Gas Mask

Breathing protection

Worn on the head, the Gas Mask protects its wearer in ARK: Survival Evolved from poisons in the air, from environmental hazards to the poison attacks of certain creatures. It is a utility piece rather than armor: the ARK Wiki gives it no armor rating, a cold protection of 10 and a heat protection of -2. Its 50 durability also drains slowly while it is worn.

Threats it blocks

The wiki lists these:

• Swamp Fever
• Dilophosaur Spit
• Poison Grenades and Tripwire Narcotic Traps
• Poison Wyvern and Basilisk Spit
• Manticore quill projectiles
• toxic gas inside the Swamp Cave and the Lair

While it is active, an icon appears in the lower left of the HUD. The wiki also notes that it gives no protection against the spores of Aberration.

Crafting the mask

The engram sits at level 85 and costs 100 engram points. A Fabricator or Tek Replicator makes the mask in 5 seconds for 5.37 XP from:

• 20 Polymer, Organic Polymer, or Corrupted Nodule
• 10 Crystal or Primal Crystal
• 2 Absorbent Substrate

A repair takes 10 Polymer, 5 Crystal and 1 Absorbent Substrate.

When to wear it

With a weight of 12, a high cost and steady durability loss, the mask is best saved for the threats above. It does sharpen vision underwater, but the wiki points to the SCUBA Mask for that because it does not wear down. The Hazard Suit Hat is a cheaper option that unlocks earlier, costs fewer points and keeps its durability, although its protection covers only Poison Wyverns and Basilisks attacking at range. Loot is another source: 192 crate types can contain the Gas Mask, including Island Deep Sea, Fjordur Deep Sea and Genesis White.