camping

stemple · Post by **stemple** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:14 am

Hi,
I'm going tent camping with the family this summer and am not sure how my apap fits in. Any suggestions about using a machine in the great outdoors?
Thanks.
Shannon

Brian000 · Post by **Brian000** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:42 am

I camp in tent with my CPAP a lot, but always stay at campgrounds with hook-ups. I take along a 25' extension cord and plug in. Yeah, it's a drag that Forest Service campgrounds and the like are essentially out of the question; packing into the backcountry also isn't an option for me any more -- sigh. Also, sometimes the primo tent sites at serviced campgrounds don't have electricity.

I know some folks use deep-cell batteries and rechard during the day. I haven't tried anything like this yet.

neversleeps · Post by **neversleeps** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 11:44 am

Hi Shannon,

Are you talking about tent camping in the wilderness? Are you hiking in? Canoeing? Or are you travelling by car from designated campsite to campsite where electricity is supplied? How long is the trip (how many nights)?
It kind of depends on what type of 'camping' you are doing as to what people might suggest to you in regards to your CPAP! Let us know....

pickles · Post by **pickles** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 12:31 pm

here is a link to someone's story of camping at Grand Canyon with xpap

http://www.healthyresources.com/sleep/m ... rness.html

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 12:49 pm

Well folks, I learned my lesson the hard way down here in Florida last summer. Remember the 4 hurricanes that went through here? I do! When Frances went through our area we ended up with a 52 hour outage and I had to try and get through the 3 worst nights I've had since starting CPAP 4 years ago. Never again! I probably spent more than i had to, but at the time generators were almost impossible to find around here. I finally latched onto a small (50lbs, carry-on suitcase sized) 2000 Watt generator made by Honda. It runs up to 14 hours on the 1 gallon tank of gas and is enough to power the fridge and freezer, alternating between them.

Anyway, point being, this is a great little item that we also now use for power at the craft shows my wife does....... running fans, lights, etc. So it has a couple of good uses. Honda makes at least 1 size smaller (and cheaper) which is 1000 Watts. One of these would be perfect for any outdoor or camping scenario. And rest assured, these units are so quiet, you have to check once in a while to even tell they're on! We used to camp in our younger days and I wish we had had this thing then!

Tumbleweed · Post by **Tumbleweed** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 12:52 pm

Didn't realize I wasn't logged in.......... that last post was from me!

barbyann · Post by **barbyann** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 6:13 pm

I work with people with multiple disabilities and I can tell you that in CT every state campground offers at least a few sites with power. I took a girl in an electric wheelchair camping and we were able to charge her up every night. Ask at all state run campgrounds because I bet it is part of the Americans with Disablities Act to offer full services to special campers. You might require a note from your doctor though.

Ricky · Post by **Ricky** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 8:31 pm

I use a jump starter battery device for jumping dead car batteries. It has a cigarette output which I plug my machine into. If I stay multiple days, I use an inverter in my car to recharge it for the night. You could also run an extention cord from the invertor in your car if your campsite was pretty close. Also, a computer back up power supply would work. NO heated humidifiers though due to power requirements. There are many options.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Power

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 8:41 pm

Ricky,
You can charge your jump starter directly from the cigarette lighter and it is much faster. Connect the lighter outlet to the outlet on the jump starter. It shouldn't exceed the 15 amp rate of the jump starter. Make a pigtail using 2 accessory plugs. No need for an inverter.

Ricky · Post by **Ricky** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 8:57 pm

Thanks! I remember getting one with the Jumpstarter. I just gotta find it now.

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 8:58 pm

You can buy it at Wal Mart for about $3

stemple · Post by **stemple** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:33 am

Thank you for your great suggestions. That was my first foray into this message board and I got some really good ideas about camping with my machine.
Shannon

mrhyak · Post by **mrhyak** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 6:13 pm

I'm working on a solution - Right now I use a gel cell battery from a auto jumpstart box. It is rated 24AH and will run the CPAP for 2 nights with a full charge. For recharging, I use a 20 watt solar panel which will usually replace the previous nights's discharge. This setup has worked for short trips so far (4 days/nights) and will be tested on an 8 day trip at the end of the month. I'm working on adding about 10 watts of heat - about the same as a heated hose - to a labyrinth type passover humidifier, along with an insulated jacket for the setup. I don't know how well this will work, but it has to be better than passive humidity only - I will use a second 24AH battery and solar panel for the humidifier. Hopefully this will be ready for my trip at end of month through wilderness of Idaho. I will post my results and details of the humidifier if anyone's interested. BTW, I'm working out the details of how to make your own heated hoses. If I can only find some 27 gauge No.30 Alloy resistance wire, about 175 feet worth, I'll be set.
Jim

UKnowWhatInSeattle · Post by **UKnowWhatInSeattle** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 1:59 pm

Hey Jim in Portland,
The 20 watt solar panel looks like a good plan. I could use it to charge up the Xantrex portable power source I use camping. Where did you get the panel and roughly how much is it? The ones I see on line are in the $150-200 range.

Jim in Seattle

mrhyak · Post by **mrhyak** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 8:49 am

The solar panels I use were bought as surplus cosmetic defects a few years back, and the mfg is no longer in business. They are similar to the Uni-Solar flexible panels, they have blocking and bypass diodes, and I paid $110. each for 2. Once they arrived, I saw what they were and the defects were barely noticeable, I tried to order more but they were sold out. If you have time, keep looking on the web, you can find similar deals from time to time, but I'd be surprized if you found a flexible 20watt panel for less than $100. There is a bit of a ratings game going on - my panels are rated 20watts each and will deliver a solid 1.7amps into my battery while strapped to a flat surface on my raft - other panels I have seen (including a 20watt my friend has)won't deliver quite as much under the same circumstances. The 20watt figure is cutting it close with a Remstar unit unless you have the long days of spring, and the problem is worse if your panel won't deliver full wattage under actual use. The P&B 420 units apparently use less power and shouldn't be as big of problem.
Jim

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