Opinions on fire escape hoods?

Bigwig - August 2, 2022

Gear

Looking for opinions on fire escape hoods.  One is on sale now at several sites such as https://mypatriotsupply.com/products/ready-hour-fire-evacuation-mask . For the price, it might be worth having a few around.  It just concerns me that something this life-saving would be this inexpensive. 

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In The Prepared’s Best gas masks and respirators for survival article down at the very bottom are two recommendations.

That $15 one you linked to on sale looks similar to the $40 recommendation from the article. Smoke inhalation is the biggest killer in house fires, so it should be a great thing to add if you can get it at a reasonable price. They do have a shelf life though, so if you do buy them, check that you don’t get one that is old and expires in a few months.

 

I was about to link the exact same thing. Perhaps they are cheaper ($40 vs $200) because they are single use.

 

I did a bit of research professionally on these a few years ago.  There are a couple of important thing things to keep in mind when looking for an emergency fire evac mask/hood.  1) they are definitely single use items, 2) hoods are generally better than masks since they do not require fitting, they can handle facial hair, and they will protect your eyes and face from smoke. 3) they are only as good as the canister attached.  These MUST be rated for particulates and most importantly, CO2  Finally, they do go bad.  

I’m generally partial to safety gear that has been tested to a recognized standard, and given the importance of respiratory protection in a fire situation, I will only spend my money one that can provide verifiable test info.  Professionally, I ended up settling on the iEvac hood by Elmridge Protection.  Never tested it in a fire personally, however.