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.
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
Download link:
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.
Self Defense Training DVDs-New
Tactics for Self Defense III
Defensive Mental Weapons Tactics DVD NEW
Tactics For Self Defense II (Tactical
Edged Weapons I / Tactical Pistol II
Defensive
Tactics Techniques Volume 2 Personal Protection Instruction DVD NEW
Defensive
Tactics Principles Volume 1 Personal Protection Instruction DVD NEW
These items are brand new DVD Defensive Training Technique. Learn from a veteran
instructor through this DVD series you will benefit from David's decades of
operational and training experience.
$14.95 each- Media mail shipping included. Find these & other useful items at:
THE
ESSENTIAL PACKAGE for all survival-minded individuals
Emergency “Save Your Ass” DVD/CD,
Reports Package
Essential package for today’s
uncertain world…protect yourself and your family. Includes:
- Advanced how-to DIY home evacuation and barter pack-DVD
- Instructional DVD on how to make your own EMP-resistant
solar powered home energy backup supply
- Build Your Own Mini-Hospital DVD
- How to Survive the War on the Middle Class
And
much more…
Support our efforts by shopping my storefront…
A Smoking Frog Feature, Shallow Planet Production
2 comments:
Is that you in that gas mask? Ha ha! Good resources-something we can always count on from you all these years.
Some cool stuff there pardner-I just might try some of those MRE's!
Thanks for the post...
Post a Comment