Just looking through their product line some more, it looks like you can also buy just the filter portion quite inexpensively. These are replacement filters for their professional products, so no head straps are attached, but if you needed to outfit a large family or wanted to store masks in multiple locations, it might be something to consider. You'd have to hold the filter over your mouth, like you would with a wet handkerchief. Not ideal, obviously, but it would sure beat a wet handkerchief or no protection at all.