CPAPs in Hammock

[wannabhanger]

Hey y'all. Been a while since I've been on here and my age is catching up with me. I now need to use a CPAP when I sleep but still want to continue using my hammock when I can.

I'm hoping there's others in similar circumstances and can provide some advice. How do y'all use your CPAP when in your hammock? Do you hang the machine from your ridgeline or do you put it on a table outside your hammock? Do you use a travel CPAP and are there any good ones?

Thanks in advance.
Kevin

[Cruiser51]

You should search, there are a few threads on this topic ... this one is recent https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...AP-and-Hanging

I use a CPAP and have settled on CPAP inside, battery outside ... pic of my gear and you can see the CPAP hanging in there (ResMed S10, with humidity chamber removed), with the battery at the external head, found a separate line for it worked well

IMG_4139.jpg

Brian

[Crazytown3]

I've tried a few different setups. One of them was similar to Cruiser51's setup with the Resmed AirSense10 minus the humidity chamber (there is an end piece that closes that off), and the travel adapter power cord. This works really well with something like a car battery that you can park on the ground near you, and you can get multiple nights out of a setup like that. Great for car camping or equivalent.

I also have a ResMed AirMini with the ResMed P10 nasal pillows that I use with a Pilot-24 Lite battery; that works really well for backpacking, and REALLY well for motorcycle camping trips. For backpacking, I can get at least 2 nights, sometimes 3 if I'm lucky out of a full charge on that battery. I pack it all into a gallon ziploc bag, weighs 36.92 ounces for the pack. The AirMini is a 24v system, which makes finding a proper battery for it kind of wonky. There are way better 24v battery solutions out there now as compared to when I bought the Pilot-24 Lite, which is expensive. I'm strongly considering getting this TalentCell Pack that supports 24v out natively.

I also have a Breas Z2, with the ResMed P10 nasal pillows, and a USC-C battery pack with PD (power delivery) with a PD 15v cable. This works REALLY well for backpacking (and motorcycle trips), packs into a gallon ziploc bag, and weighs about the same 36-ish ounces.

Because I my sleep apnea issues have been pretty well controlled now for several years, with the okay from the Sleep Therapy clinic, I had my dentist fit me for a dental appliance, which basically just helps keep my lower jaw from sliding backwards at night, and helps keep my airway open. I have only tried it at home so far, but it works great for me, and my O2 sats are actually a little bit better with it than with my cpap machines. I will use definitely keep using my cpap machines at home, but I think this will be a viable alternate FOR ME out on the trail. It weighs 0.92 ounces.

EDIT: for my travel CPAP setups, all of it fits in a mesh "organizer" that hangs from my hammock ridgeline; the machine, battery, tubes, etc.

[Cruiser51]

Just a note on run time, the above setup runs for about 7-8 nights with the ResMed S10, it was originally setup with a Respironics DreamStation and that would be 14 nights+ ... so the Resmed takes quite a bit more power, but given the health issues with the Respironics ... probably worth carrying the extra power.

This is used almost exclusively for interior canoe camping around Ontario, a lot of places are pretty remote, so you need to carry anything you need in with you ... but I don't typically stay out more than 7 nights ... so this works for me.


Brian

[Crazytown3]

That's a great setup and runtime for canoe trips. Not so bad at all.

[Slugger]

I now use my Dreamstation 2 with this battery: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0791WDZTW...roduct_details with the 12vdc power cord for the machine. I just turn the humidifier & heated hose off. All of it fits nicely inside the hammock. I route the CPAP hose inside the top quilt and it keeps the hose warm enough so I'm not getting 30 degree air into my nose all night. I've run it 4 straight nights, 10+ hours each night and only used 1/2 the capacity of the power available. Love it!

[Cruiser51]

My battery is a similar size, too bad you can't really get anything over 100 WH these days after the Samsung battery fiasco, have to assume you have had the battery for quite awhile

[Slugger]

No. Just bought it a month ago. Used it for the first time at the Yates Place hang a couple weeks ago. It's actually $30 cheaper now than when I bought it 2/8.

[sloth99]

No. Just bought it a month ago. Used it for the first time at the Yates Place hang a couple weeks ago. It's actually $30 cheaper now than when I bought it 2/8.

Darn, found this quite interesting, but Google can't seem to find it in stock anywhere. I've got a Resmed Airmini with Pilot 24 battery. Only good for 2 nights. Electronics mystify me, but I think I should try a DC converter and 12 v battery.

[Cruiser51]

The battery Slugger posted wasn't been in stock since I read that post, there is a second similar one here https://www.amazon.ca/EASYLONGER-720.../dp/B0BCJX2QV2 it was available until about a week ago. If you want something that size, you will likely have to keep checking around for stock.

One point about using a battery with a CPAP unit, this is my opinion, not necessarily gospel... but each CPAP manufacturer has a cable designed to go from a 12V car port (formerly known as a cigarette lighter port) to whatever voltage your specific machine requires. They have been designed to be energy efficient and have voltage regulators to adjust for battery voltage etc. .... I would never try and use the cables and adapters included with these bigger power banks, CPAPs can be finicky about voltage and they are too pricey to mess up, the adapter cables from the manufacturers will save you a lot of potential headaches.

A 12 v battery is not usually going to be 12 v, a lead acid car battery is over 13 v (I believe) and a lithium 12 v is about 11.7 v, and a wall adapter is quite close to 12 volts. The manufacturers adapter kit will take that 11.7 - 13+ v source and delivery whatever voltage the unit requires, taking the battery source out of the equation, saves you the headache of figuring out why your unit won't work with the battery and lastly, protects whatever warranty the unit provides.


Brian