Yugoslavian M-2 Gas Mask

Cold War Crap

Yugoslavian M-2 Gas Mask

Manufacturer: MZ Ravnjak, Krusevac, Serbia
Model: M-2
Country of Origin: Yugoslavia (now Serbia)
Year of production: 1986?
Production run: ?
Fitting: 40mm
Size: M (mala = small)
Price: £10.00 + £2.95 postage
Availability: Hard to find/ becoming rare
Shipped from: UK

 All this lot for a tenner!

Ebay is a fantastic place to find surplus gas masks, much cheaper than your bricks and mortar stores for the most part and often with a wider selection of choice. Every now and then we find a one-off semi-rare treat which pops up and then disappears in the bat of an eyelid, never to be repeated anytime soon. Well here is one such treat. The much loved Yugoslav M-2 from the 1980s and 90s. The replacement to the also much loved Yugoslav MC-1 - The American M9 clone with the daft bulbous nose and 60mm side mounted filter. I did a review of the full Yugo MC-1 NBC kit a while back..... Click Here to see the review.
The M-2 features a filter finding friendly 40mm fitting, loses the stupid big nose and adds a new inner mask for better air seal and comfort.

MC-1 v M-2

Here is a little side by side comparison between the old MC-1 and the M-2 both of which were used by the Yugoslavian JNA during the cold war.
The eye pieces, exhale valve and side filter intake are essentially the same although the M-2 does away with the large diameter 60mm american style filter in favour of the standard 40mm threading.
Away goes the large bulbous nose piece of the MC-1 in favour of a more neatly sculpted nose molding.
The M-2 new nose piece copies the British Avon S6 to a certain extent.

Horrible 60mm filter be gone!

As well as a different filter on the side the newer M-2 has a thicker, reinforced rubber face piece, better harness mountings and better placed eye pieces. These little improvements makes for a much better comfortable fit.

M-2 on the left and MC-1 on the right

Its much easier to see what those clever Serbs did to the M-2 when you look inside both masks and compare the two.
On the left is the M-2 with its improved inner mask, chin support with air flow and pseudo Tissot tubes running just underneath the eye pieces.
The old MC-1 by comparison is a simple basic piece of soft rubber and not alot else.
Differences between the two are like night and day in terms of fit and functionality.
As stated earlier, there is nothing wrong with the old MC-1, its a great mask in its own right. But it just doesnt stand up against the M-2


Back to the M2 review...
and now for the rest of the stuff which came with the M-2 kit.
firstly the filter.

 1986 made? it certainly looks like an 86 production. 

Looking remarkably like an old soviet GP-5 filter we have the M-2 filter. A 40mm threaded activated charcoal can which screws directly to the side of the mask.
There seems nothing extraordinary about it. The markings down the side dont seem to follow any known numbering/dating/manufacture system other than the numbers 02 1986 on one side. One assumes this might refer to the manufacture date? who knows.

 Looks awfully like an Soviet GP-5 filter..... but its not! 

!! Does this Filter contain Asbestos?!!
I highly doubt it - Most countries knocked Asbestos on the head long before 1986 with the except of China perhaps. The health risks were realised years before. Its always a safe bet to replace with a newer filter anyway.

 Filter in near perfect condition

This 40mm filter is in really good condition considering it has to be at least 30 years old. There are no signs of paint chipping or flaking, no signs of any rust or moisture inside or out which can only be a good thing.
It came with the original top bung/cap and the bottom rip tab still in tact. It doesnt appear to have ever been used.

Can you modify this Mask?
I think its quite possible to modify this mask by switching the intake and exhale valves around so to avoid having a heavy filter hanging down one side of the face. I must admit Im not a big lover of the filter on the cheek type set up, it makes my head feel a little lop sided!.
Instead the filter could hang down in front of the mask like most other modern masks and filters do.
A soviet style hose could also be added to get the filter away from the face altogether. Both the inhale and exhale valves are secured by simple cable ties so a quick switch around would be relatively easy to do.

The Haversack/Carrier
To carry the mask and filter around we have the rather splendid M-2 haversack.
It appears to have been designed to be both functional and compact.
Inside are various little pockets with little elasticated straps to hold everything in place.  It features a long shoulder strap which can be stowed away at the bottom of the bag when its not required.  The bag itself is made from thick cotton and has been properly stitched on the edges. Once everything is in the bag it is securely fastenened by three press stud type fixings.

