In my never ending quest to perfect my urban E&E kit, I've been looking for an effective replacement for my recalled EvacU8 hood. My search has led me to consider purchasing one of the MyXcaper smoke mask kits. Its light, compact and they say it filters CO. Does anyone have any non-advertising based info or experience with this kit?

I personally would go for the Draeger Parat C.

It's on the pricey side but looks like a reliable piece of hardware (Drager has a very good reputation).

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/paratCsmokehood.php

Very interesting. This is a new product to me. Check out their website. They do list two independent tests (you can read the actual reports), including a 2007 test done by a lab in Europe in support of an application to be certified for the EU EN403 smoke hood standard. (Since there is no US smoke hood standard, this Irvine, California company can't get it certified here.)

I was skeptical that a mask of this type would filter carbon monoxide effectively, but according to these tests, it does a good job. Just from their company history page, they've been marketing to professionals and business customers for a number of years already, but only turned to consumer marketing this year. They have a good list of customers and references on their website.

I'm the eternal skeptic, but just based on perusing their website this morning, seems like this masks is the real deal. The lack of a head/face protection provided by a hood could be a drawback for some, but you do end up with a very compact product that is easily stored/carried. The set does come with goggles for eye protection. Obtaining a good face seal is a bit of concern for me, just looking at it, since you don't have sturdy straps that you can cinch up against your head. But perhaps the mask is able to conform well to the face because it is filled with these little balls and can be molded, so elastic straps are good enough. Oh, I really like the fact that you can buy practice masks.

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.

Any updates on this? Do you carry a smoke hood/mask in your daily gear? I hate to carry untested equipment (see the EVACU-8 desaster) and, although I am less concerned about chemical attacks, I really consider a carbon monoxide filtering mask/escape hood such vital urban survival gear that I went from silent reader to my first post here.

Best Regards from Austria

Gerald

PS: Btw, great webside & forum!

Interesting, I just checked the Xcaper website for the first time since I last posted about this, and you can find their consumer mask kit sold on Home Shopping Network! Actually, it looks like a great deal--$35 instead of $55. For a mask that actually filters CO, I'm actually very tempted to jump and buy some of these at such low prices. Compare that to the $75+ many of us paid to by our EVACU8's.

I'd like to hear if Doug has any comments?

I was interested in the Evac U8+ Hood until there was a recall on the product.

Watching this thread with interest.

Some additional info here:

http://www.saferamerica.com/doc/MyXcaperSmokeMaskKit.pdf

Checking their website the basic kit is $29.95

Blitz

I'm happy to find other forum members still interested in this subject. I bit the bullet and bought the Professional Model. The unit is light and the case easy to attach to a belt/srap. The mask is sealed. The googles are flimsy. I susbituted swim goggles. There's also a fauxton and an anemic whistle. Both on a lanyard. Lastly, the practice mask is a welcome addition. I'll probably buy more for the rest of the family.

The smoke hood at aeromedix.com looks interesting, I may get one.

Steve