4 ms·

They were just following the tradition set by the Germans in WW2: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/05/pilots-salt-the-third-reich-kept-its-so

• TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago
  Good point, don't know how I forgot that. I'm fairly convinced Hitler was on the gear too.
  • saiya-jin 9y ago
    Most probably yes, and also on cocaine as his fellow Goring. These things were considered not harmful and you could buy it anywhere. Amphetamines were still used in 60s as enhancers for mountaineering for example. Most of traditional expeditions to 8000m peaks had the top party high on this, somehow balancing the rush and mental strength it presumably gave with existing in total exhaustion for days and pushing further up. One example out of many is Hermann Buhl climbing Nanga Parbat, solo, hallucinating, as a first ever ascent of the killer mountain. People like Messner refused to use these, championing clean 'alpine' ascents, without support, just men with their skills and mental+physical strength facing mountains.
  • HarryHirsch 9y ago
    Yes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Morell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Morell