Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Ray4852
Posts: 113
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2021 7:24 am

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by Ray4852 » Wed Aug 10, 2022 4:57 pm

if you need it now. look at the portable outlet. it will solve your problem. just plug in and sleep well. I'm going out next week for 14 days. it works and its safe. also a good UPS battery.

Rob K
Posts: 642
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 5:22 pm

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by Rob K » Sat Aug 13, 2022 7:01 pm

Busy thread while I was away, life has been very hectic.

My full size Phillips and Resmed machines now mostly stay at home and run off ac power from the wall. I stopped using them for camping because they require quite a bit of battery power and I had grown weary of hauling around large heavy batteries. Switching to a more efficient small travel machine and lightweight lithium power banks has been great. I'm just not sure on their reliability and longevity. For camping in the Great Lakes region I didn't need a humidifier.

For camping I'm now using lithium polymer(Lipo) power banks to run my new Breas Z2 apap machine. Specifically the Baseus BS-30KP365 30000mah and the Renogy GP14 72000mah and powering my apap machine using the usb-c output jacks. I did not buy the Maxoak that I had been eyeballing at the beginning since it did not have a usb-c inputs and outputs for fast charging when your on the go.

Previously I had been using my 79ah agm battery to run my Phillips machine. I also use it for the trolling motor on my boat so I have a nice case for it which has a 12v cigarette socket and the Phillips adapter plugs right in. To recharge I hooked up my agm battery charger when I get home from camping. The battery probably weights 60lbs and if I wanted to make it two weeks I'd have to bring a second battery. Discharging the 79ah battery to around 50% would give me around 8-9 nights with humidifier turned off and pressure set to around 8cm cpap mode. The Phillips machine was pretty efficient since it was designed to run off of 12vdc. I was using around 5ah per night, usually around 8hours per night sleep. Everyone's power usage will be different depending on their machine and settings.

Image

You also could put a lithium iron phosphate battery in a box and use that instead of an lead acid agm battery to significantly cut down on weight. Or you can go with some of the lightest lithium batteries like I just did. Cost goes up significantly with the different types of batteries, the lightest costing the most.

Whatever you choose you will need a dedicated battery charger that is made to charge the type of battery that you purchased.

Another option is charging from your vehicle while you drive but this can take a very long time depending on the size of your battery. If your using a full size machine and need a good deal of battery power than I'm not certain this is practical. That would be a good question for a boondocker, which I am not. Having recently purchased a lithium power bank that will handle a 60watt input charge, I noticed I was able to charge a power bank reasonably quick. I definitely will be looking at banks with 100watt or higher input in the future to run my little travel machine.

Solar charging is also a possibility, something I have never done and need to look into further. Solar doesn't seem real practical at this point if your a back packer due to the weight of the batteries and solar panel. A little more practical if your in a kayak or canoe. Car camping is certainly doable with a decent size portable panel. Boondockers have been using solar for years with their campers and are a good source of info if you want to run a bunch of stuff off batteries.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: AirFit™ N10 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Resmed F10 Mask for colds. When camping on battery power I use P10 mask and PR 560p machine.
Last edited by Rob K on Mon Aug 15, 2022 7:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Rob K
Posts: 642
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 5:22 pm

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by Rob K » Sat Aug 13, 2022 8:09 pm

I guess I never did post a photo of my equipment. The Baseus 30000mah power bank and Z2 are a little bigger than a pound of butter. Without the hose and mask my guess is the two weigh about 2.25 pounds, which is amazing. With the pictured Baseus power bank I can run my Z2 at a pressure of 7 or 8cm and get 3-4 nights out of the power bank. That also is pretty amazing and so glad I made the switch from my old very heavy equipment.

Image

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: AirFit™ N10 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Resmed F10 Mask for colds. When camping on battery power I use P10 mask and PR 560p machine.

lynninnj
Posts: 1267
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:56 am

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by lynninnj » Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:50 am

Rob K wrote:
Sat Aug 13, 2022 8:09 pm
I guess I never did post a photo of my equipment. The Baseus 30000mah power bank and Z2 are a little bigger than a pound of butter. Without the hose and mask my guess is the two weigh about 2.25 pounds, which is amazing. With the pictured Baseus power bank I can run my Z2 at a pressure of 7 or 8cm and get 3-4 nights out of the power bank. That also is pretty amazing and so glad I made the switch from my old very heavy equipment.

Image
Wow!

This is like porn to me! thanks for posting!

I would love to know which of the Maxoak you were eyeballing. Since it’s not for camping I have different expectations.

The agm build looks sweet and now I almost want to go back to the build it myself idea but I still have a lot to learn and no dc-dc current yet for my machine.

