Method Exit bag and inert gas megathread

[scientificmethid]

I've seen the standard 25 L/min nitrogen flow rate mentioned in multiple sources (like PPEH), but I suspect that number has more to do with regulator limitations than optimal gas flow. Many click-style regulators top out at 25 L/min, which may have set the standard by default.

My current setup provides 40 L/min total:

• Tank A: 25 L/min into the EEBD hood's main inlet (which includes a built-in exhalation valve)
• Tank B: 15 L/min through a second line routed like in a standard exit bag configuration into the EEBD hood.

This configuration seems solid, but I'm open to upgrading the second regulator if there's a meaningful benefit to reaching 50 L/min total. I'm not trying to scrape by on "good enough." I want certainty, and I want to ensure the least suffering possible—rapid oxygen displacement, continuous CO₂ flushing, and no physiological surprises.

For reference, EEBDs used in fire escapes recommend 36-40 L/min just to support high ventilation and toxic gas clearance. Since nitrogen is inert, and since there's no oxygen support involved, it seems reasonable to meet or exceed that benchmark.

One side note: I'm not at all concerned about sound or airflow. I sleep with a fan pointed at my face every night—so if anything, the sensation of gas moving near my face will feel familiar, maybe even comforting.

If anyone with technical experience or first-hand insight sees an issue—or has thoughts on whether going from 40 L/min to 50 L/min meaningfully improves outcomes—I'd really appreciate your input.

40/L per minute seems like a lot. That's a lot of air moving and I think you'll have major leaks around your mask seal from sheer volume of air movement at 40/LPM+

 

[OutOfTime]

male CGA580 to female G5/8" adapter

Thank you very much.

I've looked for this and all I can find are male to male adapters like in this picture. Is there anywhere anyone knows that sell "male CGA580 to female G5/8" adapter"

 

[bored2death]

Thank you very much.

I've looked for this and all I can find are male to male adapters like in this picture. Is there anywhere anyone knows that sell "male CGA580 to female G5/8" adapter"

they exist on european websites and some online auction sites. i dont want to violate TOS by saying more

 

[th3_t1r3d_0n3]

Hi. Would a 9kg LPG cylinder be enough gas for using an exit bag? There isn't much info on using LPG, does the PPH cover this?

 

[plytiene]

Hi. Would a 9kg LPG cylinder be enough gas for using an exit bag? There isn't much info on using LPG, does the PPH cover this?

I don't think LPG is an inert gas, so it does not lead to a peaceful death by the PPH standards and isn't discussed by them. Inert gases are Helium, Nitrogen, Argon. The latter two are the recommended ones due to being available via welding supplies, while Helium became more regulated with exit bags becoming more in vogue.

 

[th3_t1r3d_0n3]

I don't think LPG is an inert gas, so it does not lead to a peaceful death by the PPH standards and isn't discussed by them. Inert gases are Helium, Nitrogen, Argon. The latter two are the recommended ones due to being available via welding supplies, while Helium became more regulated with exit bags becoming more in vogue.

It should be though because in South Africa there are are couple of cases where entire families die from household LPG leaks.

 

[OutOfTime]

they exist on european websites and some online auction sites. i dont want to violate TOS by saying more

Would you be open to DMing me the websites? I believe it is acceptable if it is in private messages. I would really appreciate it as I am desperate to have my setup.

 

[kreikrei]

Sent you a PM

So the Hood quick connect plug is 1/4" according to Zardofan's post.
From what I can tell in the hood photo...that fitting is a Hi-Flo V style...which they call 'H' below.


View attachment 161954

There are also universal female couplers that all the plug styles can fit into.

View attachment 161956

Hi, can you please send the search term for ebay as well?
I already have a 99.99% 1500 liter argon cylinder and a suitable pressure regulator, just need the connections and to finally choose the most suitable mask TYPE :)
Thank you!

 

[plytiene]

Did youtube purge exit bag construction guides? The OP strongly recommend watching them but youtube itself wards off searching and search engines don't seem to find them onto it either.

E: Oh, that's the video in the resource thread compilation. I'm an idiot.

Spoiler

 

[77redbike]

My experience was that I soon began to feel tingling in my hands, as if they were falling asleep. A short moment later I began to get dizzy, and my vision went grey around the edges. Each of the three times I have attempted this method, that's as far as I got before I flinched and removed the bag.

I did not experience any pain whatsoever, and no real discomfort aside from the mild tingling in my hands.

