Isn't that just a bit melodramatic? Old ladies love public transportation in major metropolitan areas.

According to Wired News, flu, hernia, or police are more likely to kill you than terrorists.

Link to statistics via Boing Boing

A

Brandgon bought some flat fold N95 9210's and 9211's by 3M from my site a while ago.

Below is his review from the original N95 thread


"The filter also makes the mask bulkier.

I just bought a box of each from Redflare. A quick test suggests that the ones with filters are undoubtedly better in use. They are both surprisingly easy to breath through. Without a filter, much of the air you exhale stays in the mask and forms a nice warm layer on your face. When you inhale, you get some of the same air you just exhaled. It's not as bad as it may sound but the valve is definitely worth having.

However, it makes the mask roughly twice as bulky. In many situations that doesn't matter. For example, I can put either into a jacker inner pocket and not notice them. In a draw or my car boot there's no problem. In other places it does matter. I have a small waist pack which is already stuffed with gear, and the valveless mask fits easily when the other doesn't. My rucksack has a thin map pocket which takes several valveless masks but I wouldn't want to put a valve one in. I also have a couple secreted in the door compartments of my car.

Currently I reckon they are both pretty wonderful, and much better than masks which don't fold flat. I am more concerned about dust than microbes, although I think they will help by stopping me from touching my face with my hands. They should help against fallout, too; you don't want radioactive dust inside you.

I think it's worth getting lots. You can lend then to other people, cache them all over the place, and have some to experiment and play with. Although it may look obvious how to put them on, there are a couple of gotchas so you need to read the instructions and then practice. (Eg I hadn't realised the lower bit was supposed to go beneath your chin.) "

just a quick note on the mention of swim goggles

-genious idea considering size, but i've had trouble with them fogging easily over the years (in and out of the pool), i guess come shopping around could probably overcome this minor issue,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i would just hate to have to put them on right quick then be blind a few min later having to risk taking them back off just to clear the fog

A mask to stop what? An expolsion, fire, chemical attack, dirty bomb? the named N-100 are really particle and droplets only.

They won't remove vapors, smoke, etc. Although the N100 will stopdroplets, onces these droplets starts to voprize, you will breath them it. The carbon version's of these mask won't have sufficient carbon to stop any significant amount of chemical vapor.

The named M-100 masks will NOT provide protection to a chemical attack.
They will prevent you from breathing in particals, including radioactive particals.

Thank-you. I am considering the 3M 9211, N95. Furthermore, because I carry medical tape, I can ensure a tighter fit.

Jeanette Isabelle

It has already been established how N95 and N100 masks do not block smoke or any other types of gasses. They will however block viruses and other airborne contaminants.

May I suggest reading before jumping to conclusions.

Jeanette Isabelle

Survival is about calculating the risks. Living in an urban environment I am at greater risk of a terrorist attack, or even the avian flew than I am being lost in the wilderness. Yet I carry the Pocket Survival Pak. Because I already carry the Pocket Survival Pak and because there are other, greater threats, wouldn't it be logical for me to protect against those threats as well?

Jeanette Isabelle

from what i understand from you initial post, you are concerned about terrorist attacks. In that case, there will be no warning of a virus or bacteria being released. It's highly unlikely to know you'r breathing them during the event, because they don't have a smell and are generally not visible (unless the aerosol deliverly system malfuctions). This mean, you either have to wear it all the time or accept the risk.

Secondly a mask only give you limited protection. Even when a N-100 maks is used properly and on time during a bio-attack, you need to know how to decontaminate yourself, when you have reached a "cold" zone (out of the danger area and it's direct surroundings). Unproper care of your protective equipment, can render the protective properties useless.

A N-100 mask is effective aganist dust release by a structure, due to blast effects. But when a (large) fire has started inside a confined space, you may have to ask you self wheather the protection against dust is worth the time to find and put on your mask. Dust generally won't kill you quickly, smoke and lack of o2 will.

I've never used any of these, but they look like they should be okay, as they have the metal nose band which you can bend to fit, like the molded ones. These are the kind I will be getting when finances allow. Look at the 4th & 5th ones down the page:
http://www.tasco-safety.com/respirators/MCR-dustmasks.html

Sue

I am not understanding the point of your posts. Terrorists do want to affect as many people as possible, so where better to do that than in a metropolitan area? I live in a town that has one signal light, one grocery store, and one gas station. I don't believe that terrorists are looking for some place of THIS description.

Terrorists can strike in any number of ways. Jeannette wants some form of protection. Are you indicating that since she can't routinely carry a sealed, all-dangers, fireman's helmet (and wear it all the time), that she shouldn't carry anything at all?

YOU can't protect yourself against all the possible dangers, so why are you suggesting that she can?

You do the best you can with what you can find, afford and carry. Then you hope you will never need any of it.

Sue