Okay, call me unprepared.  I can take it.

I'm beginning to get a little concerned about the probability of some kind of chemical or biological attack.

What typme/make/model masks are available and from where?  I have checked a couple of sources and they are either out of stock or are limiting sales to police, government and miltary. (See [URL]http://www.uscav.com/shop/uscitemdetail.asp?stk_code=WA16999[/URL]

Any suggestions?

BTT

Limited to Law enforcement? Whats up with that? I've never seen that before.If your buying a mask now be prepared to shell out some $$$$$. The lemmings are getting nervous, so they're buying them up.

Think about being submerged in the worst poison you've ever encountered.  Multiply that by a hundred.  Generally, you're not gonna want any part of your body to touch any chemical/biological warfare agent at all.  Not breathing anything in is just the first part.  Sealing yourself in some sort of waterproof coveralls is a good next step, quickly followed by evacuation & decontam, likely with household bleach.  Though if you have time to do all that, you probably should have left instead...

also think about the train derailment in baltimore several months ago. imo, a mask isn't any more tinfoil than life insurance or homeowners. and with a 20 year shelf life, the mask is arguably pretty cheap.

from what i can tell, msa (mine safety appliances is not delivering the msa 1000 advantage gas mask until january.)

try botach tactical www.botachtactical.com for the micronel m95. they are supposedly expecitng a delivery in a week or two and are accepting orders.

questions have been raised about botach and their shipping backorders in a reasonable time. you may want to check into that aspect. i don't have any experience with them.

By the time the agent is airborne and you realize you need to use your mask.....you will already be dead!
Unless your in a full chemical/bio suite when it happens it won't matter....
IMHO....


John

For you guys interested, Ray Boiano, [email protected], is selling new M17 masks for $50 each.  Me thinks, a good price considering all the price guoging that's going on - even here with some other ar15.com member offering a 300 rd battlepack of SA for $100! [:(!]

   Now how is the average joe going to determine when it is the right time to put on the mask or protective gear?  Do you have a sensitive meter that will detect an attack way in advance or maybe an unlimited supply of canary birds.
   Let's say you put your gear on succesfully,  what procedures will you take when it comes time to feed your face? When will you know it is all clear to remove your protective gear. What if you can't hold it amymore and just have to go.? Scary stuff!

Tapco is selling Canadian M69 gas masks with a USGI M9A1 filter in it's original sealed can.

Not sure if this meets any of the needs but, like someone else said earlier, once you need it you'll probably be dead already. $99.00

http://www.tapco.com/store/prodinfo.asp?number=MIL2209&variation=&aitem=33&mitem=40&back=yes

Not sure if I'm allowed to post a link so you'll need to C&P..

Barracuda

My hope is that if there is a attack that by the time the chemicals reach me there will be a warning out.  I live about 10 miles outside of a large city, so depending on the strength of the chemical and the way the wind is blowing I may have a chance.  I would rather spend $500 dollars on equipment and not need it than to need it and not have it.  As far as if you gotta go and can't hold it any more, you just gotta let it go and clean yourself up later.
Mike

If you check the picture of that gas mask from Tapco, the expiration date on the cannister is 1953.  

Ya know what?....Just checked on the usefulness on this mask, and the date as [b]blkbeard[/b] pointed out is way old. Some other companies are selling this as a novelty item. This mask is of [b]no use[/b] in a chem/biologic environment. Maybe TAPCO should state that in their advert, just an observation.

Barracuda

I know this is off the topic but, how do you properly store water?  I mean does it get "bad"?  Is just buying cases of botteled water okay? I get plenty of MREs that I don't eat from the Guard.  Just curious. Thanks

I was about to spend about $150 dollars on equipment that was 30-40 yrs old, luckily I did a little research first.  I currently have 2 M95 masks(one for me and one for the wife) and 3 M95 filters for each.  I also have bought 2 Tyvek-F suits for each of us.  If you are going to buy Tyvek suits make sure it Tyvek-F, because regular Tyvek ain't gonna do you no good.  The M95 masks are great for people with glasses because you can buy a piece to to have lenses put in and then it connect it to the inside of the mask.  The M95 mask also comes with a drinking tube and you can buy a canteen to go with it.  You may want to look at buying some decontamination kits as well.
Mike

what Troy said makes the most sense to me of any of the above posts. MHO.
Importantly, stay inside and move to the highest level you can in the event of a chem attack. Have viable treatment alternatives for bio warfare. I would plan for this more than chem warfare. If you live in cities the risk of chem warfare is of greater importance obviously.
If you can, move out of the damn cities. They are nothing but targets not to mention rotting cesspools of hate and despair.