I do not believe I have suffered any ill effects from three aborted attempts. I had a bit of a cough for a couple days after my third attempt, but I can't say for sure whether that was attributable to the N2. It concerns me only in that this method demands that you be able to breathe freely in order for it to be effective, and I don't want to have ruined my chances to use it later, when I have summoned my courage.

My greatest difficulty is that I have been very stressed during my attempts, and could not keep my breathing steady and deep. This undoubtedly lengthened the amount of time it should have taken for me to black out.

In the stress of the situation, I experienced time dilation —in other words, I can't tell you how long it took for me to feel dizzy; it might have been five seconds, it might have been a minute and a half. It wasn't very long —but it was long enough for me to flinch.

From my experience, this is as painless, comfortable, and potentially peaceful a way to ctb as it is rumored to be. The only drawbacks that I can see are that it requires a lot of equipment —cylinder, regulator, hose, bag— and that there is a surprising amount of time for your survival instinct to kick in, or for second thoughts.

As I wrote at the beginning, I hope other forum members can fill in some of the blanks I have left —specifically, I have seen a lot of questions about tank sizes outside the US that I cannot answer.

I don't wish anyone good luck at catching the bus. I wish we could all find our way to a joyous and satisfying life that would make death an unfortunate reality rather than a longed-for relief. But all of us here know that the Fates aren't always that kind, and so I wish you all the most peaceful relief from your pain that you can find, and if that peace is brought by Death, I hope Death comes gently.

Any compressed gas cylinder --flammable or non-flammable gas-- is a potential missile waiting to go off. Just damage that valve and you'll find out what pressurized inert gas can do. Will you get a fireball? No, of course not, but compressed gas cylinders can be very dangerous if they're not handled with due caution. The point of that part of my post is that the people selling you those cylinders need to know you're aware of the hazard. Flub that detail and you might be denied your N2.

Perfect! Thank you for adding this. I might consider that for myself.

Yes. Emphatically yes.

My intent for this post was to cover the basics and hopefully answer some of the questions I have read many times. It is not meant to be --and cannot be-- an encyclopaedic gathering of all information on the subject. Hopefully people will continue to add to it, post links to useful resources, etc.

3/8" elastic drawstring cord seems large, are you sure that's what you have?

 

[oono]

Regarding the Ocean Reef Neptune 3 mask for the SCUBA method, I'm wondering which port the first stage regulator should be connected to? Please.

 

[77redbike]

The Regulator:

A regulator screws on to the cylinder and does two things: 1) it reduces the pressure in the cylinder to a useable level, otherwise the 2000psi tank pressure would just blow the exit bag off your head as soon as you opened the valve, and 2) it controls the rate of gas flow into the exit bag —specifically, it should release it at 15Lpm, which is the minimum adequate to carry away exhaled CO2 and fool your lungs into believing there's enough air.

The good news is that while gas cylinder sizes are not globally standardized, the cylinder valve threads are —and both N2 and Ar cylinders have the same threads (other gasses have different threads), so a regulator that fits on one cylinder will fit equally well on another.

You don't need to worry about being sure to choose a regulator that will reduce the pressure: they all do that. The flowmeter is the critical element of the regulator for our purposes.

Some regulators come with a "click adjust" flowmeter that is very simple, allowing you to dial in 15Lpm without needing to think about it. To the best of my knowledge, these are medical grade regulators; generally very good quality, but often a bit more expensive. Others here may know more about them, and where to acquire them, than I do.

A typical welding regulator will have two gauges: the tank pressure gauge (unimportant to us) and the flowmeter gauge.

A welding regulator's flowmeter gauge will be marked in either cubic feet per hour (Cfh), Lpm, or both. Some welding systems require a fairly low flow of inert gas, much lower than our necessary 15Lpm, and this low flow is most easily measured in Cfh. If you see a gauge marked only in Cfh, it probably will not work for our purpose. Look at the highest Cfh setting on the flowmeter and do the math, to be certain. If the gauge reads in Lpm, a glance should tell you whether the regulator provides the necessary 15Lpm flow.

Harbor Freight Tools offers a cheap CO2/Ar regulator (it also works for N2) with a flowmeter that shows flow in both Cfh and Lpm and goes high enough for our purposes. This is what I have.

The Hose:

The hose needs to be long enough to reach from the gas cylinder beside you, up into the exit bag on your head. I have found it easiest to lead the hose up my back and into the bag at the very back of my neck. It seems to disrupt the fit of the bag less right there.

Some regulators come with a hose that threads directly into the regulator body. Some regulators come with a hose-barb, onto which a length of soft tubing can be pressed. Some regulators come with neither.

For the first situation, just thread the hose into the regulator, tighten it with a wrench, and it's ready.

