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Reviews > Health & Safety > Accessories > O Canisters > Test Report by Kurt PapkeOxygen Plus O+ Canisters
|
Name: | Kurt Papke |
Age: | 65 (I'll be 66 at the time of the Long Term Report) |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 6' 4" (193 cm) |
Weight: | 230 lbs (105 kg) |
Email address: | kwpapke (at) gmail (dot) com |
City, State, Country: | Tucson, Arizona USA |
I have watched with interest for many years as professional athletes try to speed their recovery during an event by breathing oxygen on the sidelines. I am looking forward to trying for myself to see how well that works.
The product is bottled oxygen, under pressure in a metal canister. Pure oxygen is dispensed into the mouth and nose by pressing on a tab or trigger on the canister, similar to using a can of spray paint. We are testing three different sizes of their canisters with varying amounts of oxygen, trading off weight for volume.
O+ lists in their literature a number of occasions where the
intake of pure oxygen could be useful: a slump period,
stress, stale air, air travel, hiking and biking at
elevations 3000 ft (~1000 m) and above, before
and after resistance and/or cardio workouts, before
sleep or the morning after alcohol consumption. I plan to
focus on the highlighted items in the above list.
Product Information |
|
Manufacturer |
Oxygen Plus, Inc. |
Manufacturer website |
https://www.oxygenplus.com/ |
Products tested |
O+ Mini (3 pack), O+ Skinni (12 pack), O+ Biggi (6 pack) |
Country of manufacture |
United States |
Materials |
Pure oxygen, aluminum, plastic nozzles |
Warranty |
I was not able to find any warranty or
guarantee information in their literature or website |
Shelf life |
24 months from fill date. The fill date
is printed on the bottom of each canister: Note that in my case I received the canisters in June 2019, about 6 months after the fill date, so they will expire in about 18 months from the time of receipt. |
O+ Mini |
O+ Skinni |
O+ Biggi |
|
Oxygen Volume |
1.55 L (52 fl oz) |
3.4 L (115 fl oz) |
11 L (372 fl oz) |
Breaths/canister (estimated by
manufacturer) |
24+ |
50+ |
220+ |
Listed total weight/canister |
37 g (1.31 oz) |
49 g (1.73 oz) |
153 g (5.4 oz) |
Listed dimensions |
1.25x4 in (3.17x10.16 cm) |
1.25x7.5 in (3.17x19.05 cm) |
2.5x11.25 in (6.35x28.58 cm) |
Measured weight |
35 g (1.23 oz) |
51 g (1.8 oz) |
136 g (6
measured canisters) (4.8 oz) |
Measured dimensions |
1.25x4 in (3.17x10.16 cm) |
1.25x7.5 in (3.17x19.05 cm) |
2.5x11.25 in (6.35x28.58 cm) |
List price |
US $15.50/3 pack |
US $77.50/12 pack |
$64.50/6 pack |
Cost/L |
US $3.33 |
US $1.90 |
US $0.98 |
Of course I had to try it
out, so I broke open the seal on one of the Biggi canisters and
took a few breaths. I like the way the Biggi canister has a
face mask where I can be reasonably certain the oxygen is getting
into my nose and mouth. The Mini and Skinni just are sprayed
in the general direction of the mouth and nose and I breathe in
and hope most of it gets in. They have no face mask (see
above photo), just a push down valve on the top of the
canister. The Biggi trigger worked well, I could feel the
valve opening as well as hear the gas escape.
I didn't expect any big rush, but I did experience a slight
increase in clarity, similar to what I experience by taking a few
deep breaths.
I am looking forward to getting this product out into the
backcountry and trying it out. I have some high altitude
training hikes planned in the next month, and I would like to see
how well this product assists with my breathing challenges.
Date |
Location |
Trail |
Distance Hiked |
Altitude |
Weather |
July 6-7, 2019 | Tonto National forest, Pinal Peak just south
of Globe, Arizona |
Various |
~2 miles (~3 km) |
7600 ft (2310 m) |
Partly cloudy, 55-70 F (13-21 C) |
July 20-21, 2019 |
Chiricahua Wilderness, Southeast Arizona |
Crest Trail |
14 miles (22.5 km) |
8300-9450 ft (2530-2880 m) |
Sunny, breezy, 50-70 F (10-21 C) |
August 3-11, 2019 |
San Juan Mountains between Durango and
Silverton, Colorado |
Colorado Trail(s) |
38 miles (61 km), 21 miles (34 km)
backpacking |
8000-12708 ft (2440-3873 m) |
Mix of rain and sun, temperatures 50-80 F
(10-27 C) |
September 12-13, 2019 |
Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness near Big Timber
Montana |
West Boulder
River |
6 miles (9.7 km) |
5542-5866 ft (1689-1788 m) |
Mostly sunny, temperatures 45-65 F (7-18 C) |
September 15-18, 2019 |
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming |
Bechler River
Trail |
30 miles (48 km) |
6400-8600 ft (1950-2620 m) |
Sunny the first and last day, cold and rainy
the second and third day 25-65F (-4-18 C) |
September 19-22, 2019 |
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming |
Various |
7+12+14=33 miles (11+19+23=53 km) |
6750-10400 ft (2060-3170 m) |
Sunny the first and last day, cold and rainy
the second and third day 32-65F (0-18 C) |
I was happy with the way I deployed the three sizes. The
Mini got used after some of the climbs along the trail. Most
of the hike was at about 9000 ft (2700 m) or above, so I became
easily winded on the climbs. I used the Skinni in camp, both
on arrival and in the morning just before I set off. I used
the Biggi before departing on the hike, and upon my return.
