Hello, I've got some questions today, hope you don't mind them being all in one post. Forgive me if they are silly:

1. Do I need to protect my dust masks from being crushed or exposed to air in order to preserve their filtering powers? If so, why is that?

2. I saw the earlier thread on carrying soap to clean dishes, but I'm still wondering: is it safe to use simple cleansing wipes to clean dishes? Does it depend on what the pot/utensils are made of (chemical reactions)?

3. Do you ever feel that if you are the only one in your neighborhood/family/friends circle who is knowledgable and prepared, you must accept the responsibility to help others if something happens? If a bugging-out scenario was to occur in your area, would you immediately get out of Dodge (alone or with immediate family), or stick around a bit to assist unprepared friends or neighbors before leaving (even if it made it more dangerous for you)? I guess I'm just wishing that my family would take more of an interest, in case something happens to me, and I could let them go ahead while I stayed to help.