alt Hacker NewsBest Gas Masks
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The Verge has truly become one of the most respected sites on the web. Some of the best reporting, tech or otherwise, is being done there. Kudos
I'm a volunteer firefighter. I've wondered what my county's response would be if I borrowed one of our SCBAs (self-contained breathing apparatus) to wear to an anti-ICE demo or ICE observation incident. It's not a gas mask in the sense of this article, because as the name suggests it's an entirely self-contained air supply - it doesn't matter what is in the air at all. The one issue is that a single air bottle has a finite and not particularly long use time (if you're in good shape and don't panic, 20-30 minutes tops).
While NYT etc mostly stand back as the U.S. crosses the rubicon, what started as a freaking gadget review site seems to employ nearly all the journalists with actual gusto left in America.
Note that if you have a beard you should be aware that these types of masks don't work well.
https://pekesafety.com/blogs/news/a-respirator-that-works-wi...
3M 6800 have all but sold out on Amazon, probably because of this review. I had almost forgotten about Portland in 2020. This author has some great writing about the double standard of non-violence as well. 10/10
"I had forgotten that there could ever be domestic conflicts where law enforcement were not themselves belligerents."
ouch. Must be weird living where you live.
Does anyone know if any of these respirators can be sized to fit a smaller than average 4-year-old?
If they start rolling through random neighborhoods and gassing people in their homes like they did in Minneapolis, I’d like to be prepared.
Interesting read as a former CBRN instructor NCO (for a non-US military). A 3M 40mm is definitely the way to go with CP3N filters. They were once cheap but seem to be no longer
Put aside politics and anti-tear gas use cases: everyone should just have a full face gas mask for all hacker-ish activities, like painting. Skip half-face, go for full face. Half face models don't just leave eyes exposed but hurts the back of the neck. Maybe I'm wearing it wrong, but the headstrap for full face is much more comfortable. They also seal a lot better.
More random tidbits: You'd semi-obviously want a sacrificial wrap over the mask if you're painting, as well as few spare cartridges. There are particulate filters that are just regular paper masks, organic vapor cans for painting, and couple of acid cans for toxic gases. DYOR and use the right one for the task. Particulate filters go on top of gas cans on the iconic 3M 6000 series masks; it's not integrated to the can. The cans also technically only last few hours after opening the package, so technically you should be replacing twice daily. They also can't protect against large amounts of toxic substances like videogame thick green vapors of alien weapons, only what's somewhat casually filtered. In e.g. inside an active volcano, go for full scuba or something that don't rely on filtering. The reason why some masks use pair of cans as opposed to one can, is just for easier breathing. The performance on paper is the same; you can seal off one port with something if you want. The improvement is maybe not negligible, but you get used to breathing through masks quickly anyway. The mini mask that covers mouth and nose inside a full face mask exists to help clear condensation by forcing you to breathe in fresh air around its front surface and force exhalation through the exhaust valve. Removing it will steam up the shield. The air drawn in is filtered, but exhaust is not; if the wearer is infected with something, the mask won't help stop the spread.
TL;DR: gas masks is its own mini rabbit hole.
"Military grade" listed as a pro on one of them... uhhh well true military grade means it was produced by the lowest bidder to just barely meet specifications in the test environment.
How long do these last? How many hours/days/.. can you use them for? And how long can you store them safely before they disintegrate or whatever?
> 3M does not provide product information on which filters are best for government repression
That would be the 3M™ Organic Vapor/Acid Gas Cartridge/Filter 60923 [0]. Replace after each exposure or 30 days after opening the sealed packaging for best results. A clean shave is important for a good air seal.
The absolute best protection would be a PAPR (powered air-purifying respirator) with a TR-6530N filter [1] installed. Something like the 3M Versaflo M-407SG[2] would fit the filter and provide impact resistance. It can be fitted with a Speedglas 9100XXi [3] (or 9100X/V) auto-darkening filter for protection against flashbangs.
This is an equivalent PAPR [3] with a better form factor which also includes ANSI Z87.1 rated impact-protection (helpful against projectiles) and auto-darkening lenses (helpful against flashbangs/pyrotechnics). It also still works fine even if you keep a beard. I believe this is part of the Optrel Helix product line, which advertises 14-hour battery life. However, the listing I linked does not come with organic vapor / acid-gas filtration. That requires a different form factor for the filter, the Optrel ABE1P Combination Filter [4] offers A1B1E1P certification (Protects against organic gases/vapors, inorganic gases, acid gases, and particulates)
As 'closewith added, "CBRN" or "NBC" masks are also a good option - they are rated for chemical/biological/radiation/nuclear contamination and are available as riot gear with good impact-resistance. Look for A2B2E2K2-P3 ratings / certification.
