Gas Masks

They ARE important

There really isn't much in the way of opposing arguments on that point anymore with the current geopolitical climate being what it is as well as things like the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster in Japan still looming fresh in our minds and being an ever-present issue for countless Japanese citizens.

Only problem I see currently for people wanting a good quality gas mask is not wanting to spend so much money for one - plan on spending anywhere around $170-$400 for one that you can really trust.

In terms of real-use, life-saving gas masks I'd stick primarily with NATO gas masks and avoid most Warsaw Pact\Ex-Soviet bloc masks.  

I personally own two Soviet PBF EO-19's (one black, one white) and one Czech M10 gas mask that I usually only use during light work that will involve particles I'd rather not inhale, but other than that they're more or less not going to save me in a really bad situation that involves any kind of NBC event.

Some recommendations I would make:

Country of Origin	Gas Mask Models
Belgium	4GP
Britain	S10, SF10, FM12
Canada	C3 (40mm model), C4
Israel	M15
Russia\USSR	GP-7VM
United States of America	M17A2, M40, MCU-2/P, FM12

Another specific thing to look for (and to narrow your search for a good all-around mask) are masks that accept 40mm filters, which are still currently the most commonly accepted filters for modern NATO masks.  There are some 60mm can filters available as well for gas masks that accept them, but that are not as easy to find or purchase.

Most good modern masks are from the late 90's to present, anything earlier probably won't do you much good nowadays and quite frankly weren't very effective when they were first released either.

Tactical Note!

If you plan on using your gas mask while shooting a rifle, make sure to think ahead and get a gas mask that accepts filters on the cheek or use internal filters instead of having a filter right in front of you - it's hard to look down the sights of a gun if there's a big can coming  out of where your mouth would be.

Like everything else do your research on gas masks before purchasing, read reviews because there's tons out there - you just have to look!