Many
years ago I was browsing around eBay when I came across some gas masks. I was
not yet a Prepper, but as I looked at all the various kinds of gas masks
available I started to think about why I would possibly need one. Again, I was
only looking to satisfy my curiosity more than anything, but as the minutes
passed I began to think more and more about whether or not I needed one. After
considering the idea for a short time, I decided I needed a gas mask for
everyone in my house.
Let
me explain my reasoning. I live in the southern San Joaquin Valley. It is a
bowl-shaped depression in the ground 2 hours north of Los Angeles and 4 hours
south of San Francisco. The way the winds work in CA, a lot of the cruddy air
from both cities eventually ends up here. My fear was, and is, that if there
were terrorist attacks of a nuclear or biological nature in either one of those
large cities, the fallout could end up in my back yard eventually.
Not
knowing a lot about gas masks at the time, I decided to look at what the best
sellers on eBay were as well as what was cheapest. I found a guy selling Russian
GP-5 gas masks and bought one for each member of my household in their specific
size. These masks fit over the entire head and provide protection from nuclear,
biological and chemical (NBC) products. I got them in the mail a week or so
later, put them in a box and promptly forgot about them.
A
couple of weekends ago, I found them. They were still sealed and in great
shape. The rubber parts of the masks were still very pliable. I took out the
biggest one (mine) and put it on. It was comfortable for me, but it was very
tight-fitting. A child or claustrophobic would have a lot of trouble wearing
this for very long. Then I noticed I had bought an extra large (mine), a large (wife’s),
a medium (older son) and an extra small (toddler). The problem is these kids are
no longer medium and extra small. So I decided to find some new masks.
Now,
I could have just bought more of the Russian
GP-5 masks. After all, it is better to use the same ones so I only have to
own one type of replacement filter. I decided, though, that these masks were
just too constricting for my family. I couldn’t even get a single person to try
mine on much less live in one for a short time. Instead, I looked around the
web and decided no one knows gas masks like the Israeli’s.
I settled on the Israeli
Civilian Defense gas mask. This is the same mask almost every Israeli
citizen owns or has access to. There are definitely more expensive types out
there with more bells and whistles I imagine, but I think they will do the
trick and they only run about $24. And replacement
filters are only $8 each. [Note: Some sellers sell very old filters, so
check the dates when they arrive. While these masks last a long time, 20 or 30
years is pushing it.] I bought two for now and will buy a couple more next
month, then some replacement filters the month after.
Some people will laugh
at the idea of gas masks. Even some Preppers will probably groan a bit when
they read this. After all, I’m supposed to be the “Reluctant” Prepper, not the
crazy mountain man survivalist-type. Well, all I can say is a $100 investment
spread out over a few months is not crazy, it’s just good preparation. Besides
terrorist attacks, we also dust storms, nuclear power plants, oil fires, etc.
I’ll buy them and store them in a proper location to be used if necessary. If I
never use them, it was worth the $100 for peace of mind.
I highly suggest you
look into purchasing your own set of gas masks for your preparations. Some protective
coveralls and gloves
aren’t such a bad idea either.
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