Each pilot will be carrying two oxygen systems. They have a primary oxygen system (developed for jet fighter pilots) which delivers oxygen through a facemask on demand (as you breathe), and also a complete reserve system in case of emergency that is worn beneath the oxygen mask as a nasal canular supplying oxygen directly into the nose. In case of emergency, the back-up cylinder supplies a constant flow regulator that delivers pure oxygen.

Summit Oxygen, a company that has supported numerous Everest expeditions, will supply the team’s reserve oxygen. Their systems are small, lightweight and efficient – and reliable. The team will have conducted numerous oxygen trials by the time of the mission. The main oxygen delivery system will be supplied by Top out masks coupled to small poisk oxygen bottles.

The new high altitude oxygen delivery system has been designed and developed by Ted Atkins while climbing the mountain. He served as RAF Aerosystems (aircraft) Engineering Officer. The system was designed and has been built specifically for climbing Everest using aerospace standards that he employed with the RAF. This is the only system built specifically for climbing Everest by an aerosystems engineer who has climbed Everest in the process of testing the prototype. Oxygen is carried and used as supplementary oxygen.

The idea being to try and compensate for the lack of ambient O2, due to the low atmospheric pressure. Ambient air is always taken in conjunction and is the bulk of gas processed. Various delivery systems have been used over the years. The ‘Full Flow’ system has come out on top due to its almost faultless simplicity. The drawback is that we breathe in a cycle of three parts; two of these parts are breathing out. As the name suggests, the O2 is flowing constantly. This means in effect that somewhere in the region of 60-75% of the gas is wasted as it flows into the mask as the user is breathing out (for 2/3 of the breathing cycle) and thus the O2 is pushed out of the mask to atmosphere. The other drawback is that the O2 consumed is from a small diameter tube and can only ever be taken at a set limited rate, regardless of demand.