Thanks, dude! Yeah, there's an awesome retired Marin here in SoCal that hikes like a mad man! In excellent shape, but doesn't over-nite because of the apnea. Folks like him need to see this for sure!!
Thank you so much for this. I've been carrying a very heavy battery that lasts maybe two days. This sounds more complicated but worth the hassle I hope.
I had to tackle this problem for my travel trailer during dry camping. It would be maybe 2 days running on the deep cycle tongue batteries before I had them exhausted. Got solar panels on the roof and Lithium 200 Ah batteries. Those CPAP machines are greedy in terms of energy requirements. Can now stay out 7-10 days without plugging in for recharge. Depends on my sun exposure.
It's great to hear that you found a solution too. How many hours do you get out of those Lithium batteries? Sure wish I could find something just a bit lighter. Those small folding panels I see some backpackers carrying are almost worthless, but they're small so what can you expect?? 😁 So I've always carried plenty of batteries for all my electronics on the trail. The amount of stored energy I carried on that long trip was kind of laughable. And I've been using a marine battery for car camping for years too. That gave me at least 5 days, but I never used humidification while I was out and the helped with the efficiency of the battery and I never really got to the bottom of how long.
great content for me. ty. i take my stripped down dream station with my Jackery 160. so probably 6 to 8 pounds i'm guessing. but the most i've done is 3 days so far. the only issue i have is the Jackery shuts off after 5 hrs of run time.
Hey, it's my pleasure and thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like a good setup for some great outdoor fun. Before the Z2, I'd take my regular CPAP with a marine battery along for those car camping trips. Worked great, but boy that battery was heavy! If that 5 hour shutoff gets to be a pain, you might want to check out a deep cycle marine battery as that will run as long as you'd like.
@@ColemanOutdoors those get to be heavy. i'm hiking with my set up. i have bought one of those small car jump batteries but have not done the research to figure out how to make it connect to my cpap. that would save me at least 3 pounds. right not i'm at about 6 pounds with my dream station and jackery 160.
@@robertuffman3041 oh I understand now! I didn't realize you were backpacking with it. Deep cell would be out of the question.🤣 Good to know about the jump battery. That's pretty cool you can get down to 6lbs with a full size cpap too. Maybe you could get a lipo to work with your setup and shed a pound or two.
Great video! And fantastic news for me. Especially inspiring considering that your hikes are areas that I’ve been to, (as a teenager oblivious to the ravages of aging), and want to visit again. Challenging for me is that my sleep apnea is not due to airway positioning or weight etc, but a neurological condition that I somehow acquired along the way. Yeah without CPAP the reptile screams loud every time I stop breathing and so basically no sleep. Appreciate your simple approach and solutions. Got a little hung up on the connector part as I have PTSD from not the right connector issues. But gonna give it a try. Thanks!
Glad to be of service, Jeff! I'm happy to hear that you're still grinding to get out there and enjoy this wonderful world of ours. I remember learning about the neurological apnea and I remember thinking, that blows.;) Dropping some weight really lowered the severity for me, but I think I'm stuck with it overall. It's awesome that we're getting the relief we both need though. I did another 100 mile trip in 2023 and man, you can beat that sleep after those long days, but that WEIGHT!! Sorry about my video not being the most clear. If you haven't already, check out Scott's video. He is way more concise. Ask me anything though and I'll do my best to answer in a timely manner. Good luck with getting up and running and let me know how it goes!! ATB!!
Not a backpacker but 1) I do travel for work, and 2) like to have a back up for home. For these reasons I use a Laptop/Phone powerbank that can also power the z2. This is an all in one back up power approach. These are the Baseus 65W 20000 and 30000 mah powerbanks. The 20000 unit is approved for airline travel. Add in a 5ft PD USB Type C Male Input to DC 5.5 x 2.1mm Male Power Charging Cable up to 100W to power the z2 from the battery. The larger 30,000mah unit is used for power outages at home. Oh - for the charger or power supply I use the Anker GaNPrime 65W, 3-Port Fast Compact Foldable Wall Charger.
OMG....20k and 30K mAh?!?!?! I know prescription plays a roll in how many nights, but I'm curious...what are you getting out of these power banks? The 20K is 1.08 lbs!! Thanks for sharing, Brian!
Keep in mind that some battery manufacturers play tricks and sum amp-hours when putting batteries in series, so you're getting the mAh for 3.6v instead of the 14V or whatever the battery actually is. For an apples to apples comparison you should try to find the watt-hour ratings.
I hooked up my t old ranscend cpap to my ryobi battery..Since I already had some laying around. . Not as light weight as your solution but more robust. Get 2 nights from my 5Ah at 8 mmH2o pressure. The original Barrery had the same voltage.
Oh.....that's great to hear! I suppose I need to come-up with alternative power sources in the event of loss of power while at the house. Know that it might work with a battery back-up is great. You take this sort of thing out on the trail or just car camping?
