How to make a simple gas-mask; 3 things you have to know

In our previous entry we discussed the fact that one of the earliest methods of dealing with the problem of gas attack was to urinate into a rag and breath through that. Now, that might work effectively, but it is not the best option in my humble opinion. No, there are other options out there and there are plenty of materials available that can be used to make a passable gas-mask, even if you are on an airplane when you need it. In this example I am going to tell you how to make an improvised gas mask with a two liter bottle and a filter mask. This is not going to be one hundred percent effective, but it will beat having nothing.  In this mask you simply take the empty two liter bottle of your choice, cut it to fit your face, (you can include a face-mask or not in your cut, depending on your preference). You place the filter into the bottle to cover your mouth, and either hold it to your face, or seal it into place with duct tape. However you choose to do it, here are three things you must always remember about a home-made gas mask .

1. It is temporary. Don't get comfortable wearing this. It is only to be used to get you out of harm's way until better measures can be taken. 

2. You need to protect your eyes as well as your respiration system. As mentioned earlier, you can use the plastic on the bottle to create a makeshift face-guard to include your eyes. 

3. You should be cognizant of the need of these materials. What I mean by this is that you should keep these things around in case you need them. The only thing worse than not having a gas mask when you need it is to not have the materials to make one when you need them.

3 more things you must remember about your gas mask

I have recently documented two different topics of caution to bear in mind when using a gasmask, that of not depending on it when you are in danger of being in an environment that is not conducive  to the need to have a filter to trap contaminates, (like in a smokey environment), and precautions to take when dealing with a substance that is dangerous in other ways other than as a chemical irritant, (mustard gas for instance).

However, there are other precautions you should take as well when confronted with the possible need to don a gasmask. Most of these involve the delivery of this substance which can be just as dangerous to you as the substance itself. Here are 3 precautions that you must take when you are depending on a gasmask to protect you from harm. 

1. The gasmask is not body armor. That means that this thing will not protect you from blunt force trauma... at least not completely. It is better than nothing, but you need to be aware that gas canisters are usually launched by something propulsive and the canister itself can hurt you very badly.

2. It is not heat retardant. It will not protect you from being burned either. As was covered in the last blog, a chemical agent that is caustic in nature will eat you up regardless of whether you have a gasmask on or not. 

3. A gasmask can actually be detrimental in some cases. Most notably, the gasmask can hurt you if it catches on fire. Made out of plastic and rubber, a gasmask will burn quite energetically in most instances. If it is stuck to your face while it is burning, t hat will lead to severe damage to your face.