piece has been very specifically engineered to enhance resistance to all known NBC or CBRN agents. It would therefore be safe to conclude that the very practical yet efficient M95 gas mask exceeds in almost every way all performance requirements and has effortlessly ascended the ladder of high performance, customized fit, comfort, and cost efficiency making it the number one gas mask product on the market.