Anyone use CPAP when in the BWCA? Any suggestions on how someone can come in the BWCA on a trip with CPAP? Is there a battery type setup that will last a couple nights? Rental places people have used that is affordable? Setups people have made for their own machine? Thanks!

Have used CPAP nearly a decade. I don't take it along on my trips for logistical reasons. Have spoken many times with my respiratory therapist and the best advice has been to bring/use a supportive pillow. Yes, I'm tired when I wake up without it but I'm often tired when using the thing too so I skip a week. Cripes if I don't wake up while out camping I'll not expect my buddies to lug me out of there and I'll be too happy to care.

Don't know about the CPAP, but if your case is mild you might get by with a mouth device like a Snore Guard. Not a substitute for a CPAP but might be better than nothing for those that go without.

Snore Guard

I think you need to go through a dental specialist for a decent one. Not recommending a specific device just using that one as an example.

T

I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist. I started in RT before we even had CPAP, 1979. The big problem is the battery. None are light ebough(yet) to be considered portable. I obstruct, and use a mouthgard. It will not be your cure-all, but will help. Better than nuthin', and your constant obstructing might be a problem for campmates!!, so try something!!

I went the fitted mouth guard approach. It was expensive and didn't work for me. Are there less expensive approaches that actually work? I am all about wanting to find something but so far no luck. I should add that my apnea is not as severe as others may have and, while not thrilled about it, my Dr. suggests sleeping on my side along with a decent pillow.

I remembered that this has been discussed in the past and so used the search function to find this thread and this one.

My mother in law works at this office.

Dr. Parker

I know people with sleep apnea who have used this device and it has definitely improved their sleep and outlook on life. I know these devices are sometimes covered by insurance. Definitely worth a shot. Your camping partner, spouse, etc. will be happy there is no additional noise to deal with when trying to sleep (Cpap) and you don't need to worry about batteries.

Hope this helps!

Longtime lurker here but this is my first post. Usually there are too many people posting here with far more canoe experience than me so I don't have much to add! This subject, though, I definitely have experience with.

I have severe sleep apnea and have been on CPAP therapy since 2007. I am an avid outdoorsman and a Boy Scout leader so I am camping a lot.

I am miserable if I do not use the CPAP so have found ways to make it work using a high density 12v lithium ion battery pack and carry my CPAP with me. With my setup I can get 2-3 nights out of it. For longer trips I rent larger/additional batteries.

I purchased / rented batteries and converters from these guys and highly recommend them:

http://www.thebatterygeeks.com/v/vspfiles/CPAP_Battery_Packs.asp

They also sell/rent solar panels. If you call they are very knowledgeable about CPAPs and have given me good guidance. For canoe camping in the BWCA they steered me away from the solar panels as not being efficient enough to recharge unless you base camp and make sure to keep the panel pointed directly at the sun all day.

Suggestions for getting good battery life:

Don't use the humidifier. It is plenty humid outdoors sleeping on the ground and it will kill the battery fast.

Buy and use the factory 12v converter for your CPAP or, better yet, buy one of the CPAPs that run on 12v DC. (Phillips Respironics is the only major one.) This will provide much better life than using an inverter.

Do some research on your CPAP to determine the amps/hr needed to power it at your settings. Google can usually give you some good info. This will help you determine the size battery needed for your duration.

I have a 20,000mAh battery that weighs about 5 lbs. With my old Resmed set at 10 and using the factory converter I could get two long nights or three short ones on a charge (18-19 hrs). I recently got a Phillips machine and anticipate getting more run time on it but haven't been out more than two nights yet.

I have two BWCA trips on the setup plus many other backpacking and camping trips. I keep the battery and CPAP gear in a good dry bag and do not base camp. I'd estimate at least 100 nights in the wilderness and probably well more than that. It isn't light, but not too heavy either and I try to make up for it with keeping the weigh of my other gear to a minimum. I'm 48 and did the Angleworm portage last year with a larger 9 lb rental battery with no more complaints than the average person. It sure beats not having CPAP!

Feel free to reply with any more specific questions.

quote Sandman2009: "My mother in law works at this office.


Dr. Parker


I know people with sleep apnea who have used this device and it has definitely improved their sleep and outlook on life. I know these devices are sometimes covered by insurance. Definitely worth a shot. Your camping partner, spouse, etc. will be happy there is no additional noise to deal with when trying to sleep (Cpap) and you don't need to worry about batteries.


