Elevation Training Mask

[Thefisherman83]

Anyone use an elevation training mask to get ready for a high country hunt?  Did it help?  I went to Idaho to scout the area we will be elk hunting this fall and it kicked my butt.  My whole life has been spent within a couple hundred feet of sea level and the areas we were scouting ranged from 6k-9k and will likely be hunting around 7500.

[Rainier10]

Tag

[Jonathan_S]

I'd say train hard, get in shape and go a couple days early if possible. Then take it easy for the first day of your hunt. Thin air is one thing...a stupid Bane mask to restrict your airflow is another. I know a bunch of clowns who use them and I could wipe the floor with any of them anyday. It just a makes them feel like they are working harder.

[cbond3318]

I'll be honest, I'm by no means a marathon athlete but I haven't ever really experienced noticeable fatigue or breathing issues due to elevation. Except at the peak of Mt. Adams on day 2. Most of my Washington hunting peaks at 7,500'. As Jonathan said and in my opinion it's a fad gimmick. Just train!

[Rainier10]

I know for me when I went from Seattle to basic training in Texas, schooling in Mississippi and then stationed at 6,000feet in Colorado, it kicked the crud out of me and I would have guessed that all the PT would have had me in shape.  I was a rock star at see level but living at 6,000 feet still took it out of me for the first two weeks until I adjusted.  All I did was go to work and then to bed.  When I came home on leave I was a super hero.

I could see where going from sea level all year to 7,500 feet for a week would be difficult to adjust to.  If you don't have easy access to train at that elevation maybe the mask would work.  I know it was suggested as a training tool when I trained to summit Rainier in 2010.  I did Tiger Mountain and Mt Si a few times a week for two months and still felt rummy at the summit of Rainier when I got there.

Maybe the thin air just affects me differently. 

[Thefisherman83]

I know for me when I went from Seattle to basic training in Texas, schooling in Mississippi and then stationed at 6,000feet in Colorado, it kicked the crud out of me and I would have guessed that all the PT would have had me in shape.  I was a rock star at see level but living at 6,000 feet still took it out of me for the first two weeks until I adjusted.  All I did was go to work and then to bed.  When I came home on leave I was a super hero.

I could see where going from sea level all year to 7,500 feet for a week would be difficult to adjust to.  If you don't have easy access to train at that elevation maybe the mask would work.  I know it was suggested as a training tool when I trained to summit Rainier in 2010.  I did Tiger Mountain and Mt Si a few times a week for two months and still felt rummy at the summit of Rainier when I got there.
Maybe the thin air just affects me differently. 

I ordered one, ill let you know if it helps.  I figure for $80 it cant possibly hurt.

[Timberstalker]

I'll be honest, I'm by no means a marathon athlete

You could say that a time or two more.

[Jonathan_S]

Rainier, I am not doubting the effects of elevation and thin air. I completely agree with you and have experienced it too. What I am doubting is the mask and what it replicates. 

[Timberstalker]

Rainier, I am not doubting the effects of elevation and thin air. I completely agree with you and have experienced it too. What I am doubting is the mask and what it replicates. 

What I heard was that you were the toughest dude on earth, but carry on.

[cbond3318]

I'll be honest, I'm by no means a marathon athlete

You could say that a time or two more.

   shots fired! I would call myself more of a office to portajohn athlete if I had to classify it.

[Rainier10]

Rainier, I am not doubting the effects of elevation and thin air. I completely agree with you and have experienced it too. What I am doubting is the mask and what it replicates. 

Training is better than the mask.  That's what I would think also and I am curious to see what thefisherman has to say after he tries the mask.

[Jonathan_S]

Rainier, I am not doubting the effects of elevation and thin air. I completely agree with you and have experienced it too. What I am doubting is the mask and what it replicates. 

What I heard was that you were the toughest dude on earth, but carry on.

You definitely heard wrong!

I think if the masks helped muscles and lungs for performance, we'd see them in professional sports. Sure, there is equipment available but it comes in the form of bottled thin air and $10,000 setups

[jackelope]

Altitude sickness affects everyone differently. I was at just under 10k' on Mt Adams at the lunch counter and felt like crap the day we got there. Lost my appetite, felt sort of weak, etc. The next morning I felt almost back to normal, mostly fine. I ate like a horse and made the summit without issue.
I suspect that if you give yourself a day or 2 to acclimate, you'll be alright. 7500' is high, but it's not "that" high relative to what a lot of folks do at 10-12k'.

