Already have a couple gas masks, but they're kinda useless without filters. I was thinking about getting some from Approved Gas Masks, they have quite a few different ones at varying price points. Seems most of them protect against all the same stuff: organic vapors, acid gasses, ammonia/methylamine, chemical warfare agents, biological aerosols, and they have P100 particulate filters. Anyone know if some are inherently better than others, or should I just pick one and go with it (basically am I overthinking it?)

Had my eye on 3M FR-64.

First thing to do is to disabuse yourself of the term "gas mask". Looking for that term gets you overpriced prepper supply, like the website you mentioned. The term you want is "respirator".

What kind of masks/respirators do you have? If they are more than 20 years old, they need to be replaced. Rubber materials do not have an indefinite lifespan.

Most respirators on the market in the US use a proprietary connector. This is because US regulatory standards require masks and filters to be agency approved as a unit, so interchangeability is officially discouraged. So what kind of mask you have will determine what filter cartridges you need to fit it... if you're still using something with a 40mm thread, or if it's something else.

One term that is handy here is "CBRN", which is a standard promulgated for first responder use against as many hazards as reasonable, which is pretty much what you want. The problem with CBRN is that the standard requires a relatively long run time, so the cartridges tend to be large, heavy, and harder to breathe through.

A few companies offer cartridges with basically the same protection profile just in a regular OSHA/NIOSH size/weight/breathing resistance package, resulting in lower runtime.

Scott Safety was the best stuff, but then they got bought out by 3m who discontinued most of their products

Avon FM12. Basic 40mm threads. Still has a few years left on it.

I would avoid foreign military surplus canisters as they can degrade over time and end up being fairly toxic.    Best solution is a new 3M respirator with 3M filters.  Not quite as post apocalyptic cool looking as the surplus crap but it actually works.

I'll have to get a new respirator in a few years, like the guy above me said, but right now I just need the filter. Already aware to stay away from surplus stuff. Even if I don't use it for CBRN reasons I can still use it to avoid breathing organic solvents so it won't be a total waste.

Do you know anywhere that supplies filters, like a reputable vendor?

3m has a neat "prepper" mask, that preppers won't usually buy because it's not military surplus or called a "gas mask".

The model number is 6900DIN, the DIN part is a 40mm threaded port for DIN/NATO filters. Or you can plug that port and use two of their common twist-lock cartridges. Or it also works with a PAPR or supplied air system. Gives you a lot of flexibility and they're not very expensive, just not tacticool.

If you have two 40mm ports on an existing mask, 3m has the model 701 port adapters which adapt 40mm ports to their twist-lock filters, giving you similar flexibility as the 6900DIN mask. Then a set of twist-lock multigas plus P100 combination cartridges and you're set. One of the advantages to having compatibility to filters like that is that they're often available off the shelf in many hardware, farm supply or industrial supply stores. Multigas is less common on the shelf but you can usually get organic vapor cartridges as they're common for pesticides and paint. Just gives you options.

If you're just looking for filters - MIRA Safety is a good place to buy from.  They sometimes have deals as well.  As for getting a replacement mask, my recommendation is an AVON C50, which is a current first responder and LEO / mil mask (although they make a model of that that uses specialized non nato canisters, there's no point in getting that).

https://www.mirasafety.com/products/cbrn-40mm-gas-mask-filter-nbc-77-sof

https://botach.com/avon-cbrncf50-cbrn-biological-chemical-filters/

Botach also sells genuine Avon filters as well - I bought both my masks and filters from them last black friday - great deals were had!

https://shop.avon-protection.com/products/cbrncf50-filter?variant=44314708082925

Or buy directly from them

Surprised that the inevitable Mira post took this long.

"Mira Safety" AFAIK is a business of someone importing non-certified eastern european and maybe chinesium products and reselling them to preppers under his brand name.

That link to the Mira site is a good example. CBRN is in the name of the product, and referenced several times on the webpage, but it's NOT a CBRN rated cartridge. In fact it's not US rated at all. CBRN cartridges are all somewhat larger in order to meet the specs required for that standard. It appears to be a euro market multigas cartridge, but they don't tell you who the manufacturer is so you can't check and see if it's actually european rated like they claim.

He's got a very fancy website and a big social media promotional campaign that's for sure.

I usually advise folks to look to established, known international safety equipment manufacturers. If folks want to buy Draeger or Scott european market products I'm not going to complain (in fact I'd like some of them myself), but generic former combloc, my suggestion is no.

In the US I'd suggest... 3m, MSA, Draeger, North, Honeywell, Survivair, or Scott if they're still available.

Mira filters are actually made by Avec, a reputable manufacturer of filters, which are certified to EU standards. They of course are not Niosh certified but that doesn't mean they're bad filters. They over rate them though. Avec rates them for 10 years.

In any case buy an Avon filter if concerned. They are priced less too.

Wow, how did I miss that? Probably the best option for me right now. Thanks bud!

Just so you know - the filters and masks that Botach sells drop ship directly from Avon.  When I ordered all of my gear last Nov they shipped fairly fast and came from Avon.  I am not a huge fan of Botach, but they do have good deals sometimes!

It's not bad, but as I said before, US CBRN rated cartridges are larger and heavier than standard cartridges, and harder to breathe through. In general most fail NIOSH/OSHA standards for weight and breathing resistance so would not be allowed in a normal industrial environment. My suggestion would be a more normal size/weight cartridge such as:
https://shop.avon-protection.com/products/gpcf50-cbrn-filter?variant=44394734747885
And have a spare or two if you're really concerned about run time.

