Breathing Masks/Respirators and Lip Balm

calsur · Post by **calsur** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 1:37 am

What is your best Breathing Masks/Respirators and Lip Balm solutions?

Need details here. Model numbers preferred.

Also I wear glasses. Are there models that that posses a problem for?

And now having been on this forum for 2 weeks, the question about possing problems with glasses is about the masks, NOT the lip balm.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 5:14 am

after an unfortunate incident with a volcano, I am forced to wear a full-face breather mask and helmet that, while it filters out all of the playa dust, gives my breath a mechanical, wheezy quality. The fact that it and my costume are all black also limits me to nighttime excursions.......

Really, I like those particulate masks with the bendy metal strip that conforms to the bridge of your nose- they come in twopacks or threepacks at your nearest big box Gnome Depot or hardware store....

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 10:27 am

burt's bees makes kick ass lip balm

there is a goggle store, I think it is maximumeyewear.com, that makes over glasses goggles.

I like the cloth, flexi, contruction masks you can get at wherever.

Last Real Burner · Post by **Last Real Burner** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 1:05 am

Lip Balm melts in the heat of the desert.

warmly,
mr smith

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 8:37 am

Can't carry much in my not much costume. But a old hunters trick if the wind is chaping your lips. The oil that forms on the sides of your nose will do the trick.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 9:16 am

A half face respirator with two certified HEPA (high efficiency particle air) cartridges and a pair of good goggles works for me. About $300 for the set up at your nearest FEMA emergency response supply center.

Oh, and mango flavored lip balm from the Body Shop ($5.00)

nick · Post by **nick** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 1:51 pm

The best dust masks, IMHO, are these 3M suckers with the metal nose-piece (see the mask on the right):

http://www.afcarvolth.com/dust.htm

They are cheap enough that you can buy a package of 20 or so and work great. You can get the ones with the outflow valve, which are nice for higher intensity activities like long bike rides, but are more $$$.

=n=

que.f.o. · Post by **que.f.o.** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 11:34 pm

Then there are those of us who just put a bandana over our faces. With military issue goggles over my glasses I'm set. I've burned x four now and have never felt the need for a particulate mask. On the other hand, my lungs are somewhat used to a consistant barrage of hot smokey gases.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 12:10 am

Lip balm is for mouth-breathers.

Just wash frequently and use whatever you'd be using on your face & hands. I use Nivea or Neutrogena.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 8:17 am

Particle masks are not the ansewer eather. This dust is so fine it can almost pass through your skin. Unless you wearing a "gas" mask full time the BLM could gig you for hualing off part of the playa. A little lub up the nose keeps the snot plugs soft. A bandanann helps if the wind is up.

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 12:01 pm

Thousands of years of technology can't be too far off base. I use 1 yard of unbleached muslin, tied over my head and face if the dirt storms kick up, and it becomes a scarf over my delicate shoulders when it calms down. I give them away to anyone who volunteers for Poop Patrol.

Lip balm: bring lots. The hemp based ones work for me, but the camphor in the yellow tin feels nice for a few minutes. Expect the dirt to ride along on your lips. Drink water and you won't need as much balm. The sunscreen in some of them is probably a good idea, but there's some argument about their long-term efficacy.

Goggles: Rodent wears glasses too, and the over-the-glasses sunglasses seem to work well for him. They are firm plastic, won't keep ALL of the dirt out, but they stay comfortable longer. I wear old fashioned BIG sunglasses on granny-chains. At night, I wear firm plastic safety glasses, the kind that also lets some dirt in, but the comfort is more important to me. The scarf serves to keep the dirt out of the sides, and I look like a Sand Person.

BTW: I work all day -- sun up to sundown. I travel all over the City, and go in and out of structures constantly doing my job. I need the versatility of the scarf, the comfort of the goggles, and various lip gooz. Staying hydrated cuts down tremendously on my lip goo consumption. Your mileage may vary.

III · Post by **III** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 2:08 pm

>>Drink water and you won't need as much balm

this should be emphasized - chapping lips is onne of the first signs of dehydration - it happens before your pee really starts to change color, and *well* before you start to feel thirsty. when i manage to keep myself hysdrated properly, i don't need lip balm at all. but i still take it, because once it goes, it's a pain in the ass for your body to catch up again.

Desert Maja · Post by **Desert Maja** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 12:32 pm

In addition to maintaining your hydration, try Aveda Lip Saver...

