cpap and camping

I would like to go camping at the local lake and there is no power supply there. How can I power my machine?

Fill out your profile with your equipment and the responses will be more relavent. Right now I will say get a 12volt adaptor with battery clips and a good 12 volt battery, cpap.com has smaller batteries and electrical wiring for your equipment.

I have a ResMed AutoSet II that has been working fine for me. This summer, while away for a week, I used it with a Black and Decker rechargeable battery, and it worked fine (I order the 12V adapter it needs from cpap.com). I tested it about a week before I left, to make sure that it worked overnight, at least. I didn't, however, test to see how many nights I could use it without recharging. I still haven't. One night was fine for me, and then I'd recharge daily.

However -- I wanted to be able to go somewhere without the dependence on electricity. In fact, I skipped a 6-day canoe trip in the north Maine woods for that reason. No place to recharge.

Instead, I'm presently working with an oral surgeon to use an oral appliance. I started that back in August, and I'm now at the point where the appliance has been adjusted to (what I think is) the right spot. Time to arrange an overnight oximeter test. I've been using the oral appliance every night since August, and things are going fine. I don't have any problems with it, and my quality of sleep seems to be almost as good as with the aPAP therapy.

Just a side note here: it takes time to work through small adjustments with the oral appliance (1/2mm per week, for those that have ever looked into it). At first, my sleep quality was okay, but about three weeks into the process, I started having dreams again. As the oral surgeon said, that's a good sign, probably that I'm getting back into REM sleep.

No TMJ pain for me, although when I first advanced to the present setting, I had some strange aches that lasted about a minute. Not really discomfort, not really pain. I just concentrated on relaxing my jaw when they came up, and everything settled down after awhile. Now, some three weeks later I think, I don't really have that issue any more.

I think I've been very lucky, but I think the oral appliance is going to work out for me. I'll just need to confirm that with the oximeter. I did briefly talk with the oral surgeon about doing another sleep study, and he agreed, but I'll have to take that up with the sleep doctor that referred me to the oral surgeon.

Guy

Keep us posted on the outcome of the dental appliance. I know that some here would like something besides CPAP therapy for their OSA.