Would you wear a mask every time you were outside your cabin?

[cruisemom42]

8 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I know the feeling, Socotra is on my bucket list and when it looked like I could visit Yemen, the country broke out into war 😔. 

 

Sounds like a fascinating place -- your post just prompted me to read more about it. The biodiversity alone is interesting but also its strange history.  Would you fly there, or go by ship (cruise or freighter?)

[ilikeanswers]

Just now, cruisemom42 said:

Sounds like a fascinating place -- your post just prompted me to read more about it. The biodiversity alone is interesting but also its strange history.  Would you fly there, or go by ship (cruise or freighter?)

 

My original plan was to combine it with a land trip of Yemen and a tour of Saudi Arabia so it would have been a flight but now it is just a matter of whatever becomes available. You can't really be picky considering the circumstances. Love the sound of your Algerian trip🤗. That was another trip I had thought to do combined with Libya and Tunisia, though now I would replace Libya with Morocco.

[Bookish Angel]

No cruising with masks for me!

 

It is hard enough wearing an N95 for just an hour of brisk walking.  The mask makes my glasses fog up and my face damp and hot.  However, I personally think it is unconscionable to be outside without a mask so I deal with the unpleasantness to protect others and myself.
 

I could maybe do without the mask as I walk in a HUGE church parking lot with the ability to easily steer away from the few others I encounter. However, there are others on the sidewalk on the couple of blocks I walk to and from home to the church and back.  I will do all I can to protect others while maintaining my physical and mental health via exercise.

Edited April 26, 2020 by Bookish Angel

[jwattle]

On 4/24/2020 at 1:05 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

thank you for posting this -- it is super useful. 

 

I have still not been able to get any actual masks or even any of the cloth ones.

 

If you want cute cloth masks, check out Etsy.com

They have some great ones; once on the site, just search face masks and then the kind you want

Example: face mask corgis

[cruisemom42]

Just now, jwattle said:

If you want cute cloth masks, check out Etsy.com

They have some great ones; once on the site, just search face masks and then the kind you want

Example: face mask corgis

 

I've looked at Etsy but a lot of them seem to have loooong waits/delivery times.

 

[jwattle]

32 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I've looked at Etsy but a lot of them seem to have loooong waits/delivery times.

 

Hmmm...I've gotten mine in one to two weeks.

[bonsai3s]

We may not have a choice...if ships tells me I have to wear a face mask, then I would...but it would be tough to drink and eat. 😆😁😷

[K32682]

A face mask at all times when outside the cabin?  LOL.  Not a hope in hell would I do that.  

[clo]

59 minutes ago, K32682 said:

A face mask at all times when outside the cabin?  LOL.  Not a hope in hell would I do that.  

I thought I had replied to something similar but I don't see it. I am the OP and just asked the question to see how many people are that desperate to cruise. You're one of the wise ones 🙂

[aungrl]

7 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I've looked at Etsy but a lot of them seem to have loooong waits/delivery times.

 

Try Tom Bihn...this is a Seattle-based travel bags and accessories small business that makes the highest quality luggage by hand.  They’ve turned all of their production capability - with the owners working in the shop and the small staff working from their homes - to making cloth masks.  For every one that you purchase, they send one to the local hospital.  These guys are sewing experts, so the masks are comfortable.  tombihn.com.  (I’m not associated with the company in any way, other than being a customer.)

[cruisemom42]

18 minutes ago, aungrl said:

Try Tom Bihn...this is a Seattle-based travel bags and accessories small business that makes the highest quality luggage by hand.  They’ve turned all of their production capability - with the owners working in the shop and the small staff working from their homes - to making cloth masks.  For every one that you purchase, they send one to the local hospital.  These guys are sewing experts, so the masks are comfortable.  tombihn.com.  (I’m not associated with the company in any way, other than being a customer.)

 

Great idea -- I'm familiar with Tom Bihn.

 

But when I go to the website to order, I see "Temporarily sold out; sign up to be notified when our face masks are next available for purchase."

 

[navybankerteacher]

23 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Great idea -- I'm familiar with Tom Bihn.

 

But when I go to the website to order, I see "Temporarily sold out; sign up to be notified when our face masks are next available for purchase."

 

We just picked up four today we ordered three days ago on a local community web site  recommended by a neighbor - name of town followed by neighborhood.  You might want to stab around on Google.  They are obviously home made, but seem sturdy, four thicknesses of close-weave fabric and comfortable, snug, over-the-ears round elastics.  Strikes me as good value for the $4 each, and easier to use than my earlier linen dinner napkin.

[aungrl]

30 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Great idea -- I'm familiar with Tom Bihn.

 

But when I go to the website to order, I see "Temporarily sold out; sign up to be notified when our face masks are next available for purchase."

 

Well, shoot....I just got mine last week so I was hopeful they’d still be in stock.  If you sent a email asking when they expect to have them, they’re great about responding.  At least that would give you some idea about whether you could wait for them or needed to look somewhere else.  

[cruisemom42]

1 minute ago, navybankerteacher said:

We just picked up four today we ordered three days ago on a local community web site  recommended by a neighbor - name of town followed by neighborhood.  You might want to stab around on Google.  They are obviously home made, but seem sturdy, four thicknesses of close-weave fabric and comfortable, snug, over-the-ears round elastics.  Strikes me as good value for the $4 each, and easier to use than my earlier linen dinner napkin.

