Italian Sky runner Bruno Brunod has tested the Polartec Power Shield Mask” on Everest, in order to ascertain the how the garment limits the effects of dehydration and hypothermia. This first test at 8,000 metres is said to have produced excellent results that will be researched further in future tests due to take place later this year in a high-performance environment.

The mask” is the result of a collaborative research and development project between Polartec; the Federation for Sport at Altitude, and the Polytechnic of Turin through consultancy with Filippo Pavesi, Professor for the University Course of Industrial Design at the same university. It works by recovering heat generated by physical effort for re-use, allowing warm and humid air into the respiratory tract. The process is facilitated thanks to the characteristics of the technical fabric Polartec Power Shield which is lightweight, breathable, and warm.

It is hoped that with this patent pending innovation, there is the potential to drastically limit dehydration and hypothermia that threaten personal safety during high altitude alpine adventures.  

Bruno Brunod was chosen as the tester because as a Sky runner, even at 8,000 metres, he has the technical capacity to inhale 160–190 litres of air per minute. It is therefore necessary to control the possibility of dehydration and hypothermia.