@@ColemanOutdoors rock climbing. And used it when the power went out. I am an electrical engineer so I initially over complicated things. I tried to regulate the voltage but 5A regulators are not that common to get off the shelf. I opened the transcend battery and noticed that it was connected directly to the cells without regulation. Over discharge and temp protection is a must if you want longevity out your cells. Also those ouch batteries can do the Samsung phone thing but they are the best for power/weight. I tried the batteries on resmed s9 with a regulator that steps up to 24v but the humidifier water heater uses too much power. But the mini should work fine. I think there is a usb-c regular you can get for the mini. Most power tool vendors have something to let people charge their phones and laptops via usbc from their batteries. It should work if the usbc specs line up.
haha....you are definitely an electrical engineer. I'm just not that knowledgeable to go that deep. I have to rely on folks like you. So you're powering it up to get that humidifier working too. That's more juice, as I'm sure you know. You know there's a lot easier, plug and play, method to power-up your machine, right? I'm sure you do. I forget, did I mention using a deep cycle battery in the past? Well, I used to use that for car camping. Worked well enough, but lugging a 50lb battery around was kind of annoying, but it worked. Well, I know battery technology is pretty slow to advance, so I feel like I'll have to continue to carry 6+ lbs of CPAP kit for my long trips. If only it was like memory. I saw a 1.5 TB SD card on Amazon not to long ago. I was blown away!!! Good luck with refining your kit. It's great knowing people like us aren't letting it slow us down. You have any ideas on how to lighten my load, let me know. Oh....I don't think I mentioned in the video, but I carry a 20K mAh bank for the phone. Not to mention like 10 GoPro batteries and the aaa's for the headlamp. Needless to say, there's a lot of stored juice on my back when I go out. Seems counter intuitive to getting away from the civilized world for a while.
I'm very happy to discover your channel. I hope you don't mind if I take a slight side trail here. I am getting ready to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2024. I've been hiking with a Transcend 2 travel CPAP for 10 years. I'm hoping to learn as much as possible about maxing out my nights between charges and save money on hotels/hostels. Up to now I've only spent 2 nights at a time off grid, then I need to come in and charge the batteries. Unfortunately, this machine runs off around 19V DC so if you have a 12V power source you need a DC 12 to DC 19V converter, which sucks up some of the power. I've just paid an eye-watering amount to replace the old machine with the Transcend Micro CPAP. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to pay for the proprietary batteries, weighing 500g (1.1 Lbs) I have experimented with my machine to stretch the battery life over as many nights as possible. Here's what I've tried/learnt so far: 1. Set the machine to CPAP (fixed pressure) instead of APAP, if possible, or if you can't, set the max pressure as low as possible (ask your sleep specialist). 2. Switch off ALL comfort settings, including ramp, Z-breathe / EZEX depending on the machine - best to have the blower running at a constant speed rather than slowing down and speeding up with every in/exhale. 3. Try and keep the battery from getting too cold (day and night) - so good insulation in the pack and on the ground. 4. This last point is an extension of the first point. It's not medical advice, work with your CPAP provider. I did that, and gradually reduced the pressure a bit more, making sure I don't suffer apnoea during the night. This is helpful for 3 reasons: a. The lower the pressure, the longer the battery life. b. The lower the pressure, the easier it is to exhale against the incoming air, when the Z-Breathe/EZEX is switched off. c. I found that with an optimal but low as possible constant airway pressure, I was having a better sleep than with the higher pressure, felt more rested in the morning, and because the machine wasn't constantly slowing down and speeding up, anybody else nearby was less bothered by the noise of the machine.
Hey Gideon, I really appreciate all the info you've provided here. This will come in handy for other backpacking CPAPers too. Glad to hear that you've been able to find a way to get you're sleep therapy while out on trail. I don't have to tell you that it's a huge game changer. With all the work you've put into finding what works, I'm sure your AT thru-hike is going to go really well. I can only imagine what kind of trail-name they'll cook-up for you. CPAP is too easy, but Hoser or Night Vader or Weezie might be good options. Good luck on your trip, buddy and thanks again for sharing!!
Yes, I am aware. I guess looking back on the video I was a little unspecific on some of the aspects LiPo's. It was my thought that anyone interested in this concept of powering their travel CPAP, they'd head on over to Scott Carrol's video to get the deep dive on how to set up this system. Thanks for making sure I was aware though. Glad folks are out there helping me stay informed.
:) Well....cheap relative to the medical grade batteries you purchase for the Z2 Auto. Doing the math, you get $3.33/hr of sleep (30hrs = 1 battery) with the 12K mAh LiPo and $37.50/hr of sleep (8hrs = 1 battery) with the medical grade. And I'll agree with you on needing a good charger for taking good care of your batteries. However, this application really isn't that great for these batteries to begin with. I'm no expert, but it's my understanding that carrying a full charge for longer than 48 hours can degrade the longevity of the battery. 8 days on the trail isn't good for them for sure. But I figure that if I spend $200 every couple of years to get 30 nights of great sleep on the trail is worth the hell I'm putting them through is well worth it. Hope that makes sense.
I have a Resmed Air Mini that I love for travel and am hoping to take it out backpacking. On a river trip I took the battery that “goes” with it (the $300 one) plus a solar charger. It worked great but the solar charger is heavy! Do you think the setup you show here would work for the air mini?