 

I did eventually order 50 of the surgical masks and my son found a place to order 3 of the cloth ones. Question is whether they will come. (I ordered surgical masks from a different place more than 3 weeks ago and they never arrived....)

 

[2wheelin]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I did eventually order 50 of the surgical masks and my son found a place to order 3 of the cloth ones. Question is whether they will come. (I ordered surgical masks from a different place more than 3 weeks ago and they never arrived....)

 

General public is not supposed to be ordering surgical or N95 masks. They are supposed to be reserved for health care, fire depts, etc. Please do not short them.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

We just picked up four today we ordered three days ago on a local community web site  recommended by a neighbor - name of town followed by neighborhood.  You might want to stab around on Google.  They are obviously home made, but seem sturdy, four thicknesses of close-weave fabric and comfortable, snug, over-the-ears round elastics.  Strikes me as good value for the $4 each, and easier to use than my earlier linen dinner napkin.

 

The community web site -- is it the one with your NextDoor neighbors.  That is where we saw some locally made.  

 

I know I"m pretty subtle.  Haha.  

[mammajamma2013]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I did eventually order 50 of the surgical masks and my son found a place to order 3 of the cloth ones. Question is whether they will come. (I ordered surgical masks from a different place more than 3 weeks ago and they never arrived....)

 

I am making cloth masks. Give me a couple of days, then however long it takes to mail them. How many do you need? Contact me at mammajamma23 @ hotmail.com.

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, mammajamma2013 said:

I am making cloth masks. Give me a couple of days, then however long it takes to mail them. How many do you need? Contact me at mammajamma23 @ hotmail.com.

My DW is also making masks. I showed her an article in our local paper that said our county knew there must be talented people who could make masks and asked for donations. She has been making them ever since even though she had to work around stuff like Walmart had no elastic.

[2wheelin]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

My DW is also making masks. I showed her an article in our local paper that said our county knew there must be talented people who could make masks and asked for donations. She has been making them ever since even though she had to work around stuff like Walmart had no elastic.

Cut strips across an old tshirt to make ear loops or ties. Since I have been making them for donation, I like to have them adjustable and make a long loop of tshirt material and then slip a craft bead on the loop. That way the wearer can slip the bead up to their ear to adjust or if they prefer, can remove the bead and cut the loop and tie.

[2wheelin]

9 hours ago, clo said:

I know about N95s. Could you provide a link about surgical masks please?

From FDA: 

• During times of limited access to surgical masks, facilities could consider having healthcare providers continue to wear the same surgical mask (i.e., extended use), remove only used gloves and gowns , and perform hand hygiene between treating patients with the same infectious disease diagnosis or exposure who are maintained in a confined area. If the mask, gloves, or gowns become contaminated, replace them.

From CDC: 

Restrict facemasks to use by HCP, rather than patients for source control.

Cancel all elective and non-urgent procedures and appointments for which a facemask is typically used by HCP.

 

Coming from a person who had an appointment canceled due to mask preservation, I think common sense and multiple news reports trumps any link you “need”.

Everyone has access somewhere to a home-made mask and use of such could contribute to faster return to appointments being fulfilled. Think of all the undiagnosed/diagnosed-too-late maladies which are being missed by postponing colonoscopies, mammograms, etc.  My friend has diagnosed kidney cancer and cannot get in to set up a treatment plan until later.

 

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, 2wheelin said:

Cut strips across an old tshirt to make ear loops or ties. Since I have been making them for donation, I like to have them adjustable and make a long loop of tshirt material and then slip a craft bead on the loop. That way the wearer can slip the bead up to their ear to adjust or if they prefer, can remove the bead and cut the loop and tie.

I'm not sure what she substituted for elastic, but whatever it was she has made and contributed a lot of masks.

 

She is a long time art teacher so she is very creative. She even, years and years ago, made her wedding dress.

Edited April 27, 2020 by ontheweb
added second paragraph

[2wheelin]

17 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I'm not sure what she substituted for elastic, but whatever it was she has made and contributed a lot of masks.

 

She is a long time art teacher so she is very creative. She even, years and years ago, made her wedding dress.

If nothing else, this is a heyday for the crafty. I have seen so many functional ideas shared—-and we get to clean out our supplies.!

[ColeThornton]

Even if it takes a while for your masks to arrive I would recommend ordering some anyway.  Many states like Illinois are extending lockdowns and public mask usage until June.  Additionally, even if restrictions are eased the possibility of a "second wave" and reinstating restrictions is always possible.

 

Plan ahead. 
 

[Langley Cruisers]

A suggestion for the homemade masks that are not fitting snuggly enough: try fitting them with a zap strap... not the plastic ones but the velcro ones that you can find at the dollar store or a hardware store. We tried this on our masks and affixed them to the straps on the masks behind our necks. So instead of the mask straps going up around your ears, you lower the straps behind your head and make them fit snuggly with the zap strap. 

 

Hmm... typing that out does not seem to make a lot of sense to me but maybe it will for you if you try it in real life. 😊

[cruisemom42]

I appreciate all the suggestions (and offers!)

 

I called my medical provider with my concerns and was told that someone would meet me at my car with a mask (and gloves) on Thursday, so that sorts out the immediate need.

 

And a second update -- the masks I ordered are listed by title as "surgical masks" but the written description makes it clear that they are not supposed to be used for medical or surgical purpose. So assuming they come this week, I should be good....