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I also need to look into masks for FOSDEM.
I am used to wearing masks when I travel, when I don't really need to talk with anyone. So a muffled voice doesn't matter too much.
Any recommendations from personal experience for good masks for when one expects to do a lot of talking with other attendees close-up (as opposed to being a speaker on a stage) would be welcome!
Regular conference goers must have this sorted!
@neil As a former regular conference goer, my solution was to stop going to FOSDEM.
The huge overcrowding in small rooms leads to huge stale air buildup, means that masks are unlikely to provide meaningful protection there. Sitting in a room where hundreds of randos have been breathing for many hours prior is basically immersing yourself in a viral soup, and even the best masks can only do so much.
If you're just going to socialise with people in relatively open spaces around campus, rather than attend talks, the risk profile might be different.
@neil I have been using these ones exclusively and I never felt like it got in the way of me talking or others being able to understand me
https://shop.draeger.com/draeger-x-plore-1920-ffp2/3951920m/
I've found the Flo mask to be very comfortable to wear for hours at a time. We spent an evening with our neighbours speaking for over three hours without difficulty, even accounting for my terrible French accent.
For extended use I quite like the very lightweight DACH ubiQ2. It has headbands, the material is very thin, they are certified as FFP and for medical use as well. It's a duckbill shape. Not sure they sell them in UK though.
I found that with all masks you need to enunciate a bit more. And some people claim that they don't understand you, but they very obviously hate your mask and this is their way to protest ("how can I understand you if you're wearing this!?")
https://www.dach-germany.de/Produkte/ubiQ-FFP2-und-FFP3-Masken
@neil Not to dissuade you from going to FOSDEM, just that the vast majority there does not mask up at all.
@whvholst Yep, and I cannot control what others do (or do not do).
@neil @whvholst in spaces where nobody else masks like shops, I actually use an FFP3 with a valve now (from 3M). They are easier to wear and talk etc but dont protect others (apart from lowering the chance of you being sick).
For masks without valves we found the reusable ones from zimiair pretty good if you can get them, they are easier to breathe through than others I've tried. Think they have ffp2 or ffp3 if i remember right.
https://zimiair.com/
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