[cbond3318]

Altitude sickness affects everyone differently. I was at just under 10k' on Mt Adams at the lunch counter and felt like crap the day we got there. Lost my appetite, felt sort of weak, etc. The next morning I felt almost back to normal, mostly fine. I ate like a horse and made the summit without issue.
I suspect that if you give yourself a day or 2 to acclimate, you'll be alright. 7500' is high, but it's not "that" high relative to what a lot of folks do at 10-12k'.

That is true. Talked to a guy at lunch counter that didn't try to summit due to what he claimed as altitude sickness. Lunch counter 9,200' I think...

As far as the mask goes, I'm a tight wad so if I wanted to try restricted flow training I'd probably just climb badger a few times with a sponge stuffed in my mouth.

[Karl Blanchard]

Take it for what it's worth, but I do Adams as a long day hike, and hunt above 12k in colorado.   Only time I've experienced altitude sickness was when I was out of shape and fairly dehydrated from a 21hr drive to CO.  Strong muscles and lungs is gonna help more than anything.  When I go back to colorado every fall, it does take a solid day to 2 days to acclimate to the elevation.  I don't seem to feel it till that 9k mark.  Really whoops a guy

[Karl Blanchard]

Rainier, I am not doubting the effects of elevation and thin air. I completely agree with you and have experienced it too. What I am doubting is the mask and what it replicates. 

What I heard was that you were the toughest dude on earth, but carry on.

  actually, this is fact!  The Jon IS the most gangster of gangsters on planet earth!  He ran my fallen heroes 5k at lightning speed.  All while sporting an impressively creepy mustache.  Not everyone can pull that off you know

[Timberstalker]

Altitude sickness affects everyone differently. I was at just under 10k' on Mt Adams at the lunch counter and felt like crap the day we got there. Lost my appetite, felt sort of weak, etc. The next morning I felt almost back to normal, mostly fine. I ate like a horse and made the summit without issue.
I suspect that if you give yourself a day or 2 to acclimate, you'll be alright. 7500' is high, but it's not "that" high relative to what a lot of folks do at 10-12k'.

As far as the mask goes, I'm a tight wad so if I wanted to try restricted flow training I'd probably just climb badger a few times with a sponge stuffed in my mouth.

What kind of sick fetish?

[Rainier10]

I lived in Colorado, like I said before at 6,000 feet.  We would go fishing in the hills at 7,000 feet regularly.  One weekend we went fishing at some alpine lakes at 12-13,000 feet, I was tired but I thought my buddy was going to die.  He was all pale and sweaty.  When we got back to camp at 10,500 he was doing better.

I think it just affects people differently.

As far as muscle strength goes I think that is probably a huge factor.  I can't control the air so much but I can load up on weight.  Before the season starts I wear a weighted vest all day, leg weights and carry a 7lb dumbbell around at work to simulate having my bow in my hand all day.  I can say since I started doing that it has really helped my stamina in the field.

[Jonathan_S]

I am convinced that these masks wouldn't be as popular if it weren't for this

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/batman/images/f/f0/Bane_TDKR3.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120511112335

[Rainier10]

I am convinced that these masks wouldn't be as popular if it weren't for this

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/batman/images/f/f0/Bane_TDKR3.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120511112335

That does make them cooler. 

[Okanagan]

+4 or more that ALTITUDE EFFECTS EVERYONE DIFFERENTLY! 

Visiting Quito in Ecuador put my wife in the ER, where the local docs immediately and routinely diagnosed her with altitude sickness, a common occurrence for their ER team in a city at 10,000 feet elevation.  On her bad days she begins to get sick at 3,000 feet, but on good days can go over a 6K highway pass without much headache.  I sucked for air a little on top of Adams and ran a 40 yard race just to see what it felt like.  We heard the next day that a young man had died on Adams the same day from altitude sickness.  That was at least 25 years ago, and I never verified it, but hundreds of people climb Adams without dying.  Get in shape, slowly acclimatize, hydrate etc. but nobody knows how his bod will handle altitude till he goes up. 

If you handle altitude well, be grateful.  Not everybody is Ed Viesturs.

[kentrek]

I've used "the mask" on and off for over a year now....it sucks....really makes a guy work for air....but it's not the same as being at high elevation...it does not quite work that way

[Rainier10]

I've used "the mask" on and off for over a year now....it sucks....really makes a guy work for air....but it's not the same as being at high elevation...it does not quite work that way

Have you been able to test to see if it helped at higher elevation after using the mask?

