Reviews > Health & Safety > Accessories > O Canisters > Test Report by Kathleen Waters

OXYGEN PLUS
TEST SERIES BY KATHLEEN WATERS
LONG-TERM REPORT

INITIAL REPORT - June 23, 2019
LONG TERM REPORT - October 30, 2019

TESTER INFORMATION

Living in Colorado and being self-employed, I have ample opportunities to backpack. There are over 700,000 acres/280,000 hectares of public land bordering my 71-acre/29-hectare "backyard" in addition to all the other gorgeous locations which abound in Colorado. Over the past 15 years, my husband John and I have also had the good fortune to hike/snowshoe glaciers, rain forests, mountains and deserts in exotic locations, including New Zealand, Iceland, Costa Rica, Slovenia and Death Valley. My hiking style is comfortable, aiming for lightweight. I use a tent (rainfly if needed). Current pack averages 25 lb (11 kg) excluding food and water.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Image Copyright Oxygen Plus

Year of Manufacture: 2019 Manufacturer's Website: http://oxygenplus.com MSRP: US $64.50 for 6 pack of O+Biggi MSRP: US $77.50 for 12 pack of O+Skinni Listed Weight: Skinni 1.7 oz (49 g) Measured Weight: Skinni 2 oz (57 g) Listed Weight: Biggi 5.4 oz (153 g) Measured Weight: Biggi 4.5 oz (127.6 g) Listed Height: Skinni 8 in (20.3 cm) Measured Height: Skinni 7.5 in (19.1 cm) Listed Height: Biggi 11.5 in (29 cm) Measured Height: Biggi 11 in (28 cm) Listed Volumn Skinni: 3.4 litres Listed Volumn Biggi: 11 litres Other details: Cans are made out of recycled aluminum, can be recycled and are quality-controlled and filled in the USA

Image Copyright Oxygen Plus

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

"First Impressions". Hmmm! It's really lightweight? I mean, REALLY light, but then again, the Skinni and Biggi are aluminum canisters with basically nothing in them - weight-wise, at least!

The 12 Skinni canisters and 6 Biggi canisters are attractively decked out in blue and silver. And while I can pretty much read all the pertinent information on the Biggi, between the silver on blue type and the super-small print, I need a magnifying glass to read the directions on the Skinni. I get that the Skinni is, well, skinny, and so the type style needs to be small to fit and the color scheme is SO attractive, but it's still hard to see.

As can be seen in the below picture, the canisters are sleek and will easily fit in my packs' side pockets. I can actually fit a couple of the Skinnis in as well in the pockets and the Skinni can also tuck into my pants' back pockets.

Compared to 1L Water Bottle

Biggi in Kelty Daypack

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

Included with my shipment of Oxygen Plus canisters were several specification sheets, fact sheets and one page of suggestions for occasions for usage and recommended "breaths" for those occasions. Breath rate varies from 3 to 100 breaths depending on the situation.

I expected the "visiting relatives at 3,000+ feet (900+ m)" and "hiking Machu Picchu or Pike's Peaks", but got a chuckle out of "blind dates and big news"!

I was also surprised by the suggested use after short and long flights. I never thought of that and I often get a migraine after flying. I will definitely have to try that on my upcoming trip to Ireland next month!

To use the Skinni, the canister directions (for which I needed a magnifying glass to read!) say to: press cap down at a tilted angle, inhale while spraying O+ into mouth or nose, spray 3-5 breaths or as much as is needed for energy and recovery.

For the Biggi, since there is a sort of mouthpiece, the directions are just slightly different. The mask goes over the mouth and then the trigger on the bottom of the mask is squeezed.

Biggi Mask

Biggi Trigger

TRYING IT OUT

There is no taste to the air when I spray the O+ into my mouth using the Skinni and there is little or no smell when sprayed into my nose.

I have to confess that it took me a couple of tries to get the angle of the spray button so that I could get the sprayer to work.

It was really easy to use the trigger mechanism on the Biggi to get the oxygen flowing, but I don't know if I am doing that right as it seems like the air is being blown more on my chin that in my mouth. The mask does fit nicely and comfortably under my nose and over my mouth.

I guess practice makes perfect and I can't wait to actually practice on the trails!

SUMMARY

I'm very excited that I will be trying out the Oxygen Plus products. While I can go for miles/kilometers without my legs tiring out, I find that my rest breaks are usually so I can catch my breath, especially at the higher altitudes I usually backpack/hike in. My home ranch is at the lowest end of my trail elevation spectrum and that's at 5000+ feet (1520+ m). I'm hoping to improve my staying power so I can keep up with my hiking partner/daughter-in-law on our next Colorado Trail segment backpack!

LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Over the last couple of months since my last report, I have carried/used the Oxygen + canisters pretty much every day.

While at home in south central Colorado, I hike rutted dirt roads, semi-groomed bike/hike trails, a nicely-groomed Riverwalk and in the course of daily errands and life, concrete sidewalks and blacktop roads.

Elevations range from 5k feet (1500 m) to 7k feet (2100 m) and the weather has been exceptionally hot all through September and October. Highs have been over 100 F (38 C) on several day hikes. Low temperatures were generally 20-30 F degrees (11-17 C) lower.

I used/carried the Oxygen + on one out-of-town location as well; a weeklong visit to Breckenridge, Colorado, where we dayhiked 4 days of the 7.

In Breckenridge, CO, most of my hiking was on old mining roads which are now trails, so while the paths were wide, they are not overly-maintained - very rough and steep. Breckenridge downtown is situated at 9600 feet (2900 m), so all hikes started at least that high and our highest summit was Bald Mountain (Mt. Baldy) at 13,690 feet (4170 m).
We had great weather, including the 6 inches (15 cm) of snow one day! Temperatures during the day never topped 45 F (7 C).

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

Taking a breather in Breckenridge, CO - Baker Tank Trail

I have to admit, I wasn't quite sure if, how, and when I would actually be able to use the Oxygen Plus canisters. The concept of sucking down oxygen from a can seemed really novel and "out-there". After three months though, I am happy to report that I have used the product more than I thought I would and for more than just outdoor/high altitude hikes. First off, I live at more than a mile-high altitude (1600 m), so I probably don't have as much of a problem with altitude that say, a Floridian or New York City dweller. But, over the years, I have found that climbing mountains has gotten more challenging. I can hike forever - 10 hours straight (well, ok, I take a lunch and snack break or two) - on rolling terrain or flat ground, even at altitude. But throw in a steep climb or two, and I'm sometimes, puffing like the big bad wolf! Even my 0.25 mile (424 m) driveway which rises at almost a 6% grade, can beat me down! Over the last months, I have found that I use the canisters often. Having three different sizes makes it very convenient to always have oxygen in reach when I want an extra boost! I have taken to carrying a mini in my jacket pockets and stashed in my backpack hipbelts. They fit very nicely in the smallest pockets. The Skinni, I tuck into my backpack water bottle outside pouches. The slim fit enables me to still use the pockets for water bottles as well as the Skinni canisters. The Biggi canisters have found home in my truck, on my desk and in my bedside nightstand. Using the Oxygen Plus when I'm hiking has become a welcome habit. I have found that as soon as I am conscious of being winded and starting to breathe through my mouth, taking a hit or two of the Oxygen Plus revives me a bit and gives me a renewed feeling of well-being. On Bald Mountain in Breckenridge, I was particularly happy to have a Skinni along as we hiked high above treeline! Would I have made it without extra oxygen? Most likely, but I think having the opportunity to catch my breath without long rest breaks sure made the hike more enjoyable! A totally "un-outdoor" use - for me - of the Biggi canister is for migraine and sinus headache relief. I often suffer from migraines, especially at night. Having a Biggi besides my bed has been a bonus for me. Getting a few big gulps of oxygen seems to ease the pain a bit while I wait for the meds to kick in.

STARRING ATTRACTIONS

1.) Easy to Use
2.) Works well to refresh and restore my breathing
3.) Convenient sizes for easy storage

MINOR DISTRACTIONS

1.) Never quite sure how much I have left in the canister.

SUMMARY

While I can't totally rule out the concept of a placebo effect or simply, the rest-time taken to get out the canister, take a whiff or two and put back the canister; I don't think either explains the refreshed feeling I have after using the Oxygen Plus product. It's not a "high". When on the trails, it's just a natural feeling of "ok, I've got this"!

I've totally used three of the minis, one Skinni and partially (one on my desk and one in my bedroom) two Biggi canisters. And when the generous supply that was supplied runs out, I will definitely be buying more to keep on hand.

Thank you to and for the opportunity to try out the Oxygen Plus Biggi and Skinni!

Kathleen (Kathy) Waters
Co-Owner and Contributing Writer
BackpackGearTest.org

Reviews > Health & Safety > Accessories > O Canisters > Test Report by Kathleen Waters