I hope you can too! And I love hearing that others are taking the travel CPAPs outdoors. I'm curious, how long does it take to charge the battery with the solar panel? And as long as the Air Mini runs on 12 volts, I'm going to assume you'd have no problem making it work. You just need to find the right lead that works with your machine.
@@ColemanOutdoors in full sun it takes about 6 hours or even more; it’s not fast! However you can run the machine for a night on a not fully charged battery
Thanks for the vid! I also have the Z2 Auto travel unit. Curious what your pressure, ramp times, and z breath settings are that allow you to get 5 nights sleep with that battery solution. Thanks for sharing!
sorry for the delayed response, Brian. All I can tell you is that my pressure is at 9 cmH2O. This other features I'm not really aware. Sorry I'm not able to give more info.
I currently have mine at 6-20 apap 2 with no ramp. I've been playing with the pressure relief, so I had it at 1 until recently. I also have been playing with the minimum as I put it up to 7 earlier in the year but just backed it down to 6.
Great information. I have the Z2 and just bought 2 6000 mah lipo 4s as the 12000 mah packs are sold out everywhere. One last question, at full charge the 4s lipo packs read 16.8 volts. The z2 is listed at 15volts max voltage. I assume that there are no issues at using a slightly higher voltage on the z2? I think that under load, the voltage will probably drop to a safe margin anyway. Kindly advise if the z2 will operate on a fully charged 4s lipo. Thanks. Heading out in a week for a 100km hike with my cpap and two 6000mah batteries in tow. Appreciate the solution. Great video.
That's great to hear, James! The 12,000 needs a charger that is compatible anyway and those don't seem to be very common. The charger I have in the video is only equipped for up to 10mAh, but it seems to work. And I've had not problems with my Z2 with the batteries exceeding the 15v. I can concur that my batteries charge to the 16.8 as well. I hope you have a great trip. Let me know how it went.
Hello again. The gauge that you put on the battery to tell you the level that you need to recharge it, what exactly is that level? Also, I’m assuming that you plug the re-charger into a 110 outlet? And how long does the battery take to recharge? One last question, please… Should you run the battery down to a certain level before recharging it? Thanks again.
Hey Evan, there are a ton of videos on LiPo batteries on the UA-cam, so check those out, to fact check my answers. So the gauge or Alarm is really there as a warning to STOP using the battery. Each cell is equal to 3.7v. The battery that you need to operate your machine will need to be 14.8v or 4 cells at 3.7v. When you plug in the alarm, it will cycle through each cell and a fully charged battery should technically be at the 3.7 for each cell, but they all vary even after a BALANCE CHARGE. Keep in mind, when the battery is fully charge, your 14.8v battery is actually going to be in the 16v range. Not sure why, but it's normal. Maybe the other online battery experts can explain. I've seen differing opinions, but setting the alarm to go off at 3.0v for each cell is the bare minimum, but 3.2v per seems to be the general consensus. At 3.2v that's still 12.8v in the entire battery. If you're reading this after my response on your other question, you should be getting the sense that these are just like that automotive battery. These LiPo's aren't even being discharged below that 80% threshold before they start getting harmed. Yes, the charger runs off of a 110 outlet. mAh will determine the length of time to recharge, but I'd say at least an hour. I don't really know the answer to the last question, but this I can tell you. You do not want to keep that battery fully charged without use for more than a few days. The charger does allow you to do several things with your LiPo's. Quick or Fast Charge (don't use), Balance Charge (use), Storage Charge (use) and Discharge (use only when preparing to dispose of an old battery). You are always going to charge your battery using the Balance setting, this way the device will be balancing each cell as equally as possible. When you get done using your battery, you want to use the storage setting. This seems to take even longer than the balance charge. One last thing to consider. When purchasing your charger, make sure it can meet the capacity for the type of batteries you plan to use. The charger I purchased and linked in the description only charges up to 10,000 mAh. That 12,000 mAh I have in this video may not even get charged up to it's full capacity. It still charges, but I wonder to this day if I'd be getting even more days out of this massive brick. Hope to hear you get things up and running soon!
The lipo's are labeled 14.8 v, but in reality when you charge it up it's 16v or more. So I believe I've seen the cells at 4 to 4.3 per. I've set the alarm for each cell at 3.2 or 3.1, but I've seen folks here on YT even say 3.0.
Thanks, dude! You live in Lake Arrowhead??? LUCKY!! I haven't been there....ever! But I know it's nice like Big Bear, only smaller. I know there's hikes out there I need to do, but it seems I'm always heading farther south. Are you a hiker? Do you have a favorite in your area?
@ColemanOutdoors I'm slowly getting back into hiking and backpacking. I'm from Fresno originally and backpacked the kiaser wilderness up north. Haven't had time really with work being in peak season right now. With that being said I'm working on my overland vehicle now to hopefully have it done by next year.
