A recent article in the New York Times stated that winter athletes are more likely to get exercise induced asthma, a side effect of continually breathing dry, cold air. Montana company Talus hopes to help prevent cold weather outdoor athletes from damaging their lungs with their
ColdAvenger
line of products.
The ColdAvenger protective masks are designed to keep your face dry and warm, allow for easy and natural breathing, while most importantly adding humidity to the cold air you inhale. The ColdAvenger works by mechanically mixing inhaled cold air with exhaled warm air to achieve a dynamic balance of warmth and humidity.
Moisture in exhaled air either exits through the ventilation valve or binds to the plastic, keeping it away from your face and serving as a source of humidity for inhaled air. The ventilation grate and ventilation slots are designed to cause air turbulence while breathing, thus mixing warm air with water vapor. Technical studies support the efficacy of ColdAvenger at temperatures as low as -20ºF.
The plastic ventilation face piece is composed of medical-grade material selected for safety and cold weather endurance. An interior valve lets you control the amount of cold air intake with each breath. The ColdAvenger mask fits with your helmet and goggles, with the added bonus of preventing fogging.
The ColdAvenger comes in at least 4 models- the
Classic fleece
($49.95), Pro soft shell version ($59.95), Hunter ($59.95) and the newer Expedition Balaclava pictured above ($79.95). The ColdAvenger Expedition Balaclava is made with Polartec Wind Pro fleece. The face mask is fully removable and attaches on either side of the balaclava with a hook. Talus came out with some cool new fabric designs at Outdoor Retailer as well to appease the snowboarder set- so you can now look fashionable while preventing exercise induced asthma!
I am saving up to buy the Expedition Balaclava to use on mountaineering expeditions. Ed Viesturs uses one! I can imagine it is a great way to help prevent the dreaded Khumbu Cough.