(Regardless of what type of threaded fitting is used, you do need to wrench-tighten this fitting: a lot of gas can leak out at this connection. If it is a brass fitting, you should not need teflon tape on the threads; the soft metal deforms enough when tightened to provide an adequately gas-tight connection.)

For the second situation, take the hose-barb to a hardware / home improvement store and purchase tubing that fits onto the barb. Once home from the hardware store, thread the barb into the regulator body, tighten with a wrench, and press the tube onto the barb. It should be a snug fit; if you're worried it's too loose, use a small hose clamp / jubilee clip to secure it in place. If it's a little too tight to get the hose into place, soak the end of the tube in very hot water to soften it and press it onto the barb. I used clear vinyl tubing. Aquarium tubing should work. Surgical tubing may not; I don't know for sure.

For the third situation, you'll need a hose-barb fitting (typically brass) that threads into the regulator body. Take the entire regulator to the hardware store and ask someone to help you fit it with a hose barb. Then proceed as for the second situation.

Cover story: as with purchasing the gas cylinder, you're using N2 for brewing, or Ar for filling partial paint cans. Why Ar? because it's heavier than air and settles down onto the paint surface inside the can. For extra confidence that they won't ask inconvenient questions, you're doing it for your father, or your brother, and you don't know why they want it for their paint locker, they just said to get a hose barb and six feet of tubing…

The Exit Bag:

There are several videos on YouTube detailing construction of exit bags. I strongly recommend watching them. That's how I learned.

The short version of what you want is a turkey roasting bag —available in the supermarket, in with the zip-locks and cling wrap— with an elastic drawcord worked into a turned hem, and a cord-lock to adjust the drawcord's tension.

I used 3/8" elastic cord. I purchased both it and the cord lock at a sewing and crafts store (JoAnn's).

To construct the turned hem you'll need micropore (surgical) tape, available at a pharmacy in the first aid section. It's the right tape to use because it will reliably stick to the material of the bag itself. Sometimes it isn't labeled as "micropore." Ask a clerk if you can't find it.

Cover story: you were asked to re-stock the family first aid kit with micropore tape and you don't recognize any of the brands available.

Using an elastic drawcord is important: it needs to fit snugly around your neck, but not seal tightly. It must still be flexible enough for the flow of inert gas, lightly pressurizing the exit bag, to push past the elastic and flush away the CO2 you're exhaling. Don't use a non-elastic drawcord or do something like duct tape the bag to your neck; you don't want to create a seal, just a restriction.

3/8 " cord sounds big, are you sure that's what you have?

 

[It'sMyLife]

It should be though because in South Africa there are are couple of cases where entire families die from household LPG leaks.

Of course it's not an inert gas because it's a flammable gas! It's explosive when it is allowed to accumulate in an enclosed space. Any little spark could set it off including static electricity if the weather is cooler. It is also heavier than air and if it seeped into a neighbors space they might not notice it immediately and inadvertently ignite it by lightning a stove or turning something on. You would endanger anyone living around you especially in a complex. I have no idea what your plans are and I'm not being critical but please drop this idea if you're actually considering it. All gases of these types are odorized at the plants but regardless of the smell it will give you a terrible headache. There is zero reason to consider this when gases that are already present in the atmosphere are readily available. Good luck out there

 

[AllWentWrong]

Can someone help me check my numbers. Each nitrogen tank dealer is doing something different. They are selling a 55 cubic foot tank. The rep told me it's the amount of Nitrogen only. That's 1600 liters and too much. I only need half that's, maybe 15 to 20 cubic feet? This converts to 400 to 600 liters mentioned in PPH.

All I'm doing is getting converter out to deal with these tank numbers.

The flow regulator is driving.me batty too.

 

[RoadtoFreedomTwo]

If anyone wants to chat tonight about getting this setup, I've got a separate thread going!

Quality Inert Gas / Exit Bag Info + Other Threads

Hi all - trying to share a quality post about my inert gas / exit bag setup (US resident, connections may vary), and linked similar posts + megathread below Tank: 40 CF Helium (Product title: 100% Helium UN 1046 Full Bottle For Welding). 22 inches tall, ~25 pounds Experience: Got delivered...

sanctioned-suicide.net

 

[RoadtoFreedomTwo]

Welp, tried this morning but the bag wasn't inflated enough so I started to hyperventilate :( Just need to practice / stick with it.

 

[imsorryeveryone]

Welp, tried this morning but the bag wasn't inflated enough so I started to hyperventilate :( Just need to practice / stick with it.

What do you mean bag wasn't inflated enough?

 

[RoadtoFreedomTwo]

What do you mean bag wasn't inflated enough?

