Camping With Your PAP Machine

Many people are like my dad; he loves to go out camping. Yet as a CPAP user, he has to haul his PAP and supplies with him when he goes.

If he is staying at a cabin with electricity, no problem. But what are you supposed to do if you are out in a tent with no electricity and no running water? My dad has a couple of solutions he worked out over the years.

How to power your PAP machine

At one point, my dad had to use an outlet converter to run his PAP machine off his car. Now you can recharge your batteries with an outlet converter if needed. Those outlet charges have changed a bit over the years – from running off a cigarette lighter (Do you remember those?) to running off a vehicle's USB port.

He went from hauling a huge battery with him to taking a rechargeable battery (or 2) for when he was farther away from his truck. Now those batteries are much smaller and lighter weight. Some newer batteries even have solar rechargeable capability, which is great if you have lots of sunshine. There is an expense to this, though. The smaller and lighter weight, the longer it can hold a charge. But the extra bells and whistles can add up. Each person needs to decide what they are willing to spend on this.

For someone who hikes and camps often, you may want to invest the cash for the best of everything. For others, who don't go out as often, you may want to balance the cost versus the abilities against how often you will use it.

Considering machine size and portability

Another thing that has changed over the years is the size of his PAP machine. Once a bit bulky, today's machines are much lighter and compact. They even have very small travel ones the size of your hand. Those also have some very small battery backups you can get for them.

Again, it's a small battery and may not get you through as long as some of the other large ones. Nowadays, my dad uses a travel machine and a battery with a solar recharge feature – not the small battery backups you can buy specifically for those travel machines. He needs more hours than those batteries can hold.

To bring distilled water or not?

Water is also an issue for campers. You know you don't want to be using the spring water at the site, so what do you do? Do you haul a gallon or more of distilled water with you? After trying that once, my dad decided to simply forgo his humidifier for a couple of days.

However, they now make heat/moisture exchange (HME) devices that can be put in line with your PAP machine. Though not ideal for daily use, they take the humidity from your own breath, capture that, and redirect it back into the line. This is better than no humidifier, and they are very small and weigh nothing.

Do you have tips for camping with a CPAP machine?

For camping, this has worked out ideal for my dad. Between that and making sure he stays very hydrated during the day, he can manage well while camping.

If you are a dedicated hiker and camper, there are choices out there for you. Don't think you have to suffer without your PAP therapy. If cost is an issue, consider finding out if your supply company has a payment plan you can work out with them.

Do you camp with a CPAP machine? Tell us more about your experiences in the comments below!