Overblown Air

When you travel to Colorado, you should pack a few things you might not think to bring. A reusable water bottle will be your constant companion since it’s high and dry in the Centennial State. Lip balm will be your pocket pal. Your wardrobe should be designed in layers since Colorado’s weather is so unpredictable. And finally, for the lack of air in the Rockies, don’t forget to bring a can or two of oxygen.

Canned oxygen?  For the longest time I thought this was the biggest scam on earth.  There was a time you could find “oxygen bars” at Colorado ski resorts – high altitude establishments where you’d pull up a stool and choose from a menu of “airs” to augment your oxygen intake.  Watching those suckers – heh – with their mouths attached to transparent hoses had me picturing a guy on the other side of the wall furiously working the plungers of bicycle pumps.  But forget oxygen bars.  Now you can take a hit from your very own can instead.

Boost , a popular brand of canned oxygen, has been around for a while since its humble beginnings through Shark Tank.  In Colorado you’ll find Boost products in every market, drug store, gas station, and airport concession.  Boost is  advertised as “95% Pure Supplemental Oxygen in lightweight, portable, and affordable canisters for health, recovery, natural energy, and athletic performance”.  That’s an impressive string of words to describe nothing but canned air.

First-timers will react to Boost with a well-defined smirk.  Gag gift for the relatives back home?  Stocking-stuffer?  After all, you’re paying $10 for a can of… well, nothing.  Yes, Boost comes in flavored varieties like lavender or eucalyptus menthol but in the end, it’s just air.  And watching someone take a hit of Boost is just like the goofball in your kitchen who tips the can of whipped cream directly into his mouth.  Even the sound of escaping compressed air is the same.  Just no whipped cream.

Naturally this is the point where I admit I’m a canned-air convert.  Never thought I’d see the day I’d actually need a “boost”.  But last January as I was moving belongings out of our Colorado house, I came to a breathtaking realization: I was no longer acclimated to the thin air of the Rocky Mountains.  Climbing a set of stairs had me huffing and puffing.  Lifting a box made my heart go pitter-patter.  For some reason I’d thought to add a can of Boost into my suitcase, so what do you know?  Compressed air to the rescue.  Every now and then I’d blast the can into my mouth and darned if it didn’t clear my head and help me breathe.  I was no whipped-cream junkie but rather a bold astronaut, seeking the occasional hiss of his supplemental oxygen.

For all its success, the legitimacy of a product like Boost is sullied by similar products having no health benefits whatsoever.  On your next trip to Italy, head up to Lake Como in the far north for a look at the pristine waters and nearby snow-covered Alps.  While you’re there you can purchase a can of “Lake Como Air” for $11.  Lake Como Air claims no value other than “something original, provocative, and fun”, or “… a tangible memory you carry in your heart”.  Really?  I have lots of tangible memories from Italy and they didn’t cost me a dime.

On your next trip to Israel (which best not be anytime soon), head over to the Dead Sea for a look at the biggest, saltiest resource of natural minerals in the world.  You can float in the Dead Sea without even treading water.  And no surprise, you can “purchase” the Dead Sea in small containers.  The so-called manufacturer claims its consumption “contributes measurably to feeling better and to looking wonderful and healthy”.  Huh.  Not sure about you but I like to think I feel better and look healthy just by drinking from the tap at my kitchen sink.

The list goes on and on.  Holy dirt from New Mexico.  Healing waters from right here in western South Carolina.  Rocks from outer space.  I mean, seriously, when are we going to stop paying for natural elements we can help ourselves to just by stepping outside our front doors?  Yeah, probably never.  That train left the station for good the day someone decided to bottle water.  Now we have canned air as well… and it’s a good thing.  Turns out, I’ll never take another trip to Colorado without a little Boost in my suitcase.

Some content sourced from the CNN Travel article, “Cans of ‘fresh air’ from Lake Como on sale to tourists in Italy”.

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Author: Dave

Five hundred posts would suggest I have something to say… This blog was born from a desire to elevate the English language, highlighting eloquent words from days gone by. The stories I share are snippets of life itself, and each comes with a bonus: a dusted-off word I hope you’ll go on to use more often. Read “Deutschland-ish Improvements” to learn about my backyard European wish list. Try “Slush Fun” for the throwback years of the 7-Eleven convenience store. Or drink in "Iced Coffee" to discover the plight of the rural French cafe. On the lighter side, read "Late Night Racquet Sports" for my adventures with our latest moth invasion. As Walt Whitman said, “That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” Here then, my verse. Welcome to Life In A Word.