Since I don’t have $800-1000 to drop on a portable right now, a battery backup could be ideal.

Today I am trying the solar distilled water attempt using a bowl, small mason jar, plastic wrap and a stone. Probably won’t give me the 2/3c of distilled I use nightly but it IS free.

Thanks so much for the excellent info!

(Sending pm also maybe and hope it’s ok. )

_________________
Machine: AirSense 11 Autoset
Mask: ResMed AirFit N30 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Newbie who loves her machine!
Beware the schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and fragile male egos. Move along if you can’t be kind.

Rob K
Posts: 642
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 5:22 pm

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by Rob K » Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:08 pm

I had been considering the Maxoak K2 50000mah laptop power bank. That amount of battery would have given me about 5 nights of therapy with my Z2 set at 8cm, it didn't have the usb-c jacks though. It would not be the best option for a full size Resmed machine. You wouldn't get very many nights from it is my guess. Also it only has 12v, 20v and 5volt outputs. You would want one with more capacity like the Maxoak K5 or K6. I think these would be large enough for several nights, it really depends on your settings though. Plus they are designed to work with pap machines like the Resmed. The K5 & K6 have 24volt outputs and a variety of cables to accommodate different machines. They mention Airsense 10 cable but no mention of the Airsense 11, I don't know if they use the same cables or not.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: AirFit™ N10 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Resmed F10 Mask for colds. When camping on battery power I use P10 mask and PR 560p machine.

lynninnj
Posts: 1267
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:56 am

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by lynninnj » Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:43 am

Rob K wrote:
Mon Aug 15, 2022 8:08 pm
I had been considering the Maxoak K2 50000mah laptop power bank. That amount of battery would have given me about 5 nights of therapy with my Z2 set at 8cm, it didn't have the usb-c jacks though. It would not be the best option for a full size Resmed machine. You wouldn't get very many nights from it is my guess. Also it only has 12v, 20v and 5volt outputs. You would want one with more capacity like the Maxoak K5 or K6. I think these would be large enough for several nights, it really depends on your settings though. Plus they are designed to work with pap machines like the Resmed. The K5 & K6 have 24volt outputs and a variety of cables to accommodate different machines. They mention Airsense 10 cable but no mention of the Airsense 11, I don't know if they use the same cables or not.
Thanks Rob!

They don’t have an AS11 dc-dc cable yet.

I like the fast charge option too. Working these things out still.

Will look at the K5 and K6.

_________________
Machine: AirSense 11 Autoset
Mask: ResMed AirFit N30 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Newbie who loves her machine!
Beware the schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and fragile male egos. Move along if you can’t be kind.

Richdksu
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2022 5:14 pm

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by Richdksu » Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:30 pm

This is the K5 (I had to dig on the page to find that designation) that I am using to power my Resmed AS10. This has everything you need to run any CPAP machine.
https://a.co/d/7zNNgon

I also have the Ecoflow River, which is the same charging capacity. It also has the option to double the size--they ran a deal a couple weeks ago that I took advantage of to get both for $400. This will need an adapter cable for the Resmed. But it will also power a microwave, fridge, TV, etc.

lynninnj
Posts: 1267
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:56 am

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by lynninnj » Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:33 pm

Richdksu wrote:
Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:30 pm
This is the K5 (I had to dig on the page to find that designation) that I am using to power my Resmed AS10. This has everything you need to run any CPAP machine.
https://a.co/d/7zNNgon

I also have the Ecoflow River, which is the same charging capacity. It also has the option to double the size--they ran a deal a couple weeks ago that I took advantage of to get both for $400. This will need an adapter cable for the Resmed. But it will also power a microwave, fridge, TV, etc.
I saw a couple different versions of thr River and couldn’t figure out which one it could be.

Is it capable of a fast charge? And solar charge?

Thanks for everything you’ve been sharing so far. I really appreciate it.

_________________
Machine: AirSense 11 Autoset
Mask: ResMed AirFit N30 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Newbie who loves her machine!
Beware the schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and fragile male egos. Move along if you can’t be kind.

lynninnj
Posts: 1267
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:56 am

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by lynninnj » Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:38 pm

There’s like six different versions of the river there. I thought I saw one that was expandable.

https://us.ecoflow.com/collections/river-series

Are these straight up lithium batteries?

I haven’t figured out what the difference in lifespan is between the lithium, lithium ion, with a lithium iron phosphate.