 The Haversack provided is quite useful but it does stink a bit!

Overall in terms of carrying a gas mask about its one of the better haversacks I have come across. Much better than a lot of the soviet bags of that time. Its really compact and lightweight which I really like.
One thing I didnt like was the musty/manky smell which came with the bag. I guess this kit has been stored in a damp basement or something for the past 30 years. Despite the reek, there isnt any mould spots or fungus growing on the bag. Bonus!

Maintenance Card 
Well here is something you dont see everyday... a gas mask with its own scheduled maintenance card.
I dont think any of my masks came with one of these except this M-2. Bizarre.
Yeah, you get the odd user manual in russian or polish but never a test card.

 No not an instruction manual but a maintenance card

Basically this card recorded the safety tests that were scheduled for this JNA military mask.
The front page gives details of the factory where the mask was produced, the series, production and date numbers of the mask. and the JNA military serial number (similar to NATO order numbers)
One confusing entry on the front sheet is the '1986' writing in pen.  You might think that this would indicate the masks true age but maybe not? Im still working on the true manufacture date as im not happy with what i have found so far.

 Some fella signed this off - Cant work out when though?

More cryptic Serbian scrawlings....  it would appear that this mask was tested for safety once and once only.  The date shows 2004 or 2007? The resistance test shows 17 m/us (whatever that means?) and the test engineer signed it off as passsed.

Its great to get this card with the kit. Something which can be kept with the kit and sold on one day in the future. It all adds to the authenticity.

This mask fits really well. Im mightily impressed

In my opinion the M-2 looks like the Primark version of the Avon S6. I really like the feel, the fit and the price.
I would have no hesitation in getting another if the chance ever presents itself again!

Rating: 5 out of 5 ✅✅✅✅✅
What a great fitting, comfortable mask! Oh and what a great piece for any collector. These things are pretty hard to come back by these days (in the UK at least) so unless a bargain price can be found expect to pay a few quid for one of these. I  really like what those Serbians did to this mask. a much improved replacement to the MC-1 - not that there was anything wrong with that mask! Chuck a new 40mm filter on this thing and its good to go.

Finnish M/62 Civilian Gas Mask

Cold War Crap

Finnish M/62 Gas Mask Kit

Manufacturer: Rikkihappo Oy, Helsinki, Finland
Model: Suojanaamarin M/62 (Finnish)  Skyddsmasken M/62 (Swedish)
Country: Finland and Sweden
Year of manufacture: 1969
Production run: 1962 - ?
Fitting: 40mm NATO
Price: £17-£18  I paid: £1.20 + £3.40 postage
Vendor:
Condition: New/unissued
Shipped from: UK

After a short break in my gas mask buying I return with a rather curious Finnish creation the M/62.
A cheaply made civilian mask made in Finland but also found in sweden.
This particular gas mask kit is one of the more rarer finds on ebay. One particular UK seller was selling these for around £17- £18.  The one that i got my hands on cost me less than a fiver but came with a caviat. it was missing a head harness buckle.
No problem, i have a small buckle here already so its easily fixed. A bargain then!
I had high expectations and i wasnt going to be disappointed.

First Impressions
The M/62 gas mask kit was originally issued in a large carboard box. Inside is a rubber face piece which attaches at the back via an adjustable harness.
Also inside the box is a 40mm filter sealed in a plastic bag, a lens cleaning cloth, a comprehensive instruction manual and a clear thick resealable plastic carrier to keep a contaminated mask in presumably?

The Mask
This mask consists of a thin rubber face piece. circular GP-5 style eye pieces and 40mm NATO style inhale valve on the snout. The straps which hold it to your head are elasticated it would appear and often a secure fitting when you pop it on. the eye pieces on this mask are made from a thin perspex type plastic rather than glass and look like they could scratch really easily.
There is no exhale valve on this mask. Instead, exhaled air passes out of the mask via the sides. Similar to the WWII British civilian mask in that respect. A simple system which worked (sort of)
The mask was first designed in 1962 )I think) but im not sure when they replaced this mask. details are thin on the ground.
Judging by the overall quality I would say these civilian masks were produced by a government who were on a bit of a tight budget.

I dont want to sound too harsh but this design of mask is pretty terrible.
It doesnt really sit well on your face. it sort of hangs low around the eyes. Add the filter and move around a bit and the mask becomes a little heavy and pulls down a bit. It all feells a little crap. might a problem if you are surrounded by gas and it drops down because of the filter.