24 thoughts on “Overblown Air”

    1. I’ve climbed Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs (“only” 14,000 ft) and the last thousand feet is a serious test of the lungs. How these guys did it at an elevation twice that high is beyond me.

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    1. At least you know how to dress for cold weather. Coloradoans are constantly fooled by clear skies and low humidity. It’s not uncommon to see people in shorts shoveling snow.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Well, that was fascinating Dave – I never knew canned air was a thing, but I know about the altitude wreaking havoc with you as a fellow blogger and her husband are avid runners and every time they visit their son’s family in Colorado, she mentioned getting acclimated and it taking a few days. Still, it is a beautiful place to live if you don’t mind the snow. We had snow/rain going on today, didn’t amount to anything, but there was a lot of collective whining going on since we’ve been in the 70s, even reaching 80 here in SE Michigan until just last week.

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    1. The effects of the altitude are no joke. Most disturbing is the “fuzziness” of the brain, where you can’t put a clear thought together. I don’t miss it.

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      1. That does sound scary. I wouldn’t like that feeling either. Inhaling the can of air sounds scary though too to be honest, although I, too, have been that person who skims off some whipped cream from the aerosol can into my mouth while putting a dollop on hot chocolate (living alone has its advantages as it is not as uncouth to do so). 🙂

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  5. I will have to confess to being one of the goofballs who periodically likes a mouthful of whipped cream right from the can. Isn’t that the healthiest and most environmentally friendly way to take whipped cream? You avoid the other food whipped cream is put on, and there are no dishes to wash.

    I had not heard of Boost, but now I am completely un-surprised that such a thing would be available. Now I am waiting for someone to add nicotine.

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    1. I’d like to see a map of the U.S. showing where all Boost purchases are made. What do you bet 95% are in the Rocky Mountain region? If you ever try a can, you’ll agree with my analogy of whipped cream (minus the cream).

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  6. I remember being in Vegas and seeing Oxygen Bars. Thought they were odd, but everything in Vegas is a little skewed. I didn’t know you could buy canned oxygen now, but why not? Ain’t capitalism grand‽

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    1. Wish I’d thought of it, Ally. It’s like you have start with the premise, “this is a really stupid idea; nobody will go for it”. Then you go forth and make your fortune.

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  9. I thoroughly enjoyed your post! Your initial skepticism about canned oxygen had me nodding along—it’s amazing how something as fundamental as air can become a commercial product. I laughed at the image of someone behind a wall pumping air into those oxygen bars.

    But your personal experience really resonated with me. Altitude can catch even the best of us off guard. On my first trip to Colorado, I underestimated the impact and found myself short of breath just walking up a flight of stairs. While I haven’t tried Boost yet, your testimonial has me curious. Sometimes these things that seem gimmicky actually serve a practical purpose!

    Your point about commodifying natural resources is spot-on. From bottled water to canned air, it’s fascinating (and a bit concerning) how we’ve turned basic elements into marketable goods. The examples of Lake Como Air and Dead Sea water highlight how marketing can package an experience—or the illusion of one—for consumers.

    Thanks for sharing your insights and humor on the topic. I might just toss a can of oxygen into my bag on my next mountain trip!

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  10. As a long time Coloradoan, I haven’t needed that boost, but we do sell it at our visitor center just off the highway, and it’s needed by many visitors. I’m just thinking… perhaps I should stock a few cans for my own visitors. Even Denverites sometime need the oxygen hiking around here. I’m at 8,500 ft. and we hike higher than that.

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    1. We always thought to place a glass or bottle of water at the bedside of our guests who visited our house in Colorado. In hindsight we should’ve included a can of Boost as well!

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  11. I had no idea you could buy canned oxygen. That’s actually pretty cool for those occasions you mention. I guess I can see why they won Shark Tank (I’m assuming by the fact that you linked it.) So glad it helped you.

    The Dead Sea water to make you feel healthier and whatever… sounds like people thinking powdered mummy was good for them. :/

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    1. Powdered mummy – ewww. Sounds like a horror movie where the dead are reincarnated by consumption. It must’ve been a heckuva pitch to the Shark Tank by Boost’s founders. I wonder if they were inspired by stopping by one of those oxygen bars and thinking, “Hang on, there’s a much easier way to do this…” I wish I had that kind of inventive mind!

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      2. You’re on to something here. The evil “barkeep” switches out one gas for another and mutants abound in a ski resort! Not sure how mummy bits play into the plot but I’m sure you’ll think of something. Hire a screenwriter.

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