You could also look into something like the Joseph Leslie Dynamiks A3B3E3K3-rated Jumbo canister for 10000 ppm extended exposure. [5]
0: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/dc/v000075263/
1: https://www.mcmaster.com/products/cartridges/manufacturer-mo...
2: https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1892506O/3m-versaflo-m-4...
3: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/speedglas-welding-helmets-us/spe...
3: https://www.mcmaster.com/9258n17/
4: https://optrel.us/product/upgradekit-combifilter-swiss-air-5...
5: https://www.josephlesliedynamiks.com/brochures/Gas_Filters.p...
The problem I found was that some of them are designed to keep particulates out but aren't as worried about also keeping particulates in as well. This was relevant-circa 2020. No idea how these rank on that metric.
An amazon affiliate link wrapped in the mantle of edgy resistance. Ignoring that, why would anybody take this site serious for gasmask recommendations? Shallow and fast-food level information.
None of which are practical if you need to wear glasses.
For folks who are actually going to go down this rabbit hole, yes the 3M 6800 series and the GVS respirators are great, and work with very similar cartridge-style filters. That said, a mask alone is not sufficient, and I really recommend you get a Tyvek bunny suit also to protect your skin against chemical exposure. Given the current weather, it's relatively easy to cover over the bunny suit with your outerwear like a hoodie so it's not even necessarily visibly super-obvious, and it will do a lot to help protect you. It's not just your eyes, nose, and mouth you want to protect but every area of your skin ideally.
Also tear-gas canisters are very hot when fired, because tear gas is produced and released via a pyrotechnic reaction inside the canister, basically burning a dry chemical to produce the gas. I recommend wearing a heavy (7mil or 9mil) nitrile glove with your bunny suit and over that wearing leather welding gloves or heat-rated mechanics gloves if you expect to encounter tear gas canisters so you can pick them up and throw them back.
Also, be aware that the filter canisters on most masks are only good for about 45 minutes to 2 hours (depending on exposure levels) when used in an environment where you are actively being exposed to the chemicals you want to filter. You need additional replacement filters that are /sealed/ in their packaging to swap out to in the field. Good luck out there.
The reality is that tear gas is not an effective riot control tool. It works fine against spontaneous mobs of sports fans after their team loses, but it's not especially effective against prepared insurrectionists.
The last time the US faced this level of organized political resistance against lawful federal authority, the Army and National Guard routinely used fixed bayonets to control segregationist protesters. The same technique would work today, but with modern rifles being significantly shorter and hence being less effective bayonet platforms, a dedicated spear might be the better option.
Such weapons, employed in a close-order formation, would be much less lethal than they might seem at first blush. Historical data from 18th and 19th century conflicts shows that, even in battles where bayonet charges happened, there was still an extremely low rate of actual bayonet casualties. Even trained and disciplined soldiers will break and rout rather than let themselves be stabbed with bayonets (or, presumably, spears).
Yet another interesting article flagged because it touches on American politics.
What's the procedure for flagged articles become unflagged? Maybe do I need more karma or something before I can vouch for them?
[flagged]
Next up: tips and tricks on setting up your fortified anti-US-federal-government militia compound.
All gas masks simply buy the wearer time, and not much time at that...
Automotive Painter shops use an actual filtered external fresh-air feed medical-grade pump, as it avoids whatever mystery compounds are in various paints and cleaners.
Don't cheap out on PPE, as 3M does make good quality filters. =3
Why is this low effort article on top here? It's absolutely not a "Best" list and lacks professionalism.
Posting this article in this format reminds me of truly good story writing. Would've been a top 3 pieces of writing all time for me without all of the anecdotes in between. All of the information you need to know is already written without all of the in-your-faceness of the bridge paragraphs between reviews.
Still an amazing story, props to the Verge. But could've been an all time great.
The infighting is so tedious. We really need to peacefully explore the "national divorce" idea again. In the 1860s the concept was too intermingled with the evil of slavery to be considered separately.
But realistically, instead of both sides hating each other to the point of perpetual violence, why not just have 2 or 3 countries in which we can all be happy? Trade and travel agreements are easy to establish by treaty. It doesn't have to be this way.
> 3M does not provide product information on which filters are best for government repression
Just get the one that everyone else does: NIOSH TC-84A-0510 with protection against "Solid Particles, Organic Vapors, Acid Gases, Ammonia, Formaldehyde, Methylamine". Every lab buys this filter, or its manufacturer equivalent, for dealing with god-knows-what, because this one will handle just about anything.