@@BillyBoB_508 I understand...gotta work to pay the bills. Good luck on getting that truck/jeep up and running. You can carry your full sized CPAP in that thing I'm sure!😉
@@ColemanOutdoors I don't think I had the sleep appneaia yet,but I'm sure with age it'll come about. I'm more worried about my wife and daughter when the sky burns.
Thank you for the video. A few questions. Does this battery provide 12 V or 110? I sleep with a BiPAP machine because I have severe sleep apnea. Do you happen to know if the CPAP machine you are recommending will suffice for someone with severe sleep apnea, who uses a BiPAP machine?
You're welcome, Evan and thanks for watching. The batteries are actually 14.8v. Each cell is 3.7v, so you'd need to have a battery with 4 cells to reach that 12v requirement that this CPAP requires. That's okay though, the higher voltage with not harm the machine. Unfortunately when I looked at a description online, it specifically states that the Z2 Auto does NOT work for BiPAP users. I'd imagine that the battery hack would work with any 12v requirement for any machine. One thing I failed to mention in the video, prescription strength does have an effect on how long the battery can power your machine. Just keep that in mind if you are able to find a machine that will work for you. On a slightly different note, if you are looking for a solution for just regular car camping, I used a deep cycle marine battery from Wal-Mart for years. ResMed actually sold the power plug with alligator clips that would attach to the positive and negative poles on this type of battery. In this case you don't even need the travel type machine! 😁 I hope you're able to find a solution, Evan and don't hesitate if you've got any more questions.
@@ColemanOutdoors hello again. My BiPAP machine does work on 12 V. And I use it without the humidifier. It is a Philips Respironics system one. It has been recalled because of the foam situation, but I took it apart and took the foam out, and it still works just the same. Now that you know that my machine can run on 12 V, do you think that your battery system would work on my BiPAP machine? Thanks again.
I have that same CPAP that I've used for years and I'm still waiting on the replacement from Phillips! Although I went in for a sleep about a year ago a got a new machine....ResMed AirSense 11. But anyway.... 12v is 12v regardless of the source, so I'd image that the LiPo battery would work with your BiPap if you can find the barrel lead for the machine. As previously mentioned, I used that deep cycle marine battery for years while car camping on two different machines from Phillips. www.thecpapshop.com/shielded-dc-cord-for-cigarette-lighter-socket www.thecpapshop.com/respironics-dc-battery-adapter-cable-1 Both of these links are for the two pieces you would need to get if you went this route. Bearing in mind you would also need to get a battery charger for this type of battery. The reason for using a marine battery as opposed to a regular automobile battery is you won't destroy it by completely discharging to 0%. You could use an automotive battery, but discharging it down to 80% or 10.5v is considered completely discharged because anything below this cause irreversible damage. I know I went a bit beyond in answering your question, it's really just to show you've got multiple power sources to get your machine running off grid. I'd stick with this LiPo battery method though. Even though it takes a little work to set up and it's kind of heavy for the backpacking world, it's much much lighter than the marine battery. The marine battery is pretty much plug and play and less worrisome as you can't kill the battery.
I tried to go the mouth gaurd route. Several years ago it cost over $1000 and was not covered by my insurance because i already had a cpap. After listening to a podcast interview with James Nester he suggested tapping your mouth with a small piece to force nasal breathing. So i use my chin strap and some scotch tape when backpacking and camping. It's not perfect but better than just suffering. Thanks for the great content. Gruntproof fan.
Oh man....that's too bad. You'd think insurance would help cover that sort of thing....it's preventive medicine, right? Well, I'll have to listen to that cast and try some mouth tape. And glad to have another Grunt Proof fan aboard!! Thanks!
I had this procedure done 25 years ago and I haven't had a problem with sleep apnea since UPPP is the most commonly performed surgery for OSA and has been used since the early 1980s This surgery involves removing or shrinking parts of the tonsils, the uvula, and the soft palate. The uvula is the structure that dangles in the back of the throat between the tonsils, and the soft palate is the part of the roof of the mouth that connects to the throat. The soft palate contributes to airway blockages in more than 90% of people with OSA The National Center for Bio .
Yeah....I remember reading about this and it made me a bit nervous. I understand that some folks complain that there's a weird feeling in the back of your throat from the removal of the soft pallet that never goes away. Although, I'd assume one gets used to it over time. Did you experience this at all? Thanks for letting me know there's a surgical option out there in case I get tired of lugging this thing around. I may have to consider it one of these days.
@@ColemanOutdoors Good Morning I hope that this helps Following the operation my throat was swollen much worse than the worst sore throat that I've ever had,I couldn't swallow ....anything I went back to the hospital and got plugged into an IV for a couple of days so that I could stay hydrated I can't eat spicy food anymore Because my soft palate is gone ,I have to be careful about what position my head is in when I drink liquids . If my head is in the wrong position the liquids will come out of my nose ;kinda funny if you know that it's gonna happen All in all I'm really glad that I had the operation done
Best practices, sure. I suppose I've gotten some mixed opinions on that matter. Although, the Z2 will pretty much cease to function for an extended period of time at around 3.1 or 3.0. Again, I know that's potentially bad for them, but I did use both of these batteries for the 2nd year in 2023 for a 9 day trip. Got a good 6 hrs of sleep for those 9 days between the two. My point is, this "mistreatment" hasn't killed them yet.
