I won’t lie. I’m a total flatlander. I live at sea level, and I completely struggle at altitude. Shortness of breath, splitting headaches, all that jazz, all of it happens to me once I get close to 8000 feet.
Prior to Outdoor Retailer, a few friends and I headed out in the Uintas for some pre-show backpacking and gear testing fun. Our itinerary involved scuttling around 10,000 feet every day, so Oxygen Plus was kind enough to send along some Skinni Natural bottles.
The Oxygen Plus Skinni Natural bottle is around 8” tall and weighs about .1 pounds, perfect for a slipping into a jacket or backpack pocket. The air inside contains 95% enriched oxygen. The bottles claim to contain more than 50 2-second breaths. Instructions say inhale 3 to 5 breaths for a boost. 8 to 12 occasions are available per can.
Truth be told, I felt that these were more gimmicky and fun than anything. Day one of three involved splitting headaches for most of the day. When I reached camp for the night, I pulled out the bottle and began to huff some Os. I’m not really sure if it helped, but it was definitely a hoot for me and the rest of the crew.
The next day, I was headache-free. However, that can also be attributed to being acclimatized. I still had some oxygen left in the bottle post-trip, so it accompanied me on the semi-annual #hikerchat outing with Teton Sports. Again, most people came from sea level, so we passed around the bottle for a bit of fun. Like me, everyone inhaling the burst of oxygen, but weren’t sure if there were any benefits to be had.
Would I try it again? Probably. One trip wasn’t enough to get a taste of whether or not it worked. I suck at altitude times a million, so any bit of help I can get I’ll take. The bottles are pretty lightweight and tuck into a side slip pocket for easy access while on the go.
O+ comes in a variety of sizes and flavors. I only tried the Natural one which tasted like nothing, but flavors like grapefruit and peppermint are available.
Bottles come in a mini and skinny sizes, retailing in packs of three. Minis will run you about $24 per pack while Skinnis are about $36 per pack. Buy through Amazon
