Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire CPAP Machinces and Camping???

I have to use a cpap machine, so please don't turn this into a debate about alternatives to a cpap machine. What I don't have is a good reliable portable battery to run the machine, hence my camping days came to an abrupt halt. Does anyone have a good recommendation for portable battery or electric source (other than a generator) that can be used for more than a couple nights?

That's a bit of a challenge.

My CPAP runs on 24 volts, up to 3.75 amps. So for round numbers, 96 watts. A good size RV battery will be rated at 125 amp hours, but it's best not to run it down past half capacity. So 62 amp hours x 12 volts = 744 watt hours, enough to run my CPAP for 7.75 hours if I had 100% conversion efficiency.

There are devices like this one available (cheap). It will take in 12 volts and give you anything you want from 1.2 to 35 volts out. In my case, I would set it for 24 volts, and feed my CPAP directly.

So lugging around a deep cycle battery will get you through about one night in camp.

After that, you have to recharge.

Yeah, it's a bummer. I have the same issue.

if i turn off the water heater a portable jump battery jumper pack [ the old fashioned big one] will run my cpap for 3 nights.

it might depend on your machine, but two 12 v deer feeder batts will run mine for 2 nights.

I don't bother taking mine to deer camp during season. Seems I sleep better after sitting around the campfire for a couple hours.

Doctor told mew I could go a week or more without any harm. I do it a couple of times a year and sleep fine.

My wife's Phillips system one Cpap only draws 14 watts on 12v and 22 off an inverter without the humidifier...Most of these solar generators will run it several nights.Running the humidifier on 12v and AC via an inverter is 60-80 watts an hour..She always goes without the humidifier while camping although I have the battery power to run it..The oxygen concentrator is another story and gets left home...



Jayco👍

Its a bid adjustment for me to sleep with out my cpap. Not sure I could fall asleep. I forgot my powercord on a business trip for a night and I did get some sleep....

When the power goes off at home, I do not sleep until it comes back on.

I bring a good quality and obviously freshly topped off deep cycle battery (Costco) and an inverter and get 3.5-4 nights from my cpap.

Turning the humidifier off is a given as that will kill your charge fast

It’s a minor pain to lug the battery camping but is well worth it.

Just have your friend run his generator all night.

Got sun? I have one of these 200W solar setups from Home Depot, under $300. SOLAR PANELS They work great although they don't come with a stand so you have to design your own. They will easily recharge my RV batteries in a few hours. The controller will handle up to 3 additional panels so you can expand it if needed. Extra panels are 100W each and cost about $100 each.

A lot of people put them on the roof of an RV. That seriously reduces their capacity as laying them flat is nowhere near the optimum angle. You need some way to angle them to about 45 degrees and turn them a couple times a day to face the sun. Also, you have to park in the sun. I'd rather park in the shade.

I have a 2-pack of this and it gets me through 2 nights: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/bps-freedom-travel-cpap-battery-kit.

Bit of a pain to charge them though. Got switch the wiring around etc. etc.

Those Home Depot solar kits will also handle lithium batteries. With today's tech, there's no need whatever to give up camping because of some dead batteries.

Your link says no longer available.

do they have voltage regulators?
over charging lithiums tends to kill them doesn't it?

Solar generators aka power stations will run your cpap for several nights depending on the size you choose..Bluetti and Jackery are the top selling and most reliable brands..They charge fairly fast off of solar/electricity or your car 12v system..Perfect for Cpap machines...


Jayco👍

Up for any other advice. I try not to leave mine at home either. I can sleep without it. I just create an issue for anybody within a couple miles trying to sleep if I don't use it.

I have a lifepo4 120ah battery and portable solar panels...The charge controller regulates the power from the solar panels to the battery and the Lithium setting is usually labeled as user mode and you put in the parameters for your specific lithium battery into the controller as they do differ somewhat..If your setting are set properly,they will not over charge,same goes for VRLA AGM batteries..You need the proper settings for the type of battery you use and most solar controllers only have generic settings...

The BMS in a lithium (lifepo4) battery will shut if off before it over charges also..A good lithium battery has a cold battery shut off and an over charge shut off along with the shorts all built into the BMS...A lithium battery without a BMS is asking for disaster..

I also have a couple solar generators,this one will run my AC/Coffee maker and microwave plus the Cpap and one 100 watt solar panel keeps it full so far..There are other smaller less expensive ones for just a Cpap..




Jayco

Mines an old Phillip's that's 110v but there was a 12v rv battery converter availible for about $100. With an ordinary deep cycle marine battery .it would run 5 nights easy. Talk to the folks who supply your CPAP NEEDS. They'll know, probably have them on hand. Mines very quiet I just used a cheap plastic wash tub on the tent floor, put the battery in it and hook it up. Mb