I wouldn't be opposed to it. I just went with the LiPo's since it was suggested. Looking at them on Amazon, the price seems right, but it looks like the LiFe batteries are going to be a bit heavier. Still a possibility though. These could definitely be a better option for car camping though. I've lugged a huge deep cycle marine battery in years past. Thanks for the suggestion, I may still check one of these out.
Power tool batterie work with my old transcend cpap. Heavier but more robust. And have them in the garage so no extra outlay because it is dual purpose.
I'd love to say that I'm not part of the crew who has expensive stuff on, but I do now..... and I feel hurt by your comments.😢 love the the Video IRL but it hurts in the inside😂👍
Sorry.....I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. :) I'm not a rich man, however I am blessed and over time I've able to purchase some of the finer things. Hope your able to enjoy the outdoors regardless of the of level of gear you've acquired.
Woah! Slow down there big spender! ;) You must be in the hobby. Planes, trains or automobiles? Or are you using LiPo's for CPAP as well. If so, I'd love to hear what's working for you.
haha....no one was forcing you to watch the video, although I do appreciate it and the feedback. ;) Hope you're able get yourself up and running with with a backpacking cpap soon. I get the feeling you need a nice long trip with plenty of quality sleep.
I want to backpack and thru hike. I have a regular cpap machine but I am not humping that. I can't afford a portable one. I'll guess I have to suck it up.
🤣 Yeah, I hear you there. Fortunately my employer threw some extra funds into our FSA's during the pandemic. They told us to use it or lose it by a certain time. So, I guess I didn't pay for it out of pocket either. There was no way I was going to do that myself. I may have to suck it myself at some point too. Like I said, it's pretty weighty and super long trips make it a challenge, but it is nice to have without a doubt.
Fantastic that you were able to find a solution! Excellent! Bruce and Otis
Thanks a bunch, Bruce and Otis! It's a relief that is for sure. 😄
Outstanding man. Something probably many need to hear but no one talks about
Thanks, dude! Yeah, there's an awesome retired Marin here in SoCal that hikes like a mad man! In excellent shape, but doesn't over-nite because of the apnea. Folks like him need to see this for sure!!
Thank you so much for this. I've been carrying a very heavy battery that lasts maybe two days. This sounds more complicated but worth the hassle I hope.
Hello "Coleman Outdoors"! Thank you for showing us such a wonderful video! I feel so happy! I'm looking forward to your next work! Have a nice day!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the kind words.
The nice thing about camping with a CPAP is that you can completely close yourself in your sleeping bag and still breathe fresh air.
Bob....that is literally my most favorite unintended benefit of having sleep apnea!!! Truth be told....I do this at home for most of the year too.
I had to tackle this problem for my travel trailer during dry camping. It would be maybe 2 days running on the deep cycle tongue batteries before I had them exhausted. Got solar panels on the roof and Lithium 200 Ah batteries. Those CPAP machines are greedy in terms of energy requirements. Can now stay out 7-10 days without plugging in for recharge. Depends on my sun exposure.
It's great to hear that you found a solution too. How many hours do you get out of those Lithium batteries? Sure wish I could find something just a bit lighter.
Those small folding panels I see some backpackers carrying are almost worthless, but they're small so what can you expect?? 😁 So I've always carried plenty of batteries for all my electronics on the trail. The amount of stored energy I carried on that long trip was kind of laughable.
And I've been using a marine battery for car camping for years too. That gave me at least 5 days, but I never used humidification while I was out and the helped with the efficiency of the battery and I never really got to the bottom of how long.
great content for me. ty. i take my stripped down dream station with my Jackery 160. so probably 6 to 8 pounds i'm guessing. but the most i've done is 3 days so far. the only issue i have is the Jackery shuts off after 5 hrs of run time.
Hey, it's my pleasure and thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like a good setup for some great outdoor fun. Before the Z2, I'd take my regular CPAP with a marine battery along for those car camping trips. Worked great, but boy that battery was heavy! If that 5 hour shutoff gets to be a pain, you might want to check out a deep cycle marine battery as that will run as long as you'd like.
@@ColemanOutdoors those get to be heavy. i'm hiking with my set up. i have bought one of those small car jump batteries but have not done the research to figure out how to make it connect to my cpap. that would save me at least 3 pounds. right not i'm at about 6 pounds with my dream station and jackery 160.
@@robertuffman3041 oh I understand now! I didn't realize you were backpacking with it. Deep cell would be out of the question.🤣 Good to know about the jump battery. That's pretty cool you can get down to 6lbs with a full size cpap too. Maybe you could get a lipo to work with your setup and shed a pound or two.
Deeply thank you for this information.
You are welcome. It's my pleasure.