_________________
Machine: AirSense 11 Autoset
Mask: ResMed AirFit N30 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Newbie who loves her machine!
Beware the schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and fragile male egos. Move along if you can’t be kind.

tizzzle
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2022 2:17 pm

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by tizzzle » Fri Aug 19, 2022 2:24 pm

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum. I spent nearly an hour searching messages and can't find what I'm looking for.
QUestion: I'm looking to use my cpap with my car's battery using an inverter. Simple question: Does the car need to be running to draw power for the entire time that I am asleep? To use lights/accessories, must I start the vehicle?
Alternatively, if I used direct hookups to the battery iteself, does the same answer apply?

I've ready dozens of articles on this, plenty of info about amps, watt conversions, etc. I just wnat to know if the car needs to run, and any nuances with that answer, most appreciated.

Thanks!

Iamstumped
Posts: 157
Joined: Tue May 17, 2022 2:56 am
Location: Kansas City, Mo.

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by Iamstumped » Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:24 pm

As a long haul, OTR truck driver, and someone who has used an inverter hooked up directly to the battery, the only reason that you would need to run the engine, would be to keep the battery charged, otherwise it will eventually run down, and you will need a jump start.
The inverter will power the CPAP just fine, without the engine running, but the battery will eventually run out of juice.
I've used an inverter for at least 10 years. Small refrigerator, TV, microwave, CD/blue ray player.

glacierjay
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun May 01, 2022 9:04 am

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by glacierjay » Sat Aug 20, 2022 8:56 am

I'm back from my 14-night backpacking trip around Mount Rainier.

The CPAP/battery combination worked as expected. Being able to continue sleep apnea treatment while camping improved the experience.

The only problem I had was that the Z2 turned itself off a couple of times a night towards the end of the trip. It acted as though power had been interrupted, then started itself up again after less than a minute. I'll be looking for some error code indication when I get time. I did not use the travel hose from my original posting -- it weighed more than the 4-foot hose that came with the Z2 CPAP.
- Jay

Image
Image

glacierjay wrote:
Tue Jul 26, 2022 4:47 pm
Just a quick check-in. I am on schedule for a 13-night backpacking trip around Mount Rainier on the Wonderland trail next week. I've only managed to do one 3-day backpack trip this summer and a bunch of overnight trips and car camp trips. As a result I don't have a lot to add yet: batteries are performing about as I said in my tests or a little better. When I get back in mid August I'll report on how it all goes.

There are a couple of places along the Wonderland trail to cache food, and I will also cache batteries. I never have to carry more than 5 nights' capacity so that changes my strategy. I will not be using the Renogy GP-14 that we have discussed so much in this string. While it can provide 8+ nights of therapy it weighs more than two 3-night batteries.
First segment is 3 nights. I will carry the delightful Nitecore NB-2000 battery (11.4 oz) on that segment. I got 2.5 nights from that battery on several occasions. I will limit sleep time to 6 hours.
Next segment is 5 nights. I will carry the Baseus (1.2 lb) and Ravpower (1.2 lb) batteries, collecting them from the cache along with my food.
Last segment is 5 nights. I will carry Henhot (1.18 lb) and Qbrand (1.69 lb) batteries.

Every time I pick up batteries I will leave behind the depleted batteries so I don't have to carry them. I will go back to the cache points after the trip to pick them up. As a result I am carrying about 3 lbs of CPAP gear. Not bad!

My setup for nights 1-3 (weight 1 lb 15 oz):
Breas Z2 cpap: https://breas.us/products/cpaps-for-travel/z2-auto/
Travel hose: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B5DHJ5O
Power cable: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NS491XW
Mask: Resmed N30i https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... -cpap-mask
Battery: https://www.nitecorestore.com/Nitecore- ... b20000.htm

- Jay

lynninnj
Posts: 1267
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:56 am

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by lynninnj » Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:13 am

glacierjay wrote:
Sat Aug 20, 2022 8:56 am
I'm back from my 14-night backpacking trip around Mount Rainier.

The CPAP/battery combination worked as expected. Being able to continue sleep apnea treatment while camping improved the experience.

The only problem I had was that the Z2 turned itself off a couple of times a night towards the end of the trip. It acted as though power had been interrupted, then started itself up again after less than a minute. I'll be looking for some error code indication when I get time. I did not use the travel hose from my original posting -- it weighed more than the 4-foot hose that came with the Z2 CPAP.
- Jay

Image
Image

glacierjay wrote:
Tue Jul 26, 2022 4:47 pm
Just a quick check-in. I am on schedule for a 13-night backpacking trip around Mount Rainier on the Wonderland trail next week. I've only managed to do one 3-day backpack trip this summer and a bunch of overnight trips and car camp trips. As a result I don't have a lot to add yet: batteries are performing about as I said in my tests or a little better. When I get back in mid August I'll report on how it all goes.

