item that wasn't in Morgans pack

[gpwelding1]

Something I found odd. There was no gas mask or respirator of any kind in Morgans pack. In a grid down event, manufacturing plants will not be able to regulate stored chemicals and other hazardous materials. As well as semi trucks and trains that haul them. A gas mask or respirator would be vital in the event of encountering one of these that is leaking while going home.

[kickstand]

Wow, I totally missed this before now. I agree that a breathing apparatus is a really good idea to have. I'm wish that I could afford one of the really nice, new style masks, but for now, I'll stick with my Spy vs Spy style.
I'm always torn whether to leave it at home or carry it in the GHB.

[WhiteBear620]

How much bulk and weight would an adequate mask add though? I already think Morgan's bag was way too big for a small guy like me (5"8 200lbs) to carry, I can't easily add more.

[gpwelding1]

Sorry i haven't been on in a while. WhiteBear ,mine only added about 2 or 3 lb with the mask,bag and 2 extra cartridges.I'm 44 years old 5'9" and 173lb. My BOB is 38lb,and i had the same concern. But,it doesn't matter if your pack only weighs 3lb if you can't breath.

[gpwelding1]

Kickstand ,i had the same problem.so i bought one for both!

[apache235]

Realize that if you have facial hair, a gas mask won't do you much good, same thing if you wear glasses (unless you have special glasses that fit a holder inside the mask)

[KyDave59]

That thing about facial hair was what I was always told about wearing a gas mask back when I was with the local agency. It would be better than going into a scenario without one, but it wouldn't provide complete, nor even adequate, protection. As such, I wasn't permitted to enter hot-zones, well, unless I shaved. Still, in the 8.5 years that I was with the team, we never encountered such a scenario.

A larger concern, at least around here in a major SHTF scenario, is that there are a few tens of thousands of M55 rockets, loaded with VX and GB nerve agents, stored not too far from here. Fortunately, the Army takes their storage rather seriously, and they're kept well secured, at least for now. But, if something major happens, will they still be kept securely? Then, again, at the rate those things spring leaks, it would be almost certain suicidal death for anyone to try and enter one of those storage bunkers without a full chemical suit. The scary thing is that there are a number of such storage depots around the country, although they are slowly (glacially slowly) finally beginning to dispose of those things.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M55_(rocket)

Unfortunately, about the only antidote to those things is an immediate (within a coupe of minutes) injection of Atropine. And, Atropine will seriously f*ck you up for about two weeks (so says the Voice of Experience), but it's better than dying a quick and painful death.

Dave