The CBRN standard was promulgated for first responders to throw on a mask and work in a highly contaminated environment without changing filters. It's an effective filter, but the breathing resistance (which with normal filters can be problematic for many) can become an issue. Plus the size and weight... if you've worn a NOD or something, you know that having extra weight hanging off the front of your face can be quite tiring after a bit. Part of the advantage of the consumer twist-lock filters is that they distribute the weight and move it as far back as practical for less head and neck strain.

CBRN is an easy button for preppers to cover all the bases and not have to educate oneself about the different ratings and how to select a suitable industrial filter.

Unless you really dig into the specs, military filters traditionally were not a good choice as they didn't protect against ammonia, and in general were just not designed for industrial/transportation hazmat. Some of the newer military stuff is essentially the same as industrial multigas filters though.

Interestingly enough their own web site has contradictory information on it.  The filter matrix says that the GPCF50 does not work against ammonia.  It also says the performance is 40 mm H2O at 85 l/min, whereas the filter's web page shows it to be 45 mm H2O at 85 l/min which is the same rating as the CBRNCF50. That's a nice price though - if ammonia isn't an issue.

https://www.cbrnetechindex.com/SupportDocuments/274fa024-ff6a-4f84-943c-72f5ee12423cC50%20Filter%20Selection%20Matrix.pdf

I didn't fully dig into the specs, sorry I guess the full CBRN filter would be the one to get then. People can make up their own minds of course, but ammonia is a noteworthy hazmat risk in large parts of the country.

Hey man - I appreciate you sharing that - it is a great filter for a good price.  If you don't live where ammonia would be an issue (I don't) - I'd buy it!

Not sure how this one plays in to the question but another Arfcommer recommended it and it was much more comfortable to wear for extended periods than the 6800 that I had:




ETA: Also noticed it is much more expensive than the 6900DIN posted earlier.

Never used one but have heard other good things also. Voice diaphragm is helpful to have.

Can "Expired" filters have some limited uses, as long as they are NON-TOXIC?

I believe the USGI KorWar era M9A1 gas mask filters (IIRC, Not 40mm threads) are known to be toxic--chromium, I think.

How does one tell if an expired GM filter has become Toxic?

We have train tracks around here that absolutely transport ammonia tankers, as well as plenty of other gnasty crap, and in large quantities. So that is important. Lol, always kind of freaky to watch dozens of tanker cars go by with all the hazard placards. "Oh man, if this bitch derails at a bad point..."

Can you tell I like Avon's series? Lol! The S10 and SF10 are out of date, but the FM12 is still good. Wish it had dual filter ports, but oh well, at least it is on the correct side for shouldering a rifle (in the extremely rare event I'd ever need to do that). Filter that is on it now came with the S10 when I bought it, but I've used it so much for Halloween it's hard to breathe through it. I think it was only good for riot agents in the first place, but I could be wrong. Obviously I'd never trust my life to it.


Still need to get the water straw adapter. Kind of forgot about that for a while.

Anyway, I think I'll go with the Avon filter posted before. But just to clarify: the 3M filter linked in the OP would be a no-go?

The 3m filter should be fine, it's a 40mm standard DIN/NATO thread. MSA has a "GME-P100" filter with a 40mm thread for their PAPR products (GME-P100 is the performance description, not a part number, there are numerous cartridge configurations with that description). Draeger has a bunch of 40mm thread filters.

I always think of that Avon respirator as the SAS respirator...

Attached File

Ok, cool. They are a bit cheaper than the Avon filter as well.

Yeah, SAS had some style lol! I remember the first time I saw an S10. "OMG, I want one so bad!" Back then, if you asked me to draw a respirator, having never seen those before, what I would have drawn would look very close to one. Mostly the tri-wing speech horn. Something about it just looks so right.

Step one is understanding what you feel you want to be protected against. From here you can select the filter most applicable to your potential exposure. For example if you live in an area that produces or uses specific chemicals (ammonia, bromine, chlorine, etc.) you can find filters to provide the highest protection factor for these specific threats. Generally, CBRNE filters (or those marketed as such) provide good protection for a wide variety of things.

A few things to keep in mind though: A mask is only one part of a total protective system. For example if you're concerned with blister agents, a mask will protect your face and lungs, but won't protect your body at all. Also, filters have different failure points based on what they're exposed to. Your best bet is to integrate your mask or CBRNE gear into a broader plan to maintain your exposure limits to as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). Time/Distance/Shielding is your friend!

Been looking at hazmat suits too. Looking at the DuPont Tychem 6000 series (formerly Tychem F). Kappler chem tape to seal everything up, still need to get gloves and boots, though I could get the suit with booties. Most realistic threats around me are train derailments (ammonia and chlorine like you mentioned, plus other industrial chemicals), and radioactive fallout if there happens to be a meltdown at one of the 5 plants in my area. The plant in Byron being the biggest concern as it is to the west of me. Obviously it won't protect me from acute radiation exposure, but radioactive dust would be the concern.

Nobody yet responding on how to tell if ancient GM filters can be used in "non-threat" environments.

Such "expired" filters "might' have everyday uses.

IMHO it's nuts to even consider using an "ancient" military filter regardless of whether it's a non-threat environment.

Almost everything up to and including the C2 had hexavalent chromium, some of the really old stuff even had asbestos in the filters.

Masks that old are highly unreliable at best.

My advice is just forget the milsurp market entirely when it comes to this topic and get reasonably new/fresh products.