Respirators & Face Masks

[Loomis]

I wanted to post these to give everyone an idea of face masks. If you have to go buy one due to Ebola or Flu you will know a little to make a good decision on what to buy.
The first one is used for Industrial purpose. It has a filter R53HE-P100. It is a half face mask with adjustable straps which makes it very comfortable to wear. It weighs 1 lb. 7.7 .oz (672g). I see people buying extra filters but inside there are small rubber dam that controls the intake and exhaust valves, these are the ones you really need to buy extra of. They don't last that long. There are medical respirators but this is close to what they look like. This is a very old one as you can see.

This one below is a Dental mask it's only purpose is to stop splashes. It might be good on a windy day to filter out big dust particles being blown around a parking lot. Other than that they don't filter out germs. It will say so on the box.

This one below is an all purpose mask that you can pick up anywhere. They are dust masks. I think I rank these as one step above nothing. They are hot. You also get to breathe in most of what you just exhaled which breaks the seal. They are hard to breathe thru. They are 3M Aseptex Molded Surgical Mask to reduce exposure to blood and body fluids. They are NOT rated N95.

The last one I am currently testing. It is a 3M 8511 N95 NIOSH TC-84A-1299. What I like about this is that it has an exhalation valve which is very comfortable. But I also notice that the rubber bands that go around the back of your head are tight and can give you a headache very quickly. The fit is very good. I will be testing this as time goes on.
I've tried to give you some idea of the different types of masks. If you know more than me please add to it. This is just a rough idea.

 

[jimLE]

the last one is the type im thinking of getting..im also thinking that the length of the rubber bands can be made longer somehow..or replaced with some that are longer to begin with..and of course a way to re staple them as well..

 

[Loomis]

Here is an update on the 3M 8511. Yesterday my wife and I pulled the refrigerator out from the wall so we could vacuum behind it as well as the motor. With two vacuums going the dust was flying in the air and it was a perfect time to test it out which I did. This is what I found:
3M 8511-
Fit; This mask fits good with the exception of the bridge of my nose. You may have a problem if you have a high (nose) bride. However even with bending the bridge metal crossed the top it still could have fit better.
It will exhaust what you breathe out to up to 65%. You can increase that by blowing at the exhaust port when you exhale so that at least 95% is expelled. By doing this the mask is a lot cooler.
Air intake is very good. Does not take a lot of effort to draw clean air thru the mask. That works very well.
I used it for about 2 1/2 hours overall in a dusty environment and it worked very well.
I would give it **** 4 out of 5 stars.
The fit though needs to be noted, and for germs the fit has to be perfect.

 

[Loomis]

I don't have a picture of one and I'm just doing research. There is a new face mask mostly used for air pollution by cyclists. It's weird and called Totobobo.
They are pricy, around $50 USD on Ebay. They work great for pollution and you can see the test results on the website.
http://totobobo.com/
Interesting.

 

[Akingu]

For $40 you can join sportsmansguide.com and get huge discounts on a lot of military equipment. Gas masks and suits: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/productlist?k=gas+masks and https://www.rddusa.com/product-category/gas-mask/ because you will want a full face coverage.

 

[Marv.Schmitz87]

The german one on sportsmansguide.com is not too bad. Although its the old version that comes without a straw, its farely comfortable to wear and easy to breathe through it. I remember several 5k runs with them on. Oh btw, you can clean them out very easy after you puked your guts out with them on. Just saying. A 5k in battle gear and in 100 degrees is no joke...

 

[Akingu]

Ooooohhh yeah...... I have the regular MC M-40 issue with the straw and several of the canteens. I liked the M-17 just fine too but maybe I'm biased? Thing is, with the masks shown in the OP, there's no protection for the eyes or face, really, just the air so they're basically useless against ebola or any other disease or infectious agents. If it gets on your skin you're toast and a walking biohazard to the rest of the community. If it happens after martial law has been declared you're going to be on your own, even if you've been holed up with a few select comrades.

 

[DrHenley]

I just bought a few of these N100 masks from Amazon. They are a more expensive than the N95 masks but they are much more comfortable (wide adjustable straps) and rated at 99.97% percent filtration efficiency as opposed to the 95% efficiency of the N95 masks.

 

[klon solo]

I use masks fairly often, and my employees every day. If you're interested, I'll try to figure out what model I got them.

They are about $400 each, BUT, if you track down a local abatement supplier who carries these and MSA masks, sometimes they have a promotion where they take your cheap MSA ones and give you an awesome 3M mask.

Also, if you're super serious about them, you should be properly fit-tested (ideally using the bitrex method). Remember to shave your stubbles or you'll fail. Consider this in a SHTF situation. You can usually get tested where they sell the mask (typically an abatement or safety supplier).

Although we are required to be fit tested every year, there is a simple test we do every time we put on our gear.

1. Put on your full face mask.
2. Breathe in
3. Cap the intake with your hands to create a seal
4. Monitor the suction. It shouldn't budge or there's a problem with the seal around your face.

TIP: if you prefer dust mask styles - they do make them to a P100 spec.