Guest Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 Air Quality is bad in the PDX metro area because of the fires. Every report I can find just tells me to stay indoors...staying indoors is nice, but I can't stay indoors indefinitely. I got to go to the store for groceries, in example, and that's via bicycle. Is there a more realistic short term solution? Like something that can protect my lungs today when I go to the store. Gas mask, maybe? If a Gas Mask, what do I look for in a Gas Mask? Never owned one, don't know what is needed. Any reason bicycling with a gas mask is a bad idea? Maybe something cheaper than a gas mask that would also work? Or perhaps there's a time of day when air pollution presents less risk? Suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burk Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 51 minutes ago, paxmiles said: Is there a more realistic short term solution? Stop breathing 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raindog Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 Sadly, Logging. Prescription Burns. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 2 hours ago, Burk said: Stop breathing Nice. Not the answer I'm looking for, but it definitely fits with what I was asking. Good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 Give up the illusion of control and just go to the store? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DisruptiveConduct Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 i heard all this smoke is from all the marinaras being smoked. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pretre Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 1 minute ago, DisruptiveConduct said: i heard all this smoke is from all the marinaras being smoked. That's a lie. Marinaras are injected, not smoked. 1 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romans832 Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 m95 & m100 masks will protect you from the smoke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfestedKerrigan Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 Spend two weeeks in Southern Oregon, then realise you are spoilt in Portland. Also, Carbon filter on the negative side of a box fan in your home makes for a wonderfully cheap Air Scrubber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 Yeah spoiled. Been talking to people, the consensus is that the problems I'm having are related to recently getting AC for the first time and not being used to how "dry" it makes the air. The smoke outside doesn't seem to be affecting others, so it's probably not the smoke. Still, getting an air "scrubber" doesn't seem like a bad idea. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 3 hours ago, Romans832 said: m95 & m100 masks will protect you from the smoke Been looking for info on this. Seems like "N95 and N100" is what I need. https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/334-353.pdf M95 and M100, I can't seem to get anything other than pictures of millitary gas masks, but no indication of where to buy them or how much they cost. Found a few rather sketchy sites, but that and ebay seem to be the only sources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfestedKerrigan Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 A/Cs don't make air "dry," they make air dry. Portable Dehumidifiers and the Dehumidifier in vehicles are Air Conditioners. 😉 The process of cooling air often causes moisture to condensate on the line set, like dew drops on grass, reducing the humidity in the conditioned space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 14 hours ago, InfestedKerrigan said: A/Cs don't make air "dry," they make air dry. Portable Dehumidifiers and the Dehumidifier in vehicles are Air Conditioners. 😉 The process of cooling air often causes moisture to condensate on the line set, like dew drops on grass, reducing the humidity in the conditioned space. I just don't tend to think of air as being capable of being dry or wet. I know, scientifically it can be, but in conversation it doesn't really make sense so I don't tend to think about it like that. That's why I used the quotes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckman Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 Move to a desert. You'll think of it that way very quickly. Also, the air quality is having an impact on people. I can't speak to your medical history but people with reduced cardio-pulmonary function or reduced lung capacity tend to have problems long before others. Lung cancer, asthma, heart patients, etc. all have reduced ability to process oxygen into the blood stream for one reason or another and that kind of pollution has a much more dangerous impact on them because they are already low SpO2 relatively speaking. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfestedKerrigan Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 It absolutely makes sense, the news is constantly telling you how wet or dry the air is, that is the Humidity. The more humid, the wetter the air. The less humid, the dryer the air. Portland, with all its rivers, is pretty damn humid, compared to Eastern and Southern Oregon. Eastern Oregon, being largely high desert, has some of the driest air in the state. Go to Kentucky or NOLA and tell them it doesn't make sense to discuss how wet the air is lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfestedKerrigan Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 Get a bedside humidifier from Walgreens or similar. Also, get some plants. I grow Jalapenos all year long in my living room. Put the humidifier near your plants, but away from the AC, so it'll help mix. The plants will help maintain humidity, as well. It'll make your skin soft again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Back when I had my reef aquariums, I never had problems with dry air -- quite the opposite. Those with really big tanks had to run dehumidifiers or risk mold problems. Get an aquarium! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfestedKerrigan Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 8 minutes ago, andy said: Back when I had my reef aquariums, I never had problems with dry air -- quite the opposite. Those with really big tanks had to run dehumidifiers or risk mold problems. Get an aquarium! I thought about mentioning this, too, but rentals don't often work well with fish tanks. A friend from Astoria has a 50gal fish tank in her living room with only snails in it. The singular purpose is to hydrate the house, cuz she can't stand how dry it is in Rogue Valley. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreg Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 First, just wearing a gasmask for any length of time sucks. Doing physical activity in one really sucks. Also you can't really see great so unless you really are trying to stop breathing I wouldn't try riding a bike in traffic in one. According to some Oregon Health Authority tweets the n95 masks block the smoke but they need to be professionally fitted to work. Last this is apparently the best way to build a DIY filter with a box fan. https://tombuildsstuff.blogspot.com/2013/06/better-box-fan-air-purifier.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 Well, the N95 masks are really easy and cheap to acquire. https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-N95-Particulate-Respirator-Mask-8200XC1-C/202080141 Everything I can find online seems to agree that this is enough for smoke (well, to protect your lungs from inhaled smoke, not other smoke related effects like lack of oxygen or the smoke's effects on your eyes). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 I wear one of those when I'm airbrushing a lot. They do prevent psychedelic nose goblins, so there's that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkie Posted August 24, 2018 Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 Air quality? You spoiled Portlanders can see the sky! It looks like Silent Hill up in Bellingham. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestRider Posted August 24, 2018 Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 22 minutes ago, Munkie said: Air quality? You spoiled Portlanders can see the sky! It looks like Silent Hill up in Bellingham. That's actually a disturbingly accurate description of what it's been like here on Bainbridge as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2018 Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 25 minutes ago, Munkie said: Air quality? You spoiled Portlanders can see the sky! It looks like Silent Hill up in Bellingham. It really is rather mild during the day. As we get towards the end of daylight, at least at my home, the smoke becomes thick enough where I start to seriously wonder about the air as a health hazard. I'm not pretending that we've got it the worst. But just because others have it worse, doesn't mean I shouldn't use caution. Anyway, I thought this topic affected enough of us that it was worth bringing up in the forum. Given the above, looks it was worth mentioning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkie Posted August 24, 2018 Report Share Posted August 24, 2018 1 hour ago, paxmiles said: Anyway, I thought this topic affected enough of us that it was worth bringing up in the forum. Given the above, looks it was worth mentioning. Definitely worth discussing. I just thought, based on the conversation, that I'd be driving into more of the same as home. Pleasantly surprised. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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