Great video! And fantastic news for me. Especially inspiring considering that your hikes are areas that I’ve been to, (as a teenager oblivious to the ravages of aging), and want to visit again. Challenging for me is that my sleep apnea is not due to airway positioning or weight etc, but a neurological condition that I somehow acquired along the way. Yeah without CPAP the reptile screams loud every time I stop breathing and so basically no sleep. Appreciate your simple approach and solutions. Got a little hung up on the connector part as I have PTSD from not the right connector issues. But gonna give it a try. Thanks!
Glad to be of service, Jeff! I'm happy to hear that you're still grinding to get out there and enjoy this wonderful world of ours.
I remember learning about the neurological apnea and I remember thinking, that blows.;) Dropping some weight really lowered the severity for me, but I think I'm stuck with it overall. It's awesome that we're getting the relief we both need though. I did another 100 mile trip in 2023 and man, you can beat that sleep after those long days, but that WEIGHT!!
Sorry about my video not being the most clear. If you haven't already, check out Scott's video. He is way more concise. Ask me anything though and I'll do my best to answer in a timely manner.
Good luck with getting up and running and let me know how it goes!! ATB!!
Not a backpacker but 1) I do travel for work, and 2) like to have a back up for home. For these reasons I use a Laptop/Phone powerbank that can also power the z2. This is an all in one back up power approach. These are the Baseus 65W 20000 and 30000 mah powerbanks. The 20000 unit is approved for airline travel. Add in a 5ft PD USB Type C Male Input to DC 5.5 x 2.1mm Male Power Charging Cable up to 100W to power the z2 from the battery. The larger 30,000mah unit is used for power outages at home. Oh - for the charger or power supply I use the Anker GaNPrime 65W, 3-Port Fast Compact Foldable Wall Charger.
OMG....20k and 30K mAh?!?!?! I know prescription plays a roll in how many nights, but I'm curious...what are you getting out of these power banks? The 20K is 1.08 lbs!! Thanks for sharing, Brian!
Keep in mind that some battery manufacturers play tricks and sum amp-hours when putting batteries in series, so you're getting the mAh for 3.6v instead of the 14V or whatever the battery actually is. For an apples to apples comparison you should try to find the watt-hour ratings.
Great video thank you
You're welcome it was my pleasure
I hooked up my t old ranscend cpap to my ryobi battery..Since I already had some laying around. . Not as light weight as your solution but more robust. Get 2 nights from my 5Ah at 8 mmH2o pressure. The original Barrery had the same voltage.
Oh.....that's great to hear! I suppose I need to come-up with alternative power sources in the event of loss of power while at the house. Know that it might work with a battery back-up is great. You take this sort of thing out on the trail or just car camping?
@@ColemanOutdoors rock climbing. And used it when the power went out. I am an electrical engineer so I initially over complicated things. I tried to regulate the voltage but 5A regulators are not that common to get off the shelf. I opened the transcend battery and noticed that it was connected directly to the cells without regulation.
Over discharge and temp protection is a must if you want longevity out your cells. Also those ouch batteries can do the Samsung phone thing but they are the best for power/weight.
I tried the batteries on resmed s9 with a regulator that steps up to 24v but the humidifier water heater uses too much power. But the mini should work fine. I think there is a usb-c regular you can get for the mini. Most power tool vendors have something to let people charge their phones and laptops via usbc from their batteries. It should work if the usbc specs line up.
haha....you are definitely an electrical engineer. I'm just not that knowledgeable to go that deep. I have to rely on folks like you.
So you're powering it up to get that humidifier working too. That's more juice, as I'm sure you know. You know there's a lot easier, plug and play, method to power-up your machine, right? I'm sure you do. I forget, did I mention using a deep cycle battery in the past? Well, I used to use that for car camping. Worked well enough, but lugging a 50lb battery around was kind of annoying, but it worked.
Well, I know battery technology is pretty slow to advance, so I feel like I'll have to continue to carry 6+ lbs of CPAP kit for my long trips. If only it was like memory. I saw a 1.5 TB SD card on Amazon not to long ago. I was blown away!!!
Good luck with refining your kit. It's great knowing people like us aren't letting it slow us down. You have any ideas on how to lighten my load, let me know.
Oh....I don't think I mentioned in the video, but I carry a 20K mAh bank for the phone. Not to mention like 10 GoPro batteries and the aaa's for the headlamp. Needless to say, there's a lot of stored juice on my back when I go out. Seems counter intuitive to getting away from the civilized world for a while.
Saw randall recommended your channel, so here I am. Subscribed!
Thanks, buddy! Randall is a good dude ain't he?? Thanks for subbing. I believe I subbed back to a little time back. Thanks again, dude!
@@ColemanOutdoors Randall is Grunt Proof! :D
gets to the point @6:25
Thanks for the assist, Doc! ;)
I'm very happy to discover your channel. I hope you don't mind if I take a slight side trail here. I am getting ready to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2024. I've been hiking with a Transcend 2 travel CPAP for 10 years. I'm hoping to learn as much as possible about maxing out my nights between charges and save money on hotels/hostels.
