What happened to Krakauer's oxygen supply after Andy Harris turned up his valve?

What happened to Krakauer's oxygen supply after Andy Harris turned up his valve?

• A. Krakauer used all his oxygen in about 10 minutes.
• B. His oxygen lasted longer than before.
• C. The valve failed and cut off oxygen.
• D. His oxygen supply froze and became unusable.

Answer: (A)

At high altitude, the oxygen you carry is finite and the regulator controls how much you get each breath. When you turn the valve up, you deliver more oxygen per minute, so the tank is used up faster. After Andy Harris increased Krakauer’s valve, his remaining oxygen was exhausted in about ten minutes. This isn’t about the system failing or the oxygen freezing; it’s the straightforward consequence of increasing the flow: more oxygen per minute means the limited supply runs out sooner. The other possibilities would imply different outcomes (lasting longer, a regulator failure, or freezing), but the observed result was rapid depletion due to higher usage.

At high altitude, the oxygen you carry is finite and the regulator controls how much you get each breath. When you turn the valve up, you deliver more oxygen per minute, so the tank is used up faster. After Andy Harris increased Krakauer’s valve, his remaining oxygen was exhausted in about ten minutes. This isn’t about the system failing or the oxygen freezing; it’s the straightforward consequence of increasing the flow: more oxygen per minute means the limited supply runs out sooner. The other possibilities would imply different outcomes (lasting longer, a regulator failure, or freezing), but the observed result was rapid depletion due to higher usage.