The GP-5 is a helmet-type gas mask with white/black rubber that stretches over the head. To this day, if you really wanted a GP-5, you could potentially go to the site of the Chernobyl disaster and you’d likely find several in the debris, scattered amidst the disaster zones. Since most Soviet Union civilians were expected to have a GP-5 gas mask (including the children but with a longer hose), they were cheaper than most, simple to produce and easy to obtain. The Dicey Design of the GP-5 and GP-7Īs mentioned, the GP-5 was specifically designed to counter a possible nuclear war with the U.S. After the GP-5m (the upgrade which came after the GP-5), the Soviet Union then began production on the GP-7 gas mask which was distributed in 1988.

It was used as a way of preventing the inhalation of toxic and radioactive substances, including bacterial agents.Īs stated, the GP-5 would cease production in 1990, and so if you find one today, it’s likely it will NOT be as effective against nuclear disaster or a respiratory hazard. All civilians were advised that these gas masks would last up to 24 hours. What mattered then was that it was (1) super cheap and (2) super simple to manufacture.

When COVID-19 hit the U.S., people fled to many alternative means of safety, and I mean VERY alternative means, as you can see below: So, before you click “buy” on that Israeli gas mask you saw on eBay, let’s look at your other options… TABLE OF CONTENTSĪre the GP-5 and GP-7 a Health Hazard or a Safety Net? Of course, it’s at your own discretion to buy these products, but in this article we discuss the origin of these surplus gas masks, why they’re such a concern, the reason they’ve become so popular and why the more modern alternatives are not only safer, but guaranteed to be safer. These masks are likely to be outdated, unreliable and unsafe. (Image source: Courtesy of JustOneSuitcase)Īs mentioned in our Definitive Gas Mask Buyer’s Guide, there are several types of surplus gas masks still on the market today that are best avoided.

Israeli gas mask for sale