Up to now I've only spent 2 nights at a time off grid, then I need to come in and charge the batteries. Unfortunately, this machine runs off around 19V DC so if you have a 12V power source you need a DC 12 to DC 19V converter, which sucks up some of the power. I've just paid an eye-watering amount to replace the old machine with the Transcend Micro CPAP. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to pay for the proprietary batteries, weighing 500g (1.1 Lbs) I have experimented with my machine to stretch the battery life over as many nights as possible. Here's what I've tried/learnt so far:
1. Set the machine to CPAP (fixed pressure) instead of APAP, if possible, or if you can't, set the max pressure as low as possible (ask your sleep specialist).
2. Switch off ALL comfort settings, including ramp, Z-breathe / EZEX depending on the machine - best to have the blower running at a constant speed rather than slowing down and speeding up with every in/exhale.
3. Try and keep the battery from getting too cold (day and night) - so good insulation in the pack and on the ground.
4. This last point is an extension of the first point. It's not medical advice, work with your CPAP provider. I did that, and gradually reduced the pressure a bit more, making sure I don't suffer apnoea during the night.
This is helpful for 3 reasons:
a. The lower the pressure, the longer the battery life.
b. The lower the pressure, the easier it is to exhale against the incoming air, when the Z-Breathe/EZEX is switched off.
c. I found that with an optimal but low as possible constant airway pressure, I was having a better sleep than with the higher pressure, felt more rested in the morning, and because the machine wasn't constantly slowing down and speeding up, anybody else nearby was less bothered by the noise of the machine.
Hey Gideon, I really appreciate all the info you've provided here. This will come in handy for other backpacking CPAPers too.
Glad to hear that you've been able to find a way to get you're sleep therapy while out on trail. I don't have to tell you that it's a huge game changer.
With all the work you've put into finding what works, I'm sure your AT thru-hike is going to go really well. I can only imagine what kind of trail-name they'll cook-up for you. CPAP is too easy, but Hoser or Night Vader or Weezie might be good options. Good luck on your trip, buddy and thanks again for sharing!!
Thank you so much
You bet! I hope you can make it happen. It's a game changer.
You have to balance charge the battery. That's why there is balance plug hanging from the battery.
Yes, I am aware. I guess looking back on the video I was a little unspecific on some of the aspects LiPo's. It was my thought that anyone interested in this concept of powering their travel CPAP, they'd head on over to Scott Carrol's video to get the deep dive on how to set up this system. Thanks for making sure I was aware though. Glad folks are out there helping me stay informed.
Lipo Batteries are not cheap. And you need a good charger that balance charges.
:) Well....cheap relative to the medical grade batteries you purchase for the Z2 Auto. Doing the math, you get $3.33/hr of sleep (30hrs = 1 battery) with the 12K mAh LiPo and $37.50/hr of sleep (8hrs = 1 battery) with the medical grade.
And I'll agree with you on needing a good charger for taking good care of your batteries. However, this application really isn't that great for these batteries to begin with.
I'm no expert, but it's my understanding that carrying a full charge for longer than 48 hours can degrade the longevity of the battery. 8 days on the trail isn't good for them for sure.
But I figure that if I spend $200 every couple of years to get 30 nights of great sleep on the trail is worth the hell I'm putting them through is well worth it. Hope that makes sense.
I have a Resmed Air Mini that I love for travel and am hoping to take it out backpacking. On a river trip I took the battery that “goes” with it (the $300 one) plus a solar charger. It worked great but the solar charger is heavy! Do you think the setup you show here would work for the air mini?
I hope you can too! And I love hearing that others are taking the travel CPAPs outdoors. I'm curious, how long does it take to charge the battery with the solar panel? And as long as the Air Mini runs on 12 volts, I'm going to assume you'd have no problem making it work. You just need to find the right lead that works with your machine.
@@ColemanOutdoors in full sun it takes about 6 hours or even more; it’s not fast! However you can run the machine for a night on a not fully charged battery
Thanks for the vid! I also have the Z2 Auto travel unit. Curious what your pressure, ramp times, and z breath settings are that allow you to get 5 nights sleep with that battery solution. Thanks for sharing!
sorry for the delayed response, Brian. All I can tell you is that my pressure is at 9 cmH2O. This other features I'm not really aware. Sorry I'm not able to give more info.
I currently have mine at 6-20 apap 2 with no ramp. I've been playing with the pressure relief, so I had it at 1 until recently. I also have been playing with the minimum as I put it up to 7 earlier in the year but just backed it down to 6.
Does anyone know What about resmed airmini to compare with ?
I'm not sure I understand the question. Are you able to clarify?
Great information. I have the Z2 and just bought 2 6000 mah lipo 4s as the 12000 mah packs are sold out everywhere. One last question, at full charge the 4s lipo packs read 16.8 volts. The z2 is listed at 15volts max voltage. I assume that there are no issues at using a slightly higher voltage on the z2? I think that under load, the voltage will probably drop to a safe margin anyway. Kindly advise if the z2 will operate on a fully charged 4s lipo. Thanks. Heading out in a week for a 100km hike with my cpap and two 6000mah batteries in tow. Appreciate the solution. Great video.