What about my post? I posted before Troy ,too! He always gets the credit! Damn you Troy![;)]

[url]www.gasmaskexpress.com[/url]

I can't agree with the argument that Gas Masks are unimportant because "symptoms of a biological attack can take up to 2 weeks to show". First of all, what makes you think that we won't know about the attack? It sounds plausible to me that an attack could be made and we know the instant it happens, or momentarily thereafter.

Our public health system is totally unprepared (unless you happen to be an 'elite' member of society--a congressman, a governer, or some other 'important' citizen.

What is going to happen when possibly a million or more people need an anthax vaccine or an antidote for sarin? Do you want to rely on the government to protect you and your family? I don't.

The truth is that we may know the instant a chemical or biological attack happens, or momentarily afterwards, when there is enough time to strap on that M40. Ideally what I would like to have is a full MOPP-4 suit, litmus test, and a set of antitodes for each major biological/chemical agent.

Are you going to trust your government to protect you? You don't trust the police to protect you (otherwise why do you carry a concealed firearm?), so why should you in this case either.

As already mentioned, most of the gas mask filters are either training filters or have been unsealed too long and would be of little effect.  We're not talking about widespread dispersion in a terrorist action.  A crop-duster over a crowded football stadium is another matter.

Contamination of water sources would be a great terror action.  With a newly acquired hazardous transport license (thanks to the bastard who handed them out for bribes), just drop several hundred thousand gallons of benzene or similar into a river used as a water source.  Would it be enough to kill anyone?  No.  Would people freak?  Yes.  Mission accomplished.

Stock up on activated charcoal water filters, use you Brita or similar filter to filter all water used for drinking or cooking.  That'll keep you safe.  Sealed distilled water should store just fine.  Tap water, if it loses its chlorine from standing too long, can be a problem.

Do they test water routinely for solvent/heavy metal/toxin contamination?  No.  I was suprised to learn this, but even though there are standards for drinking water (via the Clean Water Drinking Act) there is NO routine testing.  If there's a reason to suspect contamination, it's tested, but routinely monitored?  Only for viable bacteria and parasites.

If you are storing tap water for the long term, it is recommended that you put some anti-baterial chemcials into the water to prevent bacteria growth. I would recommend the kind that over-oxygenates the water, becaues it has leave no taste. You can buy it at most camping stores, Major Surplus www.majorsurplus.com etc.  Or you can filter the water using those camping/backpacking water filters.  I have both tap water stored in 30gal blue plastic containers and bottled water as backup.  

On tv's 60 minutes II, this man had a syringe filled with water, the TV lady asked the man how much of a chemical weapon would need to kill you, he spray a bit of on the TV lady's hand, and he asked "did you feel it?" and she replied "nO." But according to this expert, this is enough chemical agent to be lethal.  It would be really hard to protect against something like that.

Actually the first symptoms of a Bio attack is people going to the hospital/aid station after they have been exposed, too late for NBC precautions to be taken.  The best protection from a bio attack is inculcation followed by proper hygiene.  The protection afford by gas masks helps for attacks by items like anthrax spores, but doesn't help for many of the bio weapons since they use vectors that a mask will not protect against.

If you agree that the US NBC defenses are inadequate, than you also agree that your chances of being able to protect yourself form either Bio or Gas attack are very little.   Unlike a battlefield you cannot walk around with a CPOG/BDO/SSS on and a mask on your hip.  If you are not in that stage of readiness, than an attack with most chemical agents will give you a lethal dose prior to donning you suit and mask.

training filters huh?
I've heard that filters with the blue string are training filters, does this mean ALL the filters with the blue string are trainers?

"A fool and their money will soon part."

Damm, I geuss my dry suit might not only be used for diving....and its a lovely shade of black....thank you Viking