There is very little going on inside this mask. Just the bare basics it would appear. No Tissot tubes to take away the condensation, no exhale valve nothing. Just the intake section and two eye plastic eye pieces.

The Filter
This filter actually looks decent. Its got a 40mm standard NATO screw fitting making it compatible with many other gas masks. it looks to be made to a good standard.
The quality of the paint on this filter canister is quite good although Battleship grey isnt a colour i normally gravitate to, its certainly a change from the forest green the soviets used to splash on. As this filter came to me still sealed in a plastic bag (i regret opening it now) it is in pretty much brand new condition after all these years.

The filter was made in 1969 if the date stamp is to believed. Presuming this filter follows the same dating designation as the mask then this filter was designed and used from 1961 (M/61)

!! Does this Filter contain Asbestos? !!

Very little is known about this filter at this time. Assume there is a layer of asbestos filtration is the best advice.
As the filter is years out of date replace it with a modern one if the mask is intended for use.

14th of May 1969

This filter is pretty old and even though it was sealed up in a bag, small bits of paint were peeling off on one side.

The instruction booklet is written in both Finnish and Swedish. It looks to be very concise and in depth (although I dont know either language!).

See what I mean about it not sitting right on the face!

Another interesting gas mask for the collection it would seem. yeah its a cheaply made monstrosity but one that I didnt have. Definately one for display only, you couldnt really use this to fend off tear gas or anything - preppers forget it!

Rating: 👍👍👍👍 4 out of 5
For under 20 these gas mask kits are great value for the collector. A complete unopened unissued kit from the late 60s, you cant go wrong.
Not the usual GP5 type mask you see on every ebay list and seemingly getting rarer and rarer these days so worth grabbing one or two now.

Tesla Nano 100W TC - Steampunk edition

Tesla Nano 100W TC Steampunk edition

Manufacturer: Teslacigs
Model: Nano 100W TC (Steampunk)
Country of Origin: China
Price: £50-£80  I paid: £25 + free next day shipping
Availability: Discontinued - Hard to find
Contruction: Zinc alloy
Power range: 7W-100W
Resistance range/s: 0.15 - 3.5 ohm (normal) / 0.05 -1.0 ohm (temp)
Temperature range: 200-600F / 100-300C
Battery Power: 4500mAh (2x Lip-Po packs) USB charging @ 2A
Features: Temp control Ni+Ti, Wattage and Mechanical mode (Bypass)

Every so often a rarely seen mod surfaces on ebay for a brief moment and then disappears again as quickly as it came. The Tesla Nano 100W is one such mod.
I had my eye on the newer Nano 120W for a while now after trying one but i wasnt prepared to wait three weeks for delivery or pay a higher price from an UK warehouse.
Quite by chance I saw an ebay ad for this Nano 100TC and couldnt believe my eyes. I hadnt seen one of these for sale for ages either brand new or secondhand. it turned out that this was a brand new sealed mod and it was going for a really good pr
The Nano 100W is an elusive dual Li-Po powered hunk of handsome vaperage thought to have been long since abandoned by Teslacigs in favour of the Nano 120W steampunk seen all over the internet.  Whilst it boasts the same silky steampunk style as its bigger brother, the 100W TC is an entirely different beast.

Nice design on a copper type finish

First Impressions
Inside the nicely appointed packing is the mod and not a lot else. A quality control card and a useless manual are all that accompany this device.
The Tesla 100TC is a really well made metal masterpiece. The main body of the device is manufactured from a Zinc alloy which is solid and quite heavy. I presume the brass plating/coating was added after it was molded. The steampunk engravings are well defined and have a consistant pattern that runs around the outside. Darker colours have been added to the edges of the pattern to make the mod look more of an antique copper. This effect works really well.

510 connection and the plus/minus buttons

The Tesla Nano 100 features a fire button and a seperate plus and minus button (the usual type of set up) these are all made from the same antique brass metal and feel solid when using.
The display is a blue OLED type with quite small letters/numbers fonts. The display is easy to read and bright at night.
Display information includes battery level, resistance, voltage and wattage. The wattage display is replaced with either a celsius or farenheit readout when temp control is selected.
The 510 pin is silver plated and is spring loaded.
The dimensions of this device mean that the largest atomiser that can fit comfortably on here is a 22mm without any overhang.

