Good cost money.

I have an MCU2/P which is rather nice and the comment about the 40mm NATO canisters is important.

For body armor you need to define your level of protection and buy a vest rated at that level. Be aware that the military is tracking down stolen e-bay vests and just arrested 8 people who were busy stealing them out of Pendelton and selling them nationwide. The ring leader was caught in Virgina I think. The .mil will now go through their records and hunt those vest down.

all masks are NOT equal. I suggest some SERIOUS study on them before buying. If looking into the surplus market learn what to look for to insure a proper fit and seal. Masks come in various sizes for a reason.

once you have a good tested mask <i went through 3 before i got a good one> BUY NEW FILTERS. some of the surplus filters break down and the resulting powder is a severe carcinogin <sp>. Insure you buy a mask that you can actually get filter for <m17 mask filters have been out of production for at lleast 10 years.

i ended up with a chezch m9 mask with new filters. i consider it a one time use and disposable. cheek filters are too hard to replace safely. i don't plan to be in a contaminated enviornment long enogh to have to worry about it.

just keep this in mind. Most people don't need a mask. By the time you are alerted of a problem you are either at ground zero and dead/infected, or outside the problem area and have the time to move out before it gets to your area. like your sidearm, unless your mask is with you 24x7 you most likely won't have it when you need it. I have a set mainly because i support a military base that incinerates chemical weapons. On base my mask is with me at all times. off base it's in the trunk of my car. Most people won't ave that luxery.