Sorry it wasn't clear - so the bag was pre-inflated with helium but as I slipped it over my head, some gas was squeezed out meaning it didn't have great shape / the bag wasn't full and then stuck to my face, got hot & foggy, etc.

If I had just upped the flow for a moment it probably would've been successful, but I freaked out and will probably dry one it once more. Hope that helps!

 

[homeboundcripple]

If the size of your barb is 1/4"(6mm), then you need Oxygen tubing or PVC tubing(1/4"ID).In theory,1/4" barb is for hose/tube with 1/4" ID but one of the members said it's hard to connect 1/4" ID to 1/4" barb.You can buy PVC tubing with 3/8" ID and if the connection is not tight enough,use a hose

Yeah, theyre costly. What about a fingertip oxygen sensor Anyone mention that?

what is wrong with clear plastic medical/other hose? That weave covered one will be too thick. Let us know how you get on.

Alabama would try torching its victims a la the Spanish inquisition if they could. There have been several well publicised fails using various chemical concoctions. Not to mention that the catheters were inserted by non-medical staff. Damn....keeping someone on death row for years is a misery in itself. I suppose we will have to wait and see what the venerable old senators come up with. One thing is certain, anyone considering this method should get their Nitrogen ASAP as there'll be a rash of press on the topic with potential implications for availability.

Hello, just wondering is there a reason why we can't just use the black hose that comes with the regulator, why do we need to change the hose to pvc/oxygen tubing? Thanks

 

[SomewhereAlongThe]

Hello, just wondering is there a reason why we can't just use the black hose that comes with the regulator, why do we need to change the hose to pvc/oxygen tubing? Thanks

Sometimes the hose is too thick, and it causes too big of a gap that could break the seal in your setup. Also those hoses are heavy and weigh down the exit bag, which is ineffective as well.

 

[Gounique59]

Can I ask, does survival instinct kick in even if sleeping tablets are taken?

 

[Alreadylate]

I have chosen this method but am really confused about how to make the exit bag... Isn't it possible just to make a hole in a bag and sticking the tube in the bag with extra strong tape? And then just tie a knot with a pant cord??????
What do you think about this???

 

[k1w1]

3/8 " cord sounds big, are you sure that's what you have?

He is possibly gone on to greener pastures sunshine. Havent seen this nice man in years

 

[WantingtoLeave]

Is this a death where you get to see a pretty light and move toward it?

 

[k1w1]

Can I ask, does survival instinct kick in even if sleeping tablets are taken?

oh they help enormously. My issue with them was I kept nodding off.

I have chosen this method but am really confused about how to make the exit bag... Isn't it possible just to make a hole in a bag and sticking the tube in the bag with extra strong tape? And then just tie a knot with a pant cord??????
What do you think about this???






View attachment 168888

Ideally you want an elasticated thing to tighten it with. Also beware of re-purposing anything manufactured with seams.....they can leak. Also, thin plastic is the way as thick vynil will not expand under the low pressure used here. my attempt failed this weekend due to a jiggered valve on a hood.....really browned off.

Is this a death where you get to see a pretty light and move toward it?

Maybe if like Aldous Huxley you take mescaline beforehand

 

[homeboundcripple]

Sometimes the hose is too thick, and it causes too big of a gap that could break the seal in your setup. Also those hoses are heavy and weigh down the exit bag, which is ineffective as welI've got a solution to that I'm going to attach the heavy I'm going to attach the black hose to a water polo hat

Sometimes the hose is too thick, and it causes too big of a gap that could break the seal in your setup. Also those hoses are heavy and weigh down the exit bag, which is ineffective as well.

I've got a solution for that, I'm going to attach the black hose to a water polo hat and wear that inside the bag so it's completely independent from the bag. for the gap at the bottom of bag that the hose will create, il just clamp it with a sping clamp off Ebay.

 

[panda55]

Hey guys will this regulator from amazon work? It includes the hose too so there are less things to get. I'm getting a 40cf nitrogen tank and in US for reference.

Amazon.com

One other question, the turkey bag set up is still confusing. Does anyone know a more detailed instructions on how to add elastic cord to the bag with the tape?

 

[homeboundcripple]

.

Ebay

 

[panda55]

I found the answer to my own question on how to make the bag. Here is a video tutorial for anyone that was wondering too.

Doing it with Betty - FC2 Video

Betty is a nurse educator. In this video she describes how to make a simple plastic Exit bag. This film forms part of a series on the use of an Exit bag from The Peaceful Pill Handbook available from www.peacefulpill.com

video.fc2.com