Hope this helps!"

Yup Dr. Parker! Good guy!
I have a dental sleep apnea mouth piece. The problem is that it takes weeks to get used to and adjusted to your need/mouth/airways. But, I want to use my CPAP at home and the mouth piece on the trail and not invest the weeks in getting the mouth piece back to par for trips.

It comes down to this - It is not an easy or simple thing to alternate the two devices. Oh, and the mouth piece costs about $2,000.

Is there new information on a CPAP machine I can take on my wilderness canoe trip?
I became a CPAP user last summer and it changed my quality of sleep/life. I've picked up a dental device but I have a gaging sensation using it and take it out during the night. I'm looking for a portable machine and a battery that will last a couple nights. All of this light enough to carry on a week long trip.
Thanks for any advice.
John

I believe there are more portable ones now, but solar charging is likely needed.

You could go to the extreme and get an implantable device if insurance would cover it.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dont-like-cpap-an-implantable-device-is-another-option-for-your-sleep-apnea/

Check out CPAP.com. Transcend is a small, lightweight model and you can get portable batteries that are good for 14-16 hours, depending on usage.

I have a ResMed AirSense 10 that I use at home and for me it's not worth it lugging all the weight and bulk of that unit along. Last year I purchased a ResMed Mini. It's loud and I would worry about the Mini keeping everyone else up at night. The unit itself is very quiet, the back pressure air that exits the mask is very loud. Only two different models of mask work with the Mini and they both have the noise issue from what I have researched. I travel a lot and I use the Mini so its not a total waste of money. I can sleep okay in the woods if I'm tired with the help of prescription sleep aids; one morning I may not wake up but at least I will pass in a place that I love doing what I enjoy.

Huey - what machine do you have at home? I have a complete dual battery kit for a Resmed Air Sense 10 that I have used at home to test but have never taken into the field. I would sell it cheap if it would work for you.

I've got BVCP, so I absolutely need a CPAP to sleep (and so anyone within 1/2 mile of me can sleep). I bought a transcend mini, which is a nice little machine, but I had no luck with the transcend batteries and solar charger I bought with it. The "2 night " battery would only last about 12 hours, and charging in full sun for an entire day, rotating the solar charger and changing the angle to maximize sun, only got me another 30 minutes or so. I returned the batteries and charger and after working with someone from cpapdirect.com, I ended up with a couple of Freedom batteries and solar charger. They work a lot better, but it is annoying because they are bigger than the transcend batteries and you have to use an inverter and a bunch of other crap to connect it. I'll dig everything out tomorrow and try to find model numbers and get some pictures.

Northwoodsman: "I have a ResMed AirSense 10 that I use at home and for me it's not worth it lugging all the weight and bulk of that unit along.


Huey - what machine do you have at home? I have a complete dual battery kit for a Resmed Air Sense 10 that I have used at home to test but have never taken into the field. I would sell it cheap if it would work for you. "

If he’s not interested, I am. Can you post pictures? How much?

Another CPAP thread with lots of information. On page 9 is a post I made about a system I made for a friend.

Northwoodsman: "I have a ResMed AirSense 10 that I use at home and for me it's not worth it lugging all the weight and bulk of that unit along. Last year I purchased a ResMed Mini. It's loud and I would worry about the Mini keeping everyone else up at night. The unit itself is very quiet, the back pressure air that exits the mask is very loud. Only two different models of mask work with the Mini and they both have the noise issue from what I have researched. I travel a lot and I use the Mini so its not a total waste of money. I can sleep okay in the woods if I'm tired with the help of prescription sleep aids; one morning I may not wake up but at least I will pass in a place that I love doing what I enjoy.


Huey - what machine do you have at home? I have a complete dual battery kit for a Resmed Air Sense 10 that I have used at home to test but have never taken into the field. I would sell it cheap if it would work for you. "

Northwoodsman, I have the Resmed Air Sense 10 also. I'm interested in your dual battery kit. Let me know how to reach you. Thanks John

Sorry it's taken so long to get these up.
The first picture is all the stuff I need to connect the cpap to the battery.
I've got the battery, then a pigtail, then an inverter, then the power supply.
It's annoying but it works. That's an 18" ruler for size comparison. The battery is about 5x8 and 1" thick.
second pic is the carrying case. It will fit the CPAP, all the connectors and one battery plus my mask.
I sleep in a hammock. I suspend the cpap from the ridge-line and put the battery and connections inside the carrying case, inside a waterproof stuff sack on the ground under my hammock.
The third pic is the solar charger, unfolded about 3'x1', folded about 1x1.
The battery is a Freedom CPAP Battery, it and the charger are from Battery Power Solutions.