Fast charging at 2A

The Worlds smallest 100W mod

Yes Teslacigs claimed the Nano was the worlds smallest 100w mod when it was launched back in 2016. Without having any evidence to back it up I would say that this was probably true and I dare say is still true today in 2017. 

The Nano 100W is power by two 2250mAh Li-Po blocks wired in parallel. This makes for long lasting performance which should keep the average vaper going for most of the day. Although you cant swap these batteries out like you can with a normal 18650 mod when they run out, it does feature a rapid 2A charge circuit via USB allowing for a full recharge in under 2 hours. Much quicker than if I used my 18650 charger...

Operating the Nano is easy and uncomplicated.
A simple button combination switches the device between temp control and regular mode.
Putting the device into Mechanical mode is simply a case of running the dial to 100w and pressing the + button. Nothing to worry about. really simple.
there really isnt a lot more to it than that. Power on and off with the industry standard 5 clicks etc...

 Compared to a standard dual 18650 mod

It's pretty darn small!

So there it is, a stunning steampunked thing of beauty. capable of throwing some watts and turning a few heads.
Is it as good looking as its big brother the Nano 120W?
Yes, every bit as good.

Rating: 4 out of 5 ✅✅✅✅
Stylish, compact, powerful, reliable and heavy.  Just some of the words to describe the 100w steampunker from Teslacigs. Much harder to find now than they were a year ago (due to being discontinued) so they could be considered a rarity nowerdays. definately worth picking one up should the opportunity arise. a stunning little device.

The Vaping Lounge #1 - off the cigs for good

#1 - My journey off the cigs and staying off

It's been quite a while since I mentioned my smoking cessation in a blog post and where I was up to with it all. Well it's been the best part of about five months now since I dropped the rolling tobacco and picked up a vaping device. As the time rolled by the  easier it got. Vaping has definitely worked for me and more importantly, has kept me from going back to the dreaded tobacco.  It seems that many other people have managed to quit smoking tobacco this way which can't be a bad thing.  The only thing for me to do now is to cut the nicotine from my vaping. I'm not too concerned about that really. Nicotine is not harmful on its own they say. More like the caffeine in coffee and not likely to kill you. I currently vape a very low amount of nicotine anyway, much less than in my old rolling tobacco so if and when the time comes to drop the nicotine then I think it might be easier than expected.

The secret to staying off the cigs 
In my opinion finding the right vaping device is the key to quitting for good. I had to try a few different vape pens and mods  before I found one that was satisfying enough to replace the sensation of smoking.
For me the low powered vape pens were utter crap and offered very little. These are the type which are found in garages, pound shops and some pharmacies. They are normally quite expensive too. A waste of time .

My personal preference were devices of a higher clout and a sub ohm resistance coil to go with it. The higher power meant I could bump up the quality and heat of the vape to fool me into thinking I was taking a drag of a roll up whilst the lower resistance metal coil meant I could throw a large cloud of vaper to complete the illusion. As near to having a real cigarette as you can get I suppose. Clever stuff!.

What's happening now
I have been vaping on all sorts of different bits and bobs since those early days and they all seem to do a great job.
Once I was over the hump of smoking it was easy and vaping became a bit of a hobby for me.

Smoking used to cost me a small fortune and it was lost after I switched to vaping to I noticed extra money in my arse pocket every month.
Aside for a few vaping treats like a new device here or there, the cost of vaping is much lower than smoking. The only real expense every month is the ejuice and the replacement coils.
I thought I might see if I could bring the cost down even further by making my own ejuice and coils at home.
Ejuice can be expensive at times, especially if you go after the gourmet stuff. It's works out much more expensive than fine champagne!
DIY juice mixing costs peanuts in comparison to branded stuff and so do wrapping your own coils....I'm having some of that!

DIY Ejuice making coming soon......

Movkin Luggy RTA Atomiser

Motion Luggy RTA Atomiser

This is one heavy duty tank!