It cures the cracks, doesn't just fill'm in. Oh and it has an SPF of 15 Great stuff! A bit spendy as lip balms go (7:50), but well worth it. It's not one of those balms where the more you use the more you seem to need to use.

http://aveda.com/products/product.asp?I ... 0&SCN=2130

tonka · Post by **tonka** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 6:41 pm

Question...

Whats all this about breathing masks, goggles and respirators?
Is it really that dusty out there?

ive never been in that area ever so i have absolutely no clue...
someone explain to me please in small words ill understand.

as for lip balm, the cold harsh dry shitty albertan weather makes lip balm a nessesity of life! is anyone familliar with Keils Products? well they have the absolute BEST LIP BALM EVER! (i know you can get it at Holt Renfrew) either that, or Blistex Lip Revitalizer (in the pink tube-works fantastically well, and tastes super good too

), Burts Bee's, or good old vasaline... works like a charm...

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 6:51 pm

About lip balm and masks and other type shit. It's just suggestions from people that know. You can take it or leave it.

.
If a semi is coming down on your ass. I might suggest you move. You can take it or leave it.

tonka · Post by **tonka** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 8:09 pm

unjonharley wrote:About lip balm and masks and other type shit. It's just suggestions from people that know. You can take it or leave it.

im asking if i should take it or leave it, i honestly have no clue.

when i pack for any camping like activity, i know around here ill need lip balm, a tent and mittens... but camping outside alberta, you might as well give me a step by step instruction starting with, "this is what we call a cactis..."

and thats not over exaggerating too much... the first time i went to las vegas i was like "holy shit look at that cactis!!", lol

antron · Post by **antron** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 10:04 pm

tonka wrote:Question...
Is it really that dusty out there?

ive never been in that area ever so i have absolutely no clue...
someone explain to me please in small words ill understand.

yep. it really really is that dusty. it's a fine powder about the consistency of plaster dust. the powder is quite alkaline--it irritates if left on the skin too long. i would say that there is high probability that one woud be exposed to unpleasant amount of dust about once per day, if caught unprepared.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 11:48 pm

Burning Man's Image Gallery (http://images.burningman.com/) is searchable by keywords such as dust.

Keep in mind that the elevation of the Black Rock Desert is about 4000 ft. More intense UV light, thinner air, etc. Check The Joy of Cooking under "high altitude", Medicine for Mountaineering, or other such survival guides.

The dust comes out of the ground, btw.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 8:02 am

The dust comes out of the ground, btw.

I forgot about that part.

Actually, my understanding is that the control panel which operates the Atmospheric Playa Dust Injectors(TM) can be found over by the used tire rack in Bill's Texaco station there in Gerlach.

BlueBirdPoof · Post by **BlueBirdPoof** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 8:11 am

tonka wrote: when i pack for any camping like activity, i know around here ill need lip balm, a tent and mittens... but camping outside alberta, you might as well give me a step by step instruction starting with, "this is what we call a cactis..."

and thats not over exaggerating too much... the first time i went to las vegas i was like "holy shit look at that cactis!!", lol

Well, you won't see any in the Black Rock Desert--nothing grows out where the city is, and what's on the edges is sage. Different kind of desert again. (BTW--that's what I said when I watch Valintino's Son of the Sheik.")
Bring the lip balm. The potential value is large and the cost of packing and carrying small.

tonka · Post by **tonka** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 3:37 pm

BlueBirdPoof wrote:...Different kind of desert again.

now what kinda desert are we talking about? i didnt know there were so many kinds... so let me get this stright.... no cactus's, really hot, super dusty, and very high altitude? anything else i missed i should know?

*not to self: bring dust mask!*

BlueBirdPoof wrote:Bring the lip balm. The potential value is large and the cost of packing and carrying small.

no problem there! im a lip balmaholic, i drink lots of water so my lips are never really chapped to begin with, but for some reason i always tend to have a billion dirrerent types of lip balm around me.

tonka · Post by **tonka** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 3:42 pm

^^^gorgeous place i must say! i am definatly bringing my camera, and about a gazillion rolls of film for this trip!

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 4:07 pm

Ok, Lets try again. The playa that BRC is built on. There is not a living thing except for a bug that lives about 18 inches under the surface. There is enough moisture there for the bug and nothing else. .
HUmans that venture out there are subject to heat, cold and winds up to 70MPH. At times your camp will take on an inch of dust per hour. One could say: " these are the worst of conditions and the best of times".

