Is it possible to travel responsibly (during a pandemic)?

[greeniguana]

You are free to eat horse deworm paste, drink bleach, and stick UV lights wherever you want. Maybe try some leaches and magical spells too.

I cannot stop anyone, nor do I want to try.

 

[Manatee Diver]

The whole thing has become political, that is why.

Does Ivermectin or HcQ work on COVID? I don't know, I've seen studies that say yes, I've seen studies that say no. I'm not in the position to make a judgement about that, I would leave that up to the doctor if myself or a loved one got sick with COVID.

But I do know that things were at least publicly neutral on the subject until the Orange Man tweeted about it to give hope that there were possible treatments. And all of the sudden any possible treatments were suddenly bad. So IMO people shouldn't get their medical advice from the TV or the internet, but a doctor that actually knows them, and hopefully is making sound medical decisions based on their history and condition. Which includes talking to them about the vaccine.

 

[Schwob]

Back to traveling:
If you do/ did and had or chose to wear a mask, what kind do you prefer and why so?

Here is why I ask:
Just came back from Hawaii (to Midwest) and need to fly to Europe mid next month. In the past I tried the surgical style paper masks with bendable wire clips over the nose, thicker formed 3M dust(sanding) style masks, washable masks that seem to have thin foam between two bonded fabric layers, a 2 layer cotton mask.
The formed masks do not work for me when traveling because I need to be able to have it on me in one of my pants pockets or it is not practical for the way I roll. That means I have to be able to fold it flat, roll it up or otherwise make it small and pocketable. I wear glasses. I cannot figure out how to really prevent them from fogging up, but the surgical style masks and the cotton mask seem to do best for me in that department. I used a cotton mask (that Hawaii print thing) mostly during the past trip, but found I do not really like the moist warm feeling it causes around the covered area when worn a prolonged time. The cotton just sucks up too much moisture from my breath and dries too slow and while it can be washed frequently, I do not care to do so mid trip in a public restroom in an airport (while then wearing another mask and dealing with the wet rag after washing). It is OK for a short hop into a store or such. So far, I have to say, I like the less sweaty feeling of the blueish surgical style masks the best if wearing one for a prolonged amount of time. I just have to have one that is nit too small (tight / tough on the ears over time) for me. It sure would be nice if there was a way to know that before buying a box (a meaningful size description). The surgical style masks I tried so far were an unknown brand from China (someone had a ton and gave us a good bunch) and what we found at Costco.

Anyway, what do you wear?
Why?
Does anyone (wearing glasses) have a recommendation for a small folding, pocketable, non-glasses-fogging, non-sweaty (fast drying & water vapor transmissive and yet still holding back what needs to be held back) style / brand of mask that they feel they do well in wearing it all day?

 

[Lorenzoid]

@Schwob , I have tried all the common types and settled on the blue paper ones. I really wanted to wear an N95 (or KN95) on my Europe trip last month, but with just the exertion of getting to and through the airport on a hot summer day I was soon dripping condensation inside it. I ditched it for a blue paper mask and used them throughout the trip. An interesting observation was that I see mostly cloth masks in the US--mostly plain black, but some with designs--while in Belgium and France it appeared to me that the blue paper ones were way more common. But with the Delta variant and alarming (to me) anecdotal reports of breakthrough infections, I sure wish I could tolerate an N95 better.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

The sheep will follow. The fact the death percentage is only .6 percent isn't relevant.

It is when its you're loved one.

 

[Mod63]

Anyway, what do you wear?
Why?

FFP2 mask, because where I live it's the type of mask prescribed for the areas where masks are mandatory. Interesting enough, I do have less issues with fogging glases with the FFP2 than I do have with surgical masks.
Remember, there are at least 27 different regulations on masks in the EU, heck, there is 16 different in Germany alone

 

[Kimela]

The mask I wear is two layers of a fairly thin fabric. It breathes quite easily but feels like it's doing something. I got hit hard with hay fever this year and I think it's helping minimize some of that for me.

 

[formernuke]

It is when its you're loved one.

And it's different if they died from the flu or cancer or car accident etc.

 

[Jake 10]

wearing masks with hearing aids is a pain in the rear... every time you take the mask off to eat or drink the aids come off.,,, but is better than wearing a respirator at an ICU

 

[Shasta_man]

I wear the blue disposable masks with the moldable nosepiece. They fog up my glasses less than the fabric mask because I can mold the nosepiece snug so less air can travel up toward my glasses.

Plus I have a box of them by the front door to grab on the way out instead of finding where the heck I put my fabric mask I am not smart enough to also leave by the front door.