I’d love for Beat to share his mask design. Sounds very intriguing.
Glad you got out for a serious ride. As for the fires, my heart goes out to all impacted. Last year, and so far this year, we’ve been lucky in SF, but I know our luck with run dry at some point. Hang in there.
Here is a reply Beat left on another post of mine. This mask is readily available online; he rewired it for an external battery to extend its range. Hopefully you'll stay clear in SF.
"Actually they're easy to get on amazon - our PT turned me on to those just as I was gonna design one ;) I only modified them to use a standard 18650 cell instead of the dubious custom battery they use. Despite the filter rating maybe being a little questionable they seem to work well enough as Jill has proven.
We used the BROAD AirPro (there's a number of similar looking models out there I think RSENR is another brand (how DO they pick those names ???). They generally also come with some mask adapters in addition to masks (small plastic part you can attach the hose to) which makes it easy to use your favorite N95 or similar mask - all it needs is a half inch (sorta) hole. We're experimenting with masks with exhaust valve as well since this will make breathing hard easier. We have some masks that attach with horizontal bands behind the head instead of earloops which are much more comfortable for extended periods of time. I measured about .25 amps current draw on high on the BROAD filter, which should easily get you 10 hours on a 18650 though I havent done a full runtime test (I use 3500mah cells which should exceed this).
I also used those during the Ouray 100 one year and I think it helped quite a bit. The masks do of course get wet over time, but having spares is easy, and the positive pressure helps with comfort."
Wonderful! I'm definitely looking into this as I'd love to be able to do my (admittedly much tamer) outdoor activities when the (sadly) inevitable fires send smoke our way... While I don't have respiratory problems per se, I limit outdoor activity when the AQI exceeds 50-70.
As for how/why companies come up with their crazy names, it's an artifact of fact that Amazon prioritizes companies with registered trademarked names. So Chinese (and undoubtedly other) companies create nonsense names, get them registered, and sell on Amazon.
As a former firefighter who lost a dear friend fighting a fire near Glenwood Springs decades ago, i just can't even process how I feel about the news. This should not still be happening. I am so sad and angry. Stay safe.
Ooh, I love the mask & hate that we've made a world where we need such things. I think I'm going to copy Beat's design & make a mask like that for Christine.
You’re welcome here anytime for our different allergens.
I always feel better when I spend longer blocks of time in more distant locales. Gives those antibodies a chance to calm down.
Great news about forgetting your knee - at least for some time. Thinking of you and Colorado.
Thank you Wendy. It is time to leave the Western US. It has been for a while.
I’d love for Beat to share his mask design. Sounds very intriguing.
Glad you got out for a serious ride. As for the fires, my heart goes out to all impacted. Last year, and so far this year, we’ve been lucky in SF, but I know our luck with run dry at some point. Hang in there.
Here is a reply Beat left on another post of mine. This mask is readily available online; he rewired it for an external battery to extend its range. Hopefully you'll stay clear in SF.
"Actually they're easy to get on amazon - our PT turned me on to those just as I was gonna design one ;) I only modified them to use a standard 18650 cell instead of the dubious custom battery they use. Despite the filter rating maybe being a little questionable they seem to work well enough as Jill has proven.
We used the BROAD AirPro (there's a number of similar looking models out there I think RSENR is another brand (how DO they pick those names ???). They generally also come with some mask adapters in addition to masks (small plastic part you can attach the hose to) which makes it easy to use your favorite N95 or similar mask - all it needs is a half inch (sorta) hole. We're experimenting with masks with exhaust valve as well since this will make breathing hard easier. We have some masks that attach with horizontal bands behind the head instead of earloops which are much more comfortable for extended periods of time. I measured about .25 amps current draw on high on the BROAD filter, which should easily get you 10 hours on a 18650 though I havent done a full runtime test (I use 3500mah cells which should exceed this).
I also used those during the Ouray 100 one year and I think it helped quite a bit. The masks do of course get wet over time, but having spares is easy, and the positive pressure helps with comfort."
Wonderful! I'm definitely looking into this as I'd love to be able to do my (admittedly much tamer) outdoor activities when the (sadly) inevitable fires send smoke our way... While I don't have respiratory problems per se, I limit outdoor activity when the AQI exceeds 50-70.
As for how/why companies come up with their crazy names, it's an artifact of fact that Amazon prioritizes companies with registered trademarked names. So Chinese (and undoubtedly other) companies create nonsense names, get them registered, and sell on Amazon.
As a former firefighter who lost a dear friend fighting a fire near Glenwood Springs decades ago, i just can't even process how I feel about the news. This should not still be happening. I am so sad and angry. Stay safe.
It's very sad. I'm sorry.
This was incredible to read. Thank you so much. Good luck with everything.
Ooh, I love the mask & hate that we've made a world where we need such things. I think I'm going to copy Beat's design & make a mask like that for Christine.