.
Your ticket will state: You are risking you life by attending.

BlueBirdPoof · Post by **BlueBirdPoof** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 4:13 pm

tonka wrote: now what kinda desert are we talking about? i didnt know there were so many kinds... so let me get this stright.... no cactus's, really hot, super dusty, and very high altitude? anything else i missed i should know?

I can't give you the Koeppen classification (now does it surprise us that a German classified the world's climates into 50-some different types?) but it's dry. Nevada is basically dry, being in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. And the altitude (Gerlach, the closest town is just under 4000') makes it "high desert." (There are bighorn sheep in the conservation area!) Some specifics of what a "playa" is was discussed on this thread
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=2635
It's very important to remember that the alkalai nature of the lake makes it hostile. It's tough on your skin and feet, tough on your possessions and (if you're so unlucky as to have a sensitivity to such) very tough on your lungs. (It almost killed my sweetie in 2002.) Not a whole lot lives there, and what does is dormant in the dry season. It's very flat. (They broke a land speed record there a few years ago.) It's amazing. But strange. The "unworldly" quality, of course, adds to the ambiance of BM. But it's hard to explain what it's like when it's so far outside most people's experience. I'm almost tempted to say that's it's like an icefield without the ice--it gets to some of the flatness and barrenness--but I suspect that attempting to relate to a Canadian by bringing a spurious cliche image is as useful and condescending as insisting children don't have important issue in their daily lives.

I must be getting dizzy again.

tonka · Post by **tonka** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 9:20 pm

okay i think ive got it, so its kinda like saskatchewan, only really hot, with no water, little life, and basically nothing except dust and heat... this is gonna be fun.

thanks everyone.

and bluebird, i love your bluebird... its adorable!

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 10:51 pm

Just came into (2) MSA Ultralite II SCBA packs with face shields, tanks, hoses and cases today. They've never been used but surplus req's mandate that they be disposed of or sold as salvage from a place I got wind of. Fuck if I know what to do with them but the harness for each of them looks cool enough to make SOMETHING out of them. If the dust comes in like it did two years ago I'll probably spaz a few people out wearing it with my bunny ears.

http://www.dalmatianfire.com/msa.php[/url]

III · Post by **III** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 12:07 am

>>Fuck if I know what to do with them

wear em on duty and hoook up every time you gotta deal with the patchoulli stink.

calsur · Post by **calsur** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 4:15 am

I started this post and I want to add to it because of Tonka. Tonka, IT IS NOT LIKE SASKATCHEWAN. It is really easy to die in the desert. Or get major medical problems. The first phase heat problem will be cramps if you do not drink enough water. Generally starts in the legs but can happen other places. Second phase, heat exhaustion. You just get weak and collapse. If you get help in time you do not go to the third phase. Heat stroke. If you’re lucky, you die. If you do not die, you are generally a vegetable as you body core temperature has risen to 106 degrees and your brain is cooked. Its called heat stroke because it effect your brain like a stroke. I have been heat stroked once

1984, I was in the US Army and got transferred from Germany to North Carolina in July. There was a change of command ceremony that I had to attend in a big field and wear my heavy uniform. 30 minutes later I hit the ground, heat stroked. Medics drug me off the field and proceeded to wrap my head in ice. And administer 4 IV drips. I spent a week in the hospital. Coming from a cool climate to a very harsh one like Black Rock DESERT is a shock to your body.

The biggest indicator of body problems is that you stop sweating. If this happens, seek shade, drink water and call for help. Most times you will not notice and that is why you get into trouble.

I am not trying to scare you off, just trying to warn you.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 5:34 am

Hey PlayaVets- '03 was Burn1 for me, and I was surprised that the conditions were relatively mellow compared to what I'd read....Sure, that environment can ALWAYS kill you- but except for a few dusty spells the weather was great, IMO. For those who've been a few times, how did last year stack up?

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 8:05 am

03 was a walk on the beach. Two dust devils come through. The brown out only lasted a few. I never put up the side walls. 01 we spent most of the time covered up. The brown outs came every few min. Some one posted a dust devil on another thread.

Breathing Masks/Respirators and Lip Balm

Breathing Masks/Respirators and Lip Balm

FYI.....

The best dust masks, IMHO...

Face masks/lip balm

The bomb of balms....

Whats all this about breathing masks?

Re: Whats all this about breathing masks?