Desirees

Ord to Del - ~14 hrs in September returned Oct. it was in J - and kept my mask on the entire time except while eating. It wasn’t difficult at all.

seigex

I spent 11 hours on a flight wearing a mask and several other 6-9 hour flights around the same time. Use a blue paper mask rather than cloth (breath better), i put it on the edge of the tip of my nose to open up breathing a bit more, and every once in a while I lifted my mask a little to get fresh air, and bring a bottle of water with you so you can take a sip every once in a while to get a break. Other than that it wasn't horrible.

Some people will also wear clear full face plastic shields instead so you can still breath, and they seem to be accepted but probably uncomfortable when you're trying to sleep.

DeepUnderground

I've done several 10-13 hour flights without giving it much thought to be honest.

Long Train Runnin

My record so far was putting on my mask for a 5AM train to the airport.

Flying EWR-MIA-LAX-LAS took off my mask for about an hour having dinner.

Then flew LAS-CLT-EWR and took the train home finishing around 11AM the next day.

I changed masks every ~4 hours on that trip.

At a certain point you stop noticing. You just need to find masks that work for you.

Also, factor in flight time is just one aspect of it. Depending on how you are traveling to the airport, checking in, and maybe customs and/or baggage claim on the other end. Plus, possibly masked up public transit to your hotel room it can add hours to the expected mask time.

Right now I have a few cloth masks that I find to be super comfortable and like nothing wearing nothing at all that I prefer for the long stretches. I also, can do 12 hours in paper surgical masks pretty easily.

My job requires me to still physically be places, and naturally there I have to be masked up for extended periods.

Although, with the situation in the US I am strongly considering switching to KN95 masks for flying now. I have a few different ones on order, so again there I hope I can find the one(s) that work for me.

I don't enjoy mask mania, but it is what it is, and I am just trying to make the best of it. I think when you don't really have a choice and you have the right masks you can make it through any length of time with them on.

anaggie

I use a cloth mask with the filter inside and I go to sleep as soon as I get on from DFW-GRU. I have found the mask helps me with my dry nose and throat on these long flights. A sip of water here or there and breakfast in the morning is the only time I take off the mask.

I could do longer flights as the cloth masks are pretty comfortable.

Presguy

Thanks muchly. I hadn't heard of those "mask hacks/frames" before, and have one buzzing in the 3d printer now to try out.

EuropeanPete

I think it's important for comfort as well as health to change your mask every 4-6 hours at the most, but really wearing a mask for an extended period isn't the end of the world. I just did about 18 hours yesterday without any issue. Large parts of the world now wears masks on a daily basis.

Obviously, if you're going to be doing ultra long-haul travel it is worthwhile investing in a mask you find comfortable.

zkzkz

You realize health care professionals routinely do 8-12h shifts and are now wearing protective gear the whole shift....

Just remember on average about 2% of the people on the plane will be carriers. How many people are on this 11+h flight? The arithmetic doesn't sound great to me. Personally I don't really trust the masks I have or my ability to wear it properly and consistently to intentionally expose myself with only the mask to protect me.

For the times I do go out I find the elastic straps over the ear don't work well with the shape of my ear. I find the ones with an upper and lower strap that tie behind your head much more comfortable. Unsurprisingly that's the kind I was given in the only health care setting I've been to this year...

deadinabsentia

:40 minutez ~ after that the game of WC, seat WC, seat, blanket overhead.

QT31415

Once you see COVID in action, you'll never want to take off your N95. Literally, "here today, gone tomorrow". So yeah, 11-12 hours, not a problem.
After my second shot of the vaccine...well, I'll take the N95 off to drink and eat and it will be glorious. May even graduate to a paper mask, which feels pretty darn naked to me!

the810

In what part of the world does this apply? Most places I checked were well below 1%.

plunet

I've done 22 hours which was 3 hours and 12 hour flights and included 6 hours transit, and wearing a mask wearing was strictly enforced throughout apart from when eating.

The other bonus of wearing a mask is if you are flying on older aircraft (non-787, 350, 380) it helps to mitigate the drier air and can stop your nose from drying out onboard.

NWIFlyer

The UK. Bear in mind that asymptomatic cases are not recorded unless there's mass testing because the rates in a given area are incredibly high, so just because the official figure is 500 per 100k on a 7 day cumulative basis the actual will be considerably higher. The statistical analysis from the Office of National Statistics projects that 1 in 50 people has the virus across England, rising to 1 in 30 in London.

There's your 2%+, and a very clear justification for taking as many precautions as possible. Mask wearing is clearly one of those, the OP clearly wishes to 'do the right thing'. and so advice on how to reach that aim is useful.

YYCCL3

Chiming in to agree with what some others have already said.

Longest single segment I've done masked was LAX-DOH which was 17 hours onboard, wearing a mask at all times whilst not actively eating or drinking.

I have done a number of trips in the last several months that have been 24-28 hours of near continuous mask wearing when including public transit at either end, and waiting in airports during transfers.

Once you find masks that are comfortable for you to wear, it's not a big deal at all. If you have an uncomfortable mask that pulls on your ears, well, then you might be sick of it after one hour.

thijsseh

I wear 'behind the ear' hearing aids and spectacles. The combination 'mask, specs and hearing aids' is - let's say - quite challenging. Fortunately I can hear without the hearing aids (obviously not as good) and see without the glasses (obviously not as good either). And mask plus glasses in cold weather is another problem as the glasses mist up quite badly. So the hearing aids and the glasses have to give way every now and then. The mask stays on when needed / prescribed / required. Considering the above, the 'upper and lower strap behind the head' are indeed much more comfortable to me.

I have done long hauls up to 11 or 12 hours with a mask. Not what you want, but perfectly doable. All much better than a ventilator, I would think.