Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Mask for fire

Went out bear hunting with a bud yesterday and we ended up hiking the high country and down the canyons a total of 10 miles. It was smoky to be sure, but not as bad as down in the settled valleys around home. We even had some blue sky and clean air a little in the afternoon. Anyway, I was surprised how rough I feel this morning. Went outside for a few minutes to walk the neighbors dog for them and damn, my chest hurt and coughed up some sheit.

I'm not well versed on masks, but it looks like I should be more careful. Any thoughts on protection while trying to live a semi-normal life??

Stay indoors until it rains and scrubs the air, most masks won't do you any good.

I agree

I got home from vacation and had to spot spray under the vines, forgot to wear a mask for about 3 hours and about had the symptoms you describe. Air quality here is 165'ish. Put on a surgeons mask, blue outside type, and continued spot spraying 3 more runs ( about 7 more hours) and didn't have the headache or soot, but it sure was uncomfortable wearing the dam thing.My son is on his way home from 16 days fighting fires at Quincy, working the Fed lines got them the best accomodations: a outdoor cot, started at the Quincy fair grounds then when over-run with folks out of a home, they moved to a nearby air field.

3M n95 dust mask.

Definitely feeling it here.

Scott air pack works! But they are heavy, sweaty, and need refilling! Limit your outside time if possible! Stay healthy.

This^^^ should certainly work for the particulate matter.

Chemical vapors in the smoke might be a different matter though.

When Phoenix and Talent burned up the other day, one of my suppliers lost a branch outlet in the fire. I wonder what all that pvc burning does to the air quality?

I can guarantee I'd not like to be around that without proper equipment.

House fires are bad too, them folks down in that area got exposed to everything in everyone's garages that burned and smoldered.

Hope that supplier had good insurance. And that you have another source for when you need supplies.

Some of the guys have masks they wear on the fire line.

I think a 95 goes inside them.

Oh, good luck bear hunting Roy.

We did see one bear. Called in a fox too LOL. Awful smoky to be runnin the hills on foot.

I did some stuff around the yard yesterday with out a mask and I'm feeling it. The wife doesn't go out without her N95 on. Me, I'm not that bright.

Its not just the particulates in smoke.

Hell....CO is not filtered by a mask is it!

If your air is that bad then go on holiday where there is clean air.

And drive through that shidt?

You paying?

https://aqicn.org/map/northamerica/

Air's still better here than the last time I was in Nanjing China.

I've got to get outside now and and try to get "something" done around this place today. Goin by landmarks, viz is better than 1/4 mile and less than 5miles. Judging by the smoke drifting thru the trees on the BLM land behind us, I'm guessing in the neighborhood of 1 mile at best. Haven't been able to open windows for a few nights now. The other night we had them open and were awakened at 0330 by the smoke alarms going off. Good thing the temps are only in the high 80's and not nearer 100F, can't get the house good and cool overnight.

I take "my" dog Breeze out for a walk with his "dad" every evening I can. Did about 0.6 miles last night and knew I'd walked in smoke.

Took a pic of the sun in the orange haze going down last night for our family text. I labeled it "day 70? 75? ". Not sure when we had the last normal sunset.

Might have to see if I've got an N95 out in the shop for the afternoon outside.

Correct. The primary concern with wildfires as wood heat (in inversion conditions) is particulate; specifically PM 2.5.