Portable Altitude Chamber – Explained!

Our most important concern when trekking is your health and safety, Youin Travel guides carry and have access to a Portable altitude chamber, also known as a Gamow Bag.

This is a portable device that can be inflated to a pressure of two psi. The air inside of the chamber is 91% oxygen-rich and is used to simulate a descent from a high altitude to atmospheric pressure.

The concept of using a hyperbaric chamber has been around for more than 30 years. The chamber is inflated with a foot pump and therapeutic oxygen is administered in a controlled environment to mimic the effects of descent.

This oxygen-rich air stimulates the body’s healing responses and is highly beneficial for both the body and the brain.

A PAC increases the amount of oxygen available to the person within. In the case of HAPE and HACE, rapid descent is the only treatment and can improve the condition of a sufferer before a rapid descent, stabilise them while awaiting evacuation by helicopter, and even eradicate symptoms before a further ascent.

These lightweight bags are designed to keep the patient completely enclosed while bags are inflated to high pressure to simulate atmospheric pressure at sea level.

They are sometimes called Gamow bags because they were first used by Dr Igor Gamow to treat patients who suffered from acute mountain sickness(AMS).

The Chamber is a vital piece of medical equipment that has, and will continue to save many lives for many years to come.