[whacker1]

I've used "the mask" on and off for over a year now....it sucks....really makes a guy work for air....but it's not the same as being at high elevation...it does not quite work that way

I reached the same conclusion in reading the reports of those that were working out with it regularly.  They said it helped more with training and less for altitude or elevation.  While it starves your body for air and makes your muscles work harder to get air, it doesn't necessarily replicate thin air.  taking a couple of extra days on the front end of a hunt to acclimate to elevation is about all you can do to try and prepare for elevation.  I had a much more difficult time when I was more out of shape at 25 years old with 9000-10,000 elevation than I do now where I am at better shape at 39 years old at the same elevation.  slows me down a little, but my body processes thin air better because of training in general than it did when I wasn't training at 25

[Rainier10]

whacker you are definitely on to something there.  I hit the wall at thirty something, maybe 32, started to train more, eat better and hydrate more in the field.  Had to work smarter as I got older.

[Miles]

I've only noticed some weird stuff with elevation once.  We were on Maui and drove from the beach to the top of Haleakala at 10,000.  I felt a little weird and knew I had to pace myself walking around.  Never got rid of that crappy feeling till later in the afternoon.


I hunt quite a bit in the 7,000 range and have never noticed anything.  I live pretty close to sea level so it's a big jump but not enough I guess?


Seems that 10k might be the start of it for some.

[kentrek]

I've used "the mask" on and off for over a year now....it sucks....really makes a guy work for air....but it's not the same as being at high elevation...it does not quite work that way

Have you been able to test to see if it helped at higher elevation after using the mask?

I couldn't tell ya since I haven't had it long enough but I'd say it would help if you use it....in general the better you are in the cardiovascular department the better ya are at elevation....some people just don't do good of elevation...it's kinda luck of the draw

It really is a mental grind wearing the thing....it's not fun or enjoyable....just put the head phones in and get to the grind

[cbond3318]

One suggestion might be before dropping 80$ , try working out while breathing through a straw.

[JLS]

The masks are a waste of money.  They don't trigger any of the physiological changes that your body goes through when it is adapting to high altitude.  A mask won't help your body produce more red blood cells.

Save the money and do high intensity interval training for free.

[Karl Blanchard]

The masks are a waste of money.  They don't trigger any of the physiological changes that your body goes through when it is adapting to high altitude.  A mask won't help your body produce more red blood cells.

Save the money and do high intensity interval training for free.

  pretty much that!  What will help at elevation is larger lung capacity.  Work out hard so your lungs get strong, don't restrict them.

[GoPlayOutside]

Don't waste your money on the mask.  Especially for that elevation, and the type of elevation work you will be doing.
Take Ibuprofen during your accent and upon staying at that elevation.  This will help reduce the inflammation of brain swelling and head aches.  Your body will acclimate within 15-36 hours.  Drink lots of water, and eat food.  (Water and food help with acclimation and its affects). 
With this being said, you shouldn't need to worry about altitude effects at your altitude........as long as you do a little work and get in shape.

[GoPlayOutside]

In 2007 on Mt. Everest, my team/party and a majority of the mountain partook in a major altitude medication study.  We were given Ibuprofen, Diamox, Dex (steroid), placebo, etc.  Some results of the study came to a conclusion that Ibuprofen helped just as well as many other "high altitude" specific meds.  It specifically relieved the altitude headache problems and aches.  and believe me, the headaches are real bad.  Due to the swelling and fluid loss, it feels like your brain is being squeezed out the spinal cord hole in your skull.

[kellama2001]

I recently started using a supplement from Mountain Ops called Ascent, which is designed to increase high altitude performance.  I haven't used it at altitude yet, but have noticed a dramatic difference in my cardio endurance during workouts, especially during trail running.  It might be something for you to look in to...

https://getmtnops.com/product/ascent/

[kentrek]

In 2007 on Mt. Everest, my team/party and a majority of the mountain partook in a major altitude medication study.  We were given Ibuprofen, Diamox, Dex (steroid), placebo, etc.  Some results of the study came to a conclusion that Ibuprofen helped just as well as many other "high altitude" specific meds.  It specifically relieved the altitude headache problems and aches.  and believe me, the headaches are real bad.  Due to the swelling and fluid loss, it feels like your brain is being squeezed out the spinal cord hole in your skull.

You spent some time on everest ?? Thats awesome 

 How high did ya make it ??