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Thursday, June 8, 2017

DYI Gas Mask and DYI MRE Meals


 

Poor Man Survival

Self Reliance tools for independent minded people…


ISSN 2161-5543

A Digest of Urban Survival Resources

 


Make Your Own Gas Mask

An interesting skill I learned was how to make an improvised gas mask from a 2-liter bottle and dust mask in the event tear gas or pepper spray is being used during civil unrest. After making it, we actually had to put it to the test by getting pepper sprayed in the face by our cadres.

And it worked. At least for me. Some folks still got some spray in their eyes. It looked really unpleasant. When creating an apparatus like this, you’ve got to be sure you put it together just right!

I thought it was fun skill to have and it could actually come in handy one day. So below I walk you through how to make an improvised gas mask in under 10 minutes.

Now is this thing anywhere close to a perfect gas mask? Far from it. But if you ever need it, it’s better than nothing.

How to Make an Improvised Gas Mask

Gas masks work by intaking “polluted” air through the “snout” of the mask, and then allowing that gas to pass through a filter before you inhale it. Professional gas masks have filters that can absorb and neutralize very fine particulate.

This jerry-rigged version is only designed to protect your eyes, mouth, and nose, while creating a physical barrier between larger particles in the air and your face. It’s obviously not going to protect you from truly toxic chemicals.

Materials

  • 2-liter soda bottle
  • Dust mask
  • Duct tape
  • Knife

1. Cut Off the Bottom of the 2-Liter Bottle

At the bottom of the bottle, you’ll find a seam. Using your knife, cut along the seam until you completely cut off the bottom of the bottle.

 

 

2. Cut a U-Shape on the Side of the Bottle

 


 

Remember to remove the plastic label that surrounds the bottle. Some of it will still be left on the bottle after you’ve taken it off. Cut your U-shape so it removes that remaining label. The U’s bottom should be about 2 inches above the bottle cap. The width of your U should be just large enough to fit your face into it. You don’t want to make it too big, as that would allow gas or pepper spray to enter your mask more easily.

3. Remove Bands From Dust Mask

 

Grab your dust mask and remove the bands from it. Put them in a safe place; we’ll be using them here in a bit.

4. Place Dust Mask Inside the Bottom of the U

 


Place your mask inside the bottom of the U-shape you just cut. You want the mask to tilt a bit downwards towards the bottle cap. As you see, this creates a small chamber between the bottle cap and the mask.

5. Duct Tape Mask to Bottle

Get your duct tape and secure the mask to the bottle. You want to make sure you have a solid seal around the mask area and no gaps where bad air can sneak in. Err on the side of too much duct tape.

 

6. Duct Tape the Edges of Your Mask

 


 
You’ll likely have some jagged edges where you’ve cut the bottle. To make the mask a bit more comfortable, place some duct tape along those edges. The added benefit of the duct taped edges is that it allows you to get a better seal around your face — which is crucial in its effectiveness.

7. Cut Four Slits Near the Sides

We need to cut some slits into which to place our mask’s bands. Cut two slits near the top of the mask — one on each side — and another two four inches below — again, one on each side.

8. Thread Bands Through Slits and Tie Off

 
Thread your bands through the slits. Start from inside the bottle and thread out. Tie off the ends with an overhand knot so they don’t come out.

9. Duct Tape the Slits

To prevent air from entering your mask and as added security for your bands, place some duct tape over the slits.

10. Punch Some Holes in the Bottle Cap

 

Use your knife and punch a few holes or slits into your bottle cap. This will allow you get a bit of air when you have the gas mask on. Based on my experience from Constellation, the slits weren’t enough to get adequate air intake. I’d recommend cutting a small square to let in a bit more air.

There you go. How to make an improvised gas mask in under 10 minutes. Now you’re ready to face a Cormac McCarthy-esque post-apocalyptic world in which the fabric of society is torn apart and all hell has broken loose.
 
 

Thanks to the cadre Mickey for showing me how to make this bad boy.

 



Editors Note:  DIY MRE’s – A little Bonus in Today’s Issue

 
MRE’s (or Meals, Ready-to-Eat) are compacted meals devised to resist rough conditions and survive long lifespans. They were created for the United States Armed Forces, however, they’ve also found their way into the backpacks of survivalists. Though MRE’s are convenient, there’s ongoing disdain over how sufficient they really are (check out out this article for. . . Read More

The post The 5 Best MRE Alternatives for Emergency Situations first appeared on Backdoor Survival.  Upon request from readers, I was asked to make a follow-up to an MRE article. In there, I had mentioned that creating your own MRE is more efficient and cheaper than buying one of the brand-names. Therefore, I have compiled this information together as everything you’ll need to know about creating your very own. . . Read More

The Poor Man’s Essential Survival Package

The Doctors Protocol: Secrets of Survival

--How to Survive the Coming Economic Collapse

--Guide to Self Reliant Living

--Becoming Self Sufficient for Six Months

--How I Found Freedom in an Un-free World

 

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Yours for a productive 2017,

Bruce ‘the Poor Man’

 

P.S.  As always, I urge my friends and readers to stock up on food, items for barter and silver.  Personally, I never fully trust our economic picture or North Korea [they too have EMP capabilities while working on their nuclear program… so stock up on batteries as they are not affected by an EMP blast…neither are two-way radios.  Your cell phone on the other hand will be kaput.

Contributors and subscribers enable the Poor Man Survivor to post 150+ free essays annually. It is for this reason they are Heroes and Heroines of New Media. Without your financial support, the free content would disappear for the simple reason that I cannot keep body and soul together on my meager book sales & ecommerce alone.

 

 

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2 comments:

DAR said...

Is that you in that gas mask? Ha ha! Good resources-something we can always count on from you all these years.

Larry said...

Some cool stuff there pardner-I just might try some of those MRE's!
Thanks for the post...