In most cases I took a series of about 5 breaths of oxygen.
I noticed the impact the most when I had the biggest oxygen debt,
i.e. when I was panting after an uphill climb while hiking.
I had concerns while using the Mini and Skinni that I'd waste much of the oxygen into the atmosphere, since it neither has a face mask. I found myself spraying directly into my mouth (mouth breathing) in order to maximize the amount of oxygen making it into my lungs. I'm wondering whether it might make sense for the manufacturer to offer an optional mouthpiece that fits over the spray tip and allows all of the oxygen to be consumed. I use a bronchodilator inhaler, and something along those lines might work.
Overall I had a positive experience with the product on this trip. The canisters are lightweight so I don't feel like I am weighing my pack down, easy to use, and effective.
This is an annual trip for the Tucson Backpacking Meetup group to the San Juan Mountains. We rent a group campsite for a week and do day hikes for a few days, then I lead a 3-day backpack along the Colorado Trail after everyone has had a chance to acclimate a bit.
Some of the participants were a bit out of shape and struggled with the altitude on the day hikes, and I ended up lending my O+ canisters out to several of them. In the above photo collage at lower right, Kat was having some breathing issues even in camp and she was the first to partake. She found it quite helpful.
On our second hike we were quite ambitious and did the hike up to Columbine Lake (see photo at left). We began at an elevation of 10,300 ft (3140 m) and climbed to 12,700 (3870 m) over about 4 miles (6.5 km) one way. This was pretty ambitious for the second day out. I was getting by with an occasional shot from a Mini cartridge that I kept in my lumbar pack. I was struggling a bit, but the guy I was hiking with told stories around the campfire that night about how I sped past him after taking a few shots of oxygen!
On the way down I encountered one of our hikers that was really struggling. I gave her my Mini cartridge, which she greatly appreciated and mentioned that night how much it helped her. Oxygen Plus to the rescue!!
Our backpacking trip was pretty strenuous, and I was carrying a
good-sized pack, but oddly enough after a few days of tough day
hikes I must have acclimated a bit, and didn't need to hit the
oxygen as much as I did earlier in the week. It makes sense
when I think about it: supplemental oxygen is more useful for me
before acclimating when I am really breathing hard.
I brought several canisters with me, but did not use them as the altitude was not enough to bother me and the hike was easy enough that I didn't really get out of breath at all.
This was a four-day backpack along the Bechler River trail from the Lone Star trailhead to Bechler Ranger Station. The first three photos in the above set include Mark, Jeff and myself using a Mini canister along the trail. The Bechler is not terribly strenuous, but it does cross the Continental Divide several times and the elevation was enough that we all felt a bit gassed crossing it with our heavy packs. Everyone thought it was helpful, that it indeed does provide a "boost" when we were not particularly well adapted to the elevation.
We had intentions of doing four days of backpacking, but when we arrived to get our walk-up permit the weather forecast looked horrendous. We opted to do day hikes instead, and as it turned out the weather was worse than predicted and we would have been hiking & camping in a major snowstorm with potential very bad outcomes.
Hike one: from the top of the tram we did an out-and-back down the South Fork trail. I didn't carry a day pack, and so I forgot to bring any O+ canisters. It's a pity, because I could have used them.
Hike two: loop hike around Jenny and String Lakes. Not much elevation, so I carried a canister but never got it out.
Hike three: out-and-back up Paintbrush canyon to Holly
Lake. I did some serious huffing and puffing on this climb,
and the fourth photo in the set above shows me gasping for oxygen
(and getting it!) along the trail.
My takeaway after using the product for nearly four months is that it is quite effective in helping me to recover more quickly when I am winded. I didn't notice the effect nearly as much if I was just sleepy or tired. It didn't make me feel like I had more energy, it simply helped me to bounce back rapidly, but this is a very good thing! The canisters were very lightweight and easy to carry as well as use. I wish I had a better way to ingest the oxygen with the two smaller sizes, but of course I'm not willing to make the product more bulky or have it weigh more!
The canisters can be easy to forget to bring along. When I had my backpack with me it was no problem, because I simply kept one in the front pocket. When day hiking, I had to explicitly remember to pack one.
Of the three sizes I prefer the Skinni. The Mini doesn't
last long enough on a backpacking trip, especially if it is shared
with other hikers. The Biggi is just too bulky to carry
easily in a backpack pocket. The Skinni is just right:
enough capacity, and the slender profile fits nicely into a pocket
of my backpack.