When this whole pandemic thing started hitting the prepper radar back in December, mask discussions were the hottest topic going. In fact masks themselves became hot commodities, selling for absolutely ridiculous prices, when you could find them. Let’s talk about the mask I chose back then and still wear today and see how it compares to other options.
To start off with, let’s take a look at the most common options…
N95 Disposable – This particular style of mask was considered the standard to aquire at the beginning of the pandemic. These masks are rated to filter out 95% of particles 0.3 microns or larger.
Long considered the staple for masks in the preparedness community, these masks went all but extinct in the market rather quickly. Some models also have a one way valve.
Procedure Mask – Often referred to as a “surgical mask” these were also difficult to get at reasonable prices.
These masks do little if anything to protect the wearer from the virus. The whole idea is to catch infected droplets from spreading onto surfaces or other people in case one was to “speak moistly”.
Filtered washable – These masks were popular at first due to the fact that they were reusable, even though the filter insert was not and needed to be replaced periodically.
As with other masks, these became scarce to find at reasonable prices. The advantages were that one way valves made exhalation easier and also helped stop fogging for those that wore glasses. In addition, these masks would help stop droplet spread while offering the wearer protection with the disposable N95 filter insert.
The Half Facepiece Respirator garnered a lot of attention from preppers. Often offered with cartridge filters that offered better protection than the N95, these attracted a lot of preppers.
Unfortunately, these cartridges don’t last forever and need to be replaced at a much higher cost than any other option, again, if one could find them. Despite their effective filtration, they are expensive to maintain and uncomfortable to wear for any length of time.
Plain cloth masks – either purchased or home made, these have become the most popular of all, despite being the late comer to the lineup.
This is the basic mask most people wear. Washable and lightweight, they offer no actual filtering and are intended to prevent or reduce the spread of infected droplets. These have become an advertising option for many manufacturers as they can have logos or slogans printed on them.
So which way did I go? In the beginning, I used disposable N95 masks simply because I had them. My inventory ran very low, very quickly, with no way to resupply. In the end, I chose a washable mask with N95 filter inserts and 2 exhalation valves.
The reasons why are simple. I wanted a reusable washable mask that offered droplet protection for others as well as filtering for myself. Of course, I have quite a supply now of replacement filters. Since I wear glasses, the valves help a lot. Fogging was an issue with the disposable N95 types. This particular mask has velcro fasteners around the back of the head instead of earloops, which are also a pain in the butt for those who wear glasses. This style of mask is also easy to roll up and put into a cargo pocket so it is always with me.
