Hypoxia and Medicine

why do mountain climbers need warm clothing and oxygen masks on high altitudes?Is air thinner or denser?

Public Comments

1. Thinner and colder
2. The higher the altitude the less oxygen there is. This causes an increase in the amount fo red blood cells in the body. Due to the reduced amount of oxygen it could cause loss of conciousness so they carry oxygen masks to help prevent this. The warm clothing is to prevent hyperthermia which can be common when the temperature is very low.
3. In high altitudes the air keeps getting thinner which results as less oxygen and really cold.
4. Air thins with altitude - at roughly 27,000 feet up, (below the top of Everest!) most people will not survive an extended stay beyond a week or so, even with significant acclimatization (staying at high altitudes for an extended period to build their red blood Oxygen carrying capacity up. Also, because there is less air above them, radiant heat loss is much higher, and as there isn't as much air, the 'heat capacity' of the atmosphere is much less - net result is colder, dryer, less dense air, and much higher radiant heat losses at night (and higher chance of a sunburn during daylight)...