Does anyone have creative suggestions for getting someone who sleeps with a CPAP out in the BWCA? We have a family member who wants to do their first wilderness camping trip with us, but he uses a CPAP. He thinks he could sleep in a hammock fine if there aren’t any other creative solutions out there.

Hi Rachel, there have been a lot of discussions of this on the forum including ideas about the best CPAP machines and batteries. Try a search for CPAP in the search tool near the top of the page. It turns up those threads. It isn't something I've dealt with, but I'm impressed by the people who make this work in the wilderness.

There have been many threads on this. I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP every single night, year around, unless I'm in the BWCA. You can purchase a travel unit ($500 - $1,000) then you need battery packs (another $300 - $500 each). Even the best batteries, with the machines set to the lowest settings that work for most people, will last at the most 1.5 nights, so you would need multiple battery packs most likely. You may need a converter or an inverter as well. If the person has obstructive sleep apnea and doesn't use a CPAP machine there is a good chance that he/she may not get as good of a nights rest as with the machine, in some case it can be dangerous. Because of the environment, the clean air, the relaxation, the humidity and etc. they may sleep great. If they have central sleep apnea, the risk of not having the machine push air into your lungs is greater and more dangerous. I have both types of sleep apnea and I made the decision to forgo my CPAP machine because of the power issues involved. I purchased a travel size machine, one of the best on the market, and it works okay at best. I invested around $600-$700 in batteries, used them at home testing them out then sold them for half of what I paid for them. You can't rely on solar chargers because of the number of cloudy days vs. sunny days. I have likely had sleep apnea for most of my life and have only used a CPAP for the past 6 years so I figure whats a few more nights without the machine. With the central sleep apnea I still quit breathing 3-5x per night anyways according to my machine alerts. For me the bottom line is - it's not worth the hassle because 1) I'm not willing to invest in batteries that cost as much as my canoe did, 2) I don't want to worry about the batteries going dead overnight, and 3) I don't want to lug all the weight and bulk around. I'm sure others will have a different opinion and that's why this forum is so valuable.

Thank you! I will look!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! I have passed this along to him and will look up the thread!

Start reading with the last few pages of THIS Thread

As said by others there are several prior threads out there on this topic. What I can add is I just came back from a 4 day trip and used my CPAP for the first time. I purchased this to power my AirSense Mini : TalentCell 24V Lithium ion Battery PB240B2, Rechargeable 35000mAh 129.5Wh Li-ion Batteries Pack with DC 24V/12 Volt and 5V USB Output for LED Light Strip, CCTV Camera, Smartphone and More ,https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078T7M9HZ?pf_rd_r=68ECWJVT6419D5D08BCJ&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee

I can say it powered by unit for 3 nights w/o issue and still had 3 out of 4 bars showing as capacity. This allowed me to get more rest than I usually get w/o. I do not do as well with the Air Mini as my normal machine anyway.

I will plan on making whatever adjustments needed weight wise to include the machine and battery. I did have the power adapter needed for the 24 volt plug from another failed battery purchase.

MPRANG01 - where did you get the cable to connect the battery pack to Resmed Air Mini. I would love to try this configuration but I cannot locate a cord.

MPRANG01: "As said by others there are several prior threads out there on this topic. What I can add is I just came back from a 4 day trip and used my CPAP for the first time. I purchased this to power my AirSense Mini : TalentCell 24V Lithium ion Battery PB240B2, Rechargeable 35000mAh 129.5Wh Li-ion Batteries Pack with DC 24V/12 Volt and 5V USB Output for LED Light Strip, CCTV Camera, Smartphone and More ,https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078T7M9HZ?pf_rd_r=68ECWJVT6419D5D08BCJ&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee

I can say it powered by unit for 3 nights w/o issue and still had 3 out of 4 bars showing as capacity. This allowed me to get more rest than I usually get w/o. I do not do as well with the Air Mini as my normal machine anyway.


I will plan on making whatever adjustments needed weight wise to include the machine and battery. I did have the power adapter needed for the 24 volt plug from another failed battery purchase. "

The ad says it is a 82Wh pack

RachaelCanoes: "Does anyone have creative suggestions for getting someone who sleeps with a CPAP out in the BWCA? We have a family member who wants to do their first wilderness camping trip with us, but he uses a CPAP. He thinks he could sleep in a hammock fine if there aren’t any other creative solutions out there. "

I got a mouth guard. It’s taking a bit to get used to. I also do mouth taping (yes it’s a thing).

BTW I was a bit confused because I thought the thread title was CRAP Tips.