Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 13:50:16 GMT -8
Does anyone use a portable CPAP machine for sleep apnea while backpacking? If so, I'm looking for recommendations and advice. Also would like to know if anyone can recommend a good portable battery pack that would power a CPAP for 2 nights on the trail.
Thanks!
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bp2go
Trail Wise!
California
Posts: 1,329 
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Post by bp2go on May 26, 2016 14:03:18 GMT -8
Glenn, don't take this the wrong way but I was sure this was going to be a prank post! I thought maybe it was a slang term for COPD? But now I see it's a genuine (if unfortunate) medical term. So I welcome you to the forum and I hope somebody else will recognize the term and have something to help you.
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Post by autumnmist on May 26, 2016 15:50:44 GMT -8
Glenn, do you get your CPAP machine and supplies through a DME, covered by insurance? If so, I would contact the supplier and ask about a longer lasting battery pack. If you are getting the machine through insurance, ask your pulmonary or prescribing physician whether or not a script can be written for longer lasting battery packs, or something else that supplements the longevity. If you can get longer lasting batteries based on a script, you might not have to pay for them yourself, depending on the scope of your insurance.
What kind of batteries are you using now, and how long do they last? You probably know that w/o a charging station it could be difficult to use any kind of battery operated device for that long.
My father is on oxygen, so we have both a stationary and portable concentrator. Lithium ion batteries for the portable only last 2 hours. I did buy a charger that can be used to recharge batteries while we're on the road, but that doesn't extend the usage that much. We have 4 batteries to switch from, but it's not enough for overnight, away from home use. However, I'm assuming that a CPAP won't require the level of charge to operate that a portable oxygen generator does.
I do think your best bet would be to contact the manufacturer of the CPAP and ask what options are available. The batteries are expensive though; for Dad's portable concentrator, I was told by one manufacturer that they run around $200 - for something that only lasts a few hours.
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Post by autumnmist on May 26, 2016 19:28:00 GMT -8
Thinking more about your question....and I don't know if this is even technically possible, but are there small generators that you could bring with you to power and/or charge the batteries overnight?
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reuben
Trail Wise!
Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
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Post by reuben on May 27, 2016 15:45:16 GMT -8
The late great ChuckD used one or something similar. Unfortunately, he's not around any more to answer such a question, and I don't know if anyone here has any real knowledge of what he used or why. He also used a hammock rather than a tent, which might have helped, or just been a coincidence.
Sorry, that's all I know.
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Post by immadman on Jun 1, 2016 12:15:49 GMT -8
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Post by flyinion on Jun 1, 2016 15:21:31 GMT -8
Wow, I had no idea they might make portable ones like that. My wife has had a normal CPAP machine for a few years now, and early last year bought a rechargeable battery pack in advance of a car camping trip we were going to take. It would be rechargeable off the vehicle and lasts about two nights but both the battery and the machine are quite large/heavy and would not be suitable for backpacking. Now that I've been diagnosed with sleep apnea as well last August and put on CPAP, I need to look into something as well. I had figured I would just not use anything while backpacking. I don't think our insurance would cover a portable one like that, but definitely might be something to look into.
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Roger
Trail Wise!
Posts: 200
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Post by Roger on Jul 10, 2016 15:36:22 GMT -8
Chuck D used a large "car" battery as he was never far from his truck. I think the weight of batteries would just be to much for backpacking.
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Post by Moonshae on Jan 9, 2019 17:30:10 GMT -8
I know I'm resurrecting an old thread, but since I searched for an answer, someone else may look, too. I found a (not lightweight) CPAP battery that will last 5-7 nights under the same conditions that the 1-2 night batteries operate (continuous pressure, no heated tube or water). It has several output ports for different machines that have different power requirements. It does also function as a battery pack for other uses, although as a CPAP user, I'd not want to sacrifice battery life to charge other devices unless absolutely necessary. It's not light, weighing in at ~4 lb, but if you need a CPAP because you have moderate-severe sleep apnea, carrying an extra 5 lb (CPAP + battery) is worth your time. Maxoak CPAP battery pack. I have no affiliation with this company and I paid full price to purchase this battery for myself. Here's the link: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074N8G8C7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_detailpage_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 |
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Post by plaidman on Jan 15, 2019 10:05:14 GMT -8
Thanks for posting this, Moonshae. It's probably more weight that I'll carry, considering that I'd need to carry the pump, hose and mask as well, but it looks like an excellent solution for car camping, which I do a fair amount of anyway. Here's my entry for the Rube Goldberg award in this category: The inspiration for this was the counterweight-powered clockwork systems used in lighthouses to rotate the giant Fresnel lense so that it would appear to flash at prescribed intervals. Last summer, I was hanging an Ursack from a tree and the thought occurred that it should be possible to create a gravity-powered CPAP air pump by suspending a weight from a limb of sufficient height. The apparatus could be made with a couple of small pulleys and paracord, with a bag of rocks for the weight. You'd need a mechanical pump with a spool of line to play out overnight instead of an electrically driven pump, geared so that the pump generates sufficient pressure without the bag of rocks descending too rapidly, and perhaps a small battery (e.g., 9v) to run the apparatus that varies the pressure pulses. So, imagine arriving at a campsite in the late afternoon. Find a tree with a limb of sufficient height and toss a line over it. Use that line to raise up a pulley with another line through it, tie the first line off against the tree trunk. Fill the bag with rocks of sufficient weight and hoist it up to the limb, securing the free end to the tree. Then, secure the second pulley to the ground below. Run the line through the ground pulley and then attach it to line spool on the Plaidman Patented CPAP mechanical pump (which must be firmly secured to the ground). It is important not to place the pump too close to the tree in the event of system failure. Also, the weight bag should not be filled with food in order to reduce the likelihood of varmint-induced failure or having an empty food bag on the ground in the morning. Since I'm not a mechanical engineer, I like using the word "sufficient." I have no idea 1) how much weight is needed, or 2) how long the line on the spool or the height of the weight above ground must be in order to provide sufficient energy to drive the pump through the night. But I have no doubt that this can be calculated. It might be practicable only in a redwood forest. If lives were at stake, then perhaps my invention could become reality. That battery is looking pretty good . . . .  |
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