I've had my cpap for a few months now and it seems to be doing its job. I'm looking ahead to our BW trip, and plan on getting a travel machine, not sure which one yet, with rechargeable batteries. I see several people have tried different batteries, solar chargers, inverters, etc.

What I'm wondering is this: has anyone tried recharging the batteries using a noaa radio with the crank that recharges the radio (and can also charge a phone) ? I'm not an electronic type person, so I don't know if volts, watts, or whatever need to considered.

Not knowing any better, I have to ask is this really necessary? Can't you go a few days without it? Sleep on your side etc as suggested above? I know a couple of people that were totally convinced that they would die if they didn't use the cpap. If you didn't die before you used a cpap, what makes you think you will now? Forgive my ignorance on this, not trying to be smart but just curious. Have never understood this.

jhb8426: "Not knowing any better, I have to ask is this really necessary? Can't you go a few days without it? Sleep on your side etc as suggested above? I know a couple of people that were totally convinced that they would die if they didn't use the cpap. If you didn't die before you used a cpap, what makes you think you will now? Forgive my ignorance on this, not trying to be smart but just curious. Have never understood this."

K

For me, I don't think my apnea is so bad that I have a chance to die if I don't use a cpap for a few days. But it really does affect the quality of my sleep, I wake up exhausted if I don't use a cpap. And I do sleep on my side. My snoring was so bad it also affected my husbands sleep, and he uses a cochlear, so he is deaf when he turns it off.

Another problem for me is my insurance won't pay for the machine if I skip more than 3 days in a month. Yes, they automatically track usage every time the machine is on. (Insurance pays on a rent to own basis and I haven't had it long enough)

jhb8426: "Not knowing any better, I have to ask is this really necessary? Can't you go a few days without it? Sleep on your side etc as suggested above? I know a couple of people that were totally convinced that they would die if they didn't use the cpap. If you didn't die before you used a cpap, what makes you think you will now? Forgive my ignorance on this, not trying to be smart but just curious. Have never understood this."

I've had sleep apnea for years but always refused to get a sleep study. My daughter is a Cardiologist and sat down with me and asked me to get the sleep test after she listed all the things that can happen with severe sleep apnea. My test showed I stop breathing 63 times an hour. The quality of my sleep and quality of life has greatly improved with a CPAP. I've picked up a dental device to use camping, but I hate and keep taking it out during the middle of the night. It gives me the sensation of gagging.
This is the reason I'm looking for a camping option to a CPAP.

You could try Theravent Nose strips. I use a CPAP and my RT suggested them for camping. They didn't work well for me, but you can test them out ahead of time for less than $10, so worth a shot. You can find them at Walgreens, Walmart, Amazon, Target etc.

jhb8426: "Not knowing any better, I have to ask is this really necessary? Can't you go a few days without it? Sleep on your side etc as suggested above? I know a couple of people that were totally convinced that they would die if they didn't use the cpap. If you didn't die before you used a cpap, what makes you think you will now? Forgive my ignorance on this, not trying to be smart but just curious. Have never understood this."

You ask a good question. I didn't know what it was either for many years. I just knew that I kept waking up all night long. I fixed it with over the counter sleep aids. When they quit working I got a prescription for stronger ones from my doctor, then after a few refills he made me get a sleep study. That's when my wife tells me that she worried about me at night because I would stop breathing and would all of a sudden gasp for air.

There are two types of sleep apnea - obstructive and central. Obstructive is where your muscles relax and your airway basically gets obstructive by soft tissue and the air that you take in is greatly reduced resulting in a low oxygen level in your blood. You likely keep gasping for air, snore, etc.

Central sleep apnea is when your brain intermittently quits sending signals for you to breathe. You can also have both which is known as complex sleep apnea, which unfortunately I have. Sleep apnea is much more than an inconvenience for you or others nearby, it is a serious medical condition that can be deadly. Oral (dental) devices and nose strips can't help people with central sleep apnea.