Manufacturer: Movkin
Model: Luggy
Country of origin: China
Price: 99p + £3.00 shipping
Vendor: private eBay seller
Capacity: 4.5ml
Type: heavy duty RTA
Construction: Stainless Steel, Aluminium, Pyrex glass, Copper
Weight: 66g
Size: 70mm x 22.5mm
TPD Compliant?: No


First Impressions
For those who don't know I'm a bit of a bargain hunter, a bargain hunter who sometimes buys now and thinks about it later on. This can be a risky strategy of course but so far I haven't had many issues with my rash decisions. This rather splendid looking Luggy tank is a point in question. Without any prior research and a low start price on eBay staring me in the face I bid and won it for just 99p! (Plus a couple of quid for postage).
Like a cat that just got the cream I sat back and waiting for it to arrive.
To be honest I hadn't seen a 'Luggy' before and after a bit of Google time I found out that this tank actually belongs to the 'Luggy' box mod. A curious looking device which looks a lot like some trendy aluminium luggage. You know, the metal suit cases that posh people drag around the airport on wheels.
Below is a picture of the complete Luggy set up

I must admit it is a rather unique design but not my cup of tea.
Apparently the complete kit comes with stickers which can be applied to the main mod to make it look like a really jet setters suit case?! Ok!
and here is a pic of some really 'Luggy' luggage

You can see what Movkin were trying to do here. They haven't done a bad job really.

So anyway, the box arrived and inside was a whole wealth of bits and bobs to get you started.

Literally bags of extras

What's in the box?

• Luggy tank 4.5ml
• 1x dual Kanthal 0.3 ohm coil
• 1x Ni-200 nickel 0.2 ohm temp control coil
• 1x RBA base
• 1x bag of cotton
• 2 x 0.5 RBA Kanthal coils for rebuilding
• Various screws, rubber rings and a screwdriver
• Instructions manual

Notice there wasn't a spare replacement glass tank in amongst the goodies? The glass in the tank is not replaceable as it's not likely to get smashed. It's as tough as old boots!

The Luggy is made from solid high quality stainless steel with a glass tank. The tank is protected on the outside by an aluminium rib cage which makes it very unlikely to get smashed. I like that feature 👍😉
The drip tip is also made from the same aluminium and feel high quality.
The only other materials used here is silicone for the O-Rings.
Overall the build quality is fantastic, it's heavy and feels rugged enough to take anywhere. I'm really impressed so far.


The Coils
Movkin have been quite generous with the Luggy tank in my opinion. Not only do you get a standard dual Kanthal wire coil, you also get a nickel 200 coil and a spare loose coil for the rebuildable head.
The coils themselves are quite big and heavy and the juice holes wide. This allows the tank to be fired at a high power or temperature without dry burning the wick through a lack of juice flow.

0.2 ohm Kanthal, 0.3 ohm Ni-200 and the RBA coil

The Luggy can be pushed quite hard. It's more than capable of a high wattage or temperature. It takes everything in its stride.

I won't mention my attempts at rebuilding...... It's a vertical coil at work here and that means it requires a different style of wicking. Let's just say that my inexperience left me with juice in my lap..
I will come back to the rebuild at a later date.

As for the flavour you get from these coil, it's really good. The dual Kanthal standard coil really brings out the flavour when you push the Watts above 50 and the nickel coil seems to smooth things out and adds a creaminess to the taste at settings above 220C.  Not too shabby at all for a big tank.

Filling it with Ejuice
There are a few interesting Innovations with the Luggy tank and the way you fill is one.
Not only can you fill this tank from the top by unscrewing the lid

Fill from the top

You can also fill it from the bottom by unscrewing the base. 

A most interesting concept. I'm not sure if this is the first tank to do that (it probably isn't)  but it's the first one that I have come across and I do like having the choice of how I can fill it.

Fill from the bottom 

The Airflow control

One of the selling points of this tank is it's ability to be both a mouth-to-lung and a staight-to-tank inhale tank. The Luggy adhesives this by having slotted air flow holes on both the base and the drip tip.

To be fair the Luggy doesn't do a bad job of offering both an airy inhale and a tight inhale to cater for both crowds,  exactly what they said on the box. I can't fault them for that.

Rifled drip tip 

The other Innovation on this tank (and it might not be a Innovation?) is the strange rifled drip tip. If you take a look down the barrel you will see a deep carved spiral cut into the aluminium running from top to bottom.  Movkin say it makes improvements to the air flow or circulation? I'm yet to be convinced of this but it does look pretty cool none-the-less.

The overall look

The amount of people who have asked me about this tank is ridiculous. Everyone seems in awe of its size, build and cloud production.  Where can I get one of those? How much did you pay? haha

Rating: 👍👍👍👍 4 out of 5
I really love this tank, it's only fault is the fiddly rebuildable deck otherwise it's a great heavy duty tank with a decent juice capacity. A true TPD buster!