Does anyone have experience with taking a CPAP machine while tent camping?  Earlier this year I had a sleep study done and had a CPAP/BiPAP machine prescribed to me.  It has made a night and day difference in how I sleep and the quality of sleep I get.  Anyways, I used to like backpacking and tent camping.  I'm beginning to feel healthy enough to go camping again, but was curious if anyone here brings a CPAP while camping?  I figure a machine can be run off a battery, and am curious how big a battery or how many batteries are required for an overnight trip?

Granted, I understand battery weight will limit me to hauling my gear in by car vs backpacking in.

ResMed battery guide

This link will take you to a page that lays out the equipment and battery amps you need for various CPAP configurations.   I bought the DC converter and clamp-on power port from Amazon and a deep cycle battery from Costco.  The rig will easily last 5 - 6 nights as long as I don't run the humidifier.

Make sure the unit can be adjusted to compensate for altitude if hiking at elevation.

Using this will allow you to turn off the humidifier to extend your battery life while still helping to reduce dryness.

Attached File

Some CPAP machines have a battery option for traveling.

A small 300Wh 7lb Jackery will easily run a CPAP for 3 days plugged into AC, 4 days plugged into 12V skipping the transformer.

You can get smaller 88wh models sub 3lbs, but those will need a solar recharge each day.

Running the airmini

Thanks!  My concern was the humidifier and heated hose draining the battery, however it appears there's workarounds for it.

We were car camping and day hiking for a week and one of the guys with us used a small Jackery power station to run his CPAP all week.

I use This with my old CPAP.
The humidifier is removable and I can get three nights on a charge.
I've been meaning to look into the humidty reclaimers posted above.

If you are going campground camping some have sites with power for RV’s and room to set up a tent. So just need to bring an extension cord.

That's pretty much what I did.  RV/Marine deep cycle battery in a box with USB and cig lighter ports and used the 12v power supply for me and the wife's CPAPs.  Lasted a 3-night trip with both machines with plenty left.

rob

Woods camping.  No outlets.  Campsite is accessible by 4x4 or ATV.

LiFePO4 solar “generators” are coming down to pretty reasonable prices, especially when you consider the longer life of charging cycles they take. I like that they also have AC power, many are expandable, and they are set up to charge off solar panels.

With my dad needing a cpap we bring a small 4 stroke generator.

We boat everywhere in a 18ft to 22ft boats so space and weight are premium.

The model we bought.
https://www.championpowerequipment.com/product/200951-2500-watt-inverter/


There are smaller ones.

I have a couple of friends who have mini-CPAPs they take when camping. No personal experience. If it were just for a couple of days I think that I'd simply go without than carry the extra weight.

I have a cpap because I stop breathing at night.  It's more than a luxury item regarding quality of life.  Last place I want to wake up experiencing chest pains is in the woods.

I use a Resmed AirMini CPAP and power it off a Jackery 240. No humidifier but I run 14.5 inches of pressure, pretty high. I am usually down to around 60% charge remaining the next morning. I throw a pair of 100watt solar panels up and they do a good job of keeping it charged. A folding ladder to make it easy to get on of the truck and it doubles as a solar panel holder.
Oh, camped at altitudes up to 10k feet, no problems with CPAP force feeding me air.
I don't carry it when I hike but I have found sleeping on my side in a hammock somehow lets the air get through. On my back, hell no.

I kept having to increase the CPAP pressure as my body seemed to adapt after a couple weeks and id stop breathing again and my wife couldn't handle the noise of high pressure air. I switched to a prescription mouth-guard that after a couple adjustments has been perfect and has the huge benefit of being small and light. I don't have to sleep like shit even on a climbing or mountaineering trip.

Somebody in gd showed these.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SZ31P9G?tag=arfcom00-20


Not sure how they work but will get some for dad to try.

I use the Ecoflow Delta 2 Link. It will power my Bipap and humidifier for one night of sleep. I would ass some solar or a small generator to charge it.

One of my friends has been doing it for years.  It works very well for him.  He made his own battery setup for which I do not have the details.  I know his setup will make it at least three nights.

Many years ago, bought a deep cell battery and a converter... Wife went camping...

Resmed AirMini with a TalentCell 24V Lithium ion Battery PB240A1.  Works for me for almost 3 full nights without recharging.

If you are car/truck camping a Jackery or equivalent works great. I did the TAT on a KLR 650 using a Jackery, took some extra work but was worth it. Hiking, well even light batteries are heavy. I am lucky enough I can sleep on my side in a hammock and not need my CPAP. Charging the battery will be a big hurdle. Figure out how much power you need per night, how often you can charge (I rigged an power outlet on my KLR, worked great but DO NOT leave it charging unless the engine is running. kill the bike battery and starting it is a bitch). I have done about 270 miles on the AT. Maybe others can figure a way to deal with the battery problems but I couldn't. Even small solar panels add eight and don't do well unless laid out facing the sun. Hard to do while walking.
I did come up with one sneaky idea that could have helped. Carry a three outlet adapter so if you run across an old soda machine or whatever you can slip that adapter in there and charge without shutting off the machine. I know, not exactly ethical and I never did it but it was an option presented to me.
ETA, Your CPAP power consumption can vary. Mine runs 15" and uses a lot more than those tuned lower. A Jackery 240 is good for about 1 1/2 nights.
Car/truck camping where you do not want to start your vehicle to charge can use solar panels to keep batteries charged.
How much weight can you carry determines a lot of your strategy.
With 120AC CPAPs a kill-a-watt meter works great for determining power needed. 12V DC can use an inline power meter. The resulting math is too hard.

LOL!!! Holey thread resurrection and I have already chimed in here. Oops...