Here are a couple of our favorite methods for making gas masks. We like these because they don't require a lot of expensive materials and aren't very complicated to put together.

THE SODA BOTTLE GAS MASK
This is a nice DIY project, which offers you some benefits:

Protection from a plethora of hazardous substances.
Easy and fast to make – less than 15 minutes.
You don’t need a lot of materials.
You don’t need a lot of expertise.
It’s cheap – under $5.
The items you need are:

Sharp cutting tool.
Permanent marker.
Glue
A half a gallon soda bottle.
Rubberized foam insulation strip – minimum 1 inch wide.
A N95 particulate mask.
The steps you need to take are:

Clean the plastic bottle and remove the labels.
Using the marker, draw an area shaped as an U which should be big enough to fit your face. It shouldn’t be bigger than that, in order for the mask to be air-tight, but it shouldn’t be uncomfortable either.
Cut around the U shape with a razor or an exacto knife, and also remove the bottom. Adjust the shape until it fits perfectly.
Put the rubberized foam insulation on the bottle’s edges, to create a seal.
Make a circle of foam insulation inside the bottle, where you will place the N95 mask which acts as a filter.
Place the N95 mask 2 inches up from the spout.
Cut the N95 mask’s edging carefully, leaving enough to seal the edges.
Place the N95 inside the neck of the bottle, pointing the filter out and down towards the spout.
Use the elastic bands from the N95 mask to secure the gas mask to your face.
For safe keeping and best maintenance, put the finished gas mask in a plastic bag that’s well sealed or in an air-tight container.

To ensure that its filter doesn’t become contaminated, and you can confidingly use it in emergency situations.

MAKING THE AIR FILTER FOR YOUR GAS MASK
In order to further protect you from hazardous gases, you can make a homemade air filtration system to accompany the soda bottle gas mask.

It will certainly not be as high-quality or as efficient as a military-grade one, but it will filter better some toxins and particles in the air, offering you better protection from tear gas for instance.

The items you need are:

2 bottles of a quarter gallon each.
Razor blade.
Activated charcoal.
Pillow stuffing. If you don’t have pillow stuffing, use rags from old shirts, socks or cotton balls.
Duct tape.
Rubber hose or old vacuum hose.
Soap and water.
The steps you need to take are:

Cut off the top of the bottle, using the razor blade to leave an open cylinder.
Fill the bottom of the bottle with 3-4 inches of activated charcoal. This will absorb the noxious gases, filtering the air efficiently of chlorine and carbon-based chemicals.
Cut the bottom of the other bottle, by slicing 1-2 inches with the razor blade. Remember to leave the cap on.
Put 3-4 inches of pillow stuffing inside the top of this bottle. The pillow stuffing works well to remove physical contaminants such as dust, ash and tear gas from the air.
Slide the bottles together and use tape to bind them shut. You will create a seal and finish the air filter.
With the razor blade, make a few holes in your filter, at the end where the charcoal is, in order to allow air to get in. Don’t do this until you actually need to use the filter, or otherwise the activated charcoal will only absorb the moisture from the air, rendering it totally inefficient when you actually need it most.
Clean a rubber hose or an old vacuum hose with soap and water.
Use the rubber hose in order to connect the bottom of your air mask to the filter. Use duct tape to seal the ends shut.
Remove the cap from your filter only when you need to use it. Otherwise, the charcoal will absorb the moisture from the air and the filter will become useless.
Replace the activated charcoal every time you use the filter. Each use means that the activated charcoal will absorb chemicals and become full and therefore inefficient.

THE 1942 GAS MASK
Apparently chemical warfare was a big deal in 1942, and people learnt how to protect themselves from that by making their own gas masks, for which they needed:

Canister or ordinary tin can.
Bathing cap. This is the mask that comes on your face.
Elastic
Handkerchiefs
Fly swatters.
Charcoal and soda lime. This is wrapped in two layers of handkerchiefs and packed into the can.
Powder-puff box. This has a clear lid, and it’s the window the user looks through.
Adhesive tape.
Snorkel
Knife
Wire
Plastic cling-wrap.
The steps you need to take are:

Using a knife, make an X shape at the top of your soda can.
Fit the snorkel through the hole, but don’t push it all the way through.
Drill a hole through the can flaps and the end of the snorkel tube.
Insert a wire through the holes and bend the ends of this wire over to secure the assembly.
Wrap the end of the can and the joint with the tube with plastic cling-wrap and tape.
Crush the charcoal, mix it with water or soda lime until it turns into a paste, then dry it.
Put a handkerchief in the base of the can, and another on top of that to prevent charcoal dust from going into the tube and your lungs.
Put the charcoal in the can.
Tape a handkerchief over the end of the can and cut off the excess.

If you need something in a hurry and don't have the time or the materials to make one of these gas masks, you can improvise using a T-shirt. It's meant for temporary use, however, and so it works best if you're able to quickly get out of a dangerous situation.

Have you ever made a gas mask? What method did you use? Have you ever tried one of these? Please share your tips and experiences in the comment section below!

Article Source: Survival Mastery