Originally Posted by
Karina_KV
As far as I understand, small 1 or 2 liter oxygen cylinders are the standard in medical oxygen. They are lightweight and portable, and are kept for emergency use.
A 2 liter cylinder is about 600 liters of oxygen at 300 bar (or 300 liters at 150 bar). If you take it very roughly, then this is half an hour to an hour of breathing.
I carry medical oxygen with me if I expect to have difficulty breathing, e.g., when at 8000 feet equivalent, such as in a 787. A 22 litre cylinder is about the size and weight of a bottle of wine, it doesn't state what pressure it's at. I only use it when I need it, but I think it lasts about a couple of hours. I choose to fly in A350s (pressurised to 5000 ft) because in them I don't require oxygen at all.
When I was in hospital recently, patients requiring oxygen were, if not plumbed into the system, provided with huge cylinders of oxygen as they were wheeled from ward to ward. The kind of size you associate with scuba divers. I guess the idea is that with such a huge supply, there was no risk of patients running out.
I'm thinking of taking a flight from the UK to Australia via DXB in an A380. You obviously are an expert in the subject. Should I take medical oxygen with me and if so how much? Oxygen is a pain to take through customs, as it's a pressurised container of a gas which promotes flames.
justapax