There are a couple of places along the Wonderland trail to cache food, and I will also cache batteries. I never have to carry more than 5 nights' capacity so that changes my strategy. I will not be using the Renogy GP-14 that we have discussed so much in this string. While it can provide 8+ nights of therapy it weighs more than two 3-night batteries.
First segment is 3 nights. I will carry the delightful Nitecore NB-2000 battery (11.4 oz) on that segment. I got 2.5 nights from that battery on several occasions. I will limit sleep time to 6 hours.
Next segment is 5 nights. I will carry the Baseus (1.2 lb) and Ravpower (1.2 lb) batteries, collecting them from the cache along with my food.
Last segment is 5 nights. I will carry Henhot (1.18 lb) and Qbrand (1.69 lb) batteries.

Every time I pick up batteries I will leave behind the depleted batteries so I don't have to carry them. I will go back to the cache points after the trip to pick them up. As a result I am carrying about 3 lbs of CPAP gear. Not bad!

My setup for nights 1-3 (weight 1 lb 15 oz):
Breas Z2 cpap: https://breas.us/products/cpaps-for-travel/z2-auto/
Travel hose: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B5DHJ5O
Power cable: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NS491XW
Mask: Resmed N30i https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... -cpap-mask
Battery: https://www.nitecorestore.com/Nitecore- ... b20000.htm

- Jay
THANKS so much for sharing!

It was brought to my attention today we could go for camping time at a wedding next month but I don't have the ability to tote my full sized mask out and about right now (not if I wanted it powered).

The more I see this Z2, the more I think that might be optimal over the resmed portable. I assume I would need the apap version since that is what I use now.

Not sure if anyone has strong feelings either way on the Z2 vs the air mini?

_________________
Machine: AirSense 11 Autoset
Mask: ResMed AirFit N30 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Newbie who loves her machine!
Beware the schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and fragile male egos. Move along if you can’t be kind.

glacierjay
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun May 01, 2022 9:04 am

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by glacierjay » Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:41 am

Some reasons I chose the Z2 over Airmini:
- Cost is lower for Z2
- Power requirements (the Z2 runs on 15V)
- Z2 does not need special mask or adapters
- Z2 was available at the time I needed it (picked the last one up at local Norco for under $500 in April). I looked at cpcp.com and it seems the prices are way higher now.
- I think weight or size was better, don't remember.

I have the APAP version of the Z2. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat!

I set the Z2 to cpap instead of apap in hopes of saving power on this trip. I'm not sure this actually helped, but Breas support told me apap takes more power. In my tests I posted on this thread I always used apap. What pressure you set it to has a large effect on battery life -- I looked for the minimum that would give me a good night sleep.
lynninnj wrote:
Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:13 am

THANKS so much for sharing!

It was brought to my attention today we could go for camping time at a wedding next month but I don't have the ability to tote my full sized mask out and about right now (not if I wanted it powered).

The more I see this Z2, the more I think that might be optimal over the resmed portable. I assume I would need the apap version since that is what I use now.

Not sure if anyone has strong feelings either way on the Z2 vs the air mini?

lynninnj
Posts: 1267
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:56 am

Re: Cpap for extended wilderness camping?

Post by lynninnj » Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:55 am

glacierjay wrote:
Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:41 am
Some reasons I chose the Z2 over Airmini:
- Cost is lower for Z2
- Power requirements (the Z2 runs on 15V)
- Z2 does not need special mask or adapters
- Z2 was available at the time I needed it (picked the last one up at local Norco for under $500 in April). I looked at cpcp.com and it seems the prices are way higher now.
- I think weight or size was better, don't remember.

I have the APAP version of the Z2. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat!

I set the Z2 to cpap instead of apap in hopes of saving power on this trip. I'm not sure this actually helped, but Breas support told me apap takes more power. In my tests I posted on this thread I always used apap. What pressure you set it to has a large effect on battery life -- I looked for the minimum that would give me a good night sleep.
lynninnj wrote:
Sat Aug 20, 2022 9:13 am

THANKS so much for sharing!

It was brought to my attention today we could go for camping time at a wedding next month but I don't have the ability to tote my full sized mask out and about right now (not if I wanted it powered).

The more I see this Z2, the more I think that might be optimal over the resmed portable. I assume I would need the apap version since that is what I use now.

Not sure if anyone has strong feelings either way on the Z2 vs the air mini?
I have seen an "auto travel cpap" machine listed as well as "auto travel apap" and am not sure if these are the same things?

I am seeing them listed for $750 on sale right now, which I dont have lying around. But am adding to my wishlist.

_________________
Machine: AirSense 11 Autoset
Mask: ResMed AirFit N30 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Newbie who loves her machine!
Beware the schoolyard bullies, mean girls, and fragile male egos. Move along if you can’t be kind.