That's great to hear, James! The 12,000 needs a charger that is compatible anyway and those don't seem to be very common. The charger I have in the video is only equipped for up to 10mAh, but it seems to work. And I've had not problems with my Z2 with the batteries exceeding the 15v. I can concur that my batteries charge to the 16.8 as well. I hope you have a great trip. Let me know how it went.
What about using the small easy to charge power packs that are readily available?
If you have a battery bank that can give you 12v output, it could be a possibility. I'll have to look into that.😉
Hello again.
The gauge that you put on the battery to tell you the level that you need to recharge it, what exactly is that level?
Also, I’m assuming that you plug the re-charger into a 110 outlet?
And how long does the battery take to recharge?
One last question, please… Should you run the battery down to a certain level before recharging it?
Thanks again.
Hey Evan, there are a ton of videos on LiPo batteries on the UA-cam, so check those out, to fact check my answers.
So the gauge or Alarm is really there as a warning to STOP using the battery. Each cell is equal to 3.7v. The battery that you need to operate your machine will need to be 14.8v or 4 cells at 3.7v.
When you plug in the alarm, it will cycle through each cell and a fully charged battery should technically be at the 3.7 for each cell, but they all vary even after a BALANCE CHARGE. Keep in mind, when the battery is fully charge, your 14.8v battery is actually going to be in the 16v range. Not sure why, but it's normal. Maybe the other online battery experts can explain.
I've seen differing opinions, but setting the alarm to go off at 3.0v for each cell is the bare minimum, but 3.2v per seems to be the general consensus. At 3.2v that's still 12.8v in the entire battery. If you're reading this after my response on your other question, you should be getting the sense that these are just like that automotive battery. These LiPo's aren't even being discharged below that 80% threshold before they start getting harmed.
Yes, the charger runs off of a 110 outlet.
mAh will determine the length of time to recharge, but I'd say at least an hour.
I don't really know the answer to the last question, but this I can tell you. You do not want to keep that battery fully charged without use for more than a few days. The charger does allow you to do several things with your LiPo's. Quick or Fast Charge (don't use), Balance Charge (use), Storage Charge (use) and Discharge (use only when preparing to dispose of an old battery). You are always going to charge your battery using the Balance setting, this way the device will be balancing each cell as equally as possible. When you get done using your battery, you want to use the storage setting. This seems to take even longer than the balance charge.
One last thing to consider. When purchasing your charger, make sure it can meet the capacity for the type of batteries you plan to use. The charger I purchased and linked in the description only charges up to 10,000 mAh. That 12,000 mAh I have in this video may not even get charged up to it's full capacity. It still charges, but I wonder to this day if I'd be getting even more days out of this massive brick.
Hope to hear you get things up and running soon!
What is the voltage setting for a 4s lipo battery that you should not go below. In Essence, what is the voltage alarm level you set?
The lipo's are labeled 14.8 v, but in reality when you charge it up it's 16v or more. So I believe I've seen the cells at 4 to 4.3 per.
I've set the alarm for each cell at 3.2 or 3.1, but I've seen folks here on YT even say 3.0.
Informative
Thanks, Jacob! 😁
It's pretty awesome seeing someone in my neck of the woods. Lake arrowhead here. Subscribed now!
Thanks, dude! You live in Lake Arrowhead??? LUCKY!! I haven't been there....ever! But I know it's nice like Big Bear, only smaller. I know there's hikes out there I need to do, but it seems I'm always heading farther south. Are you a hiker? Do you have a favorite in your area?
@ColemanOutdoors I'm slowly getting back into hiking and backpacking. I'm from Fresno originally and backpacked the kiaser wilderness up north. Haven't had time really with work being in peak season right now. With that being said I'm working on my overland vehicle now to hopefully have it done by next year.
@@BillyBoB_508 I understand...gotta work to pay the bills. Good luck on getting that truck/jeep up and running. You can carry your full sized CPAP in that thing I'm sure!😉
@@ColemanOutdoors I don't think I had the sleep appneaia yet,but I'm sure with age it'll come about. I'm more worried about my wife and daughter when the sky burns.
@@BillyBoB_508 ohhh...though maybe you had it because of the reply on this video. Glad you don't!👍
Thank you for the video.
A few questions.
Does this battery provide 12 V or 110?
I sleep with a BiPAP machine because I have severe sleep apnea.
Do you happen to know if the CPAP machine you are recommending will suffice for someone with severe sleep apnea, who uses a BiPAP machine?
You're welcome, Evan and thanks for watching.
The batteries are actually 14.8v. Each cell is 3.7v, so you'd need to have a battery with 4 cells to reach that 12v requirement that this CPAP requires. That's okay though, the higher voltage with not harm the machine.
Unfortunately when I looked at a description online, it specifically states that the Z2 Auto does NOT work for BiPAP users. I'd imagine that the battery hack would work with any 12v requirement for any machine. One thing I failed to mention in the video, prescription strength does have an effect on how long the battery can power your machine. Just keep that in mind if you are able to find a machine that will work for you.
On a slightly different note, if you are looking for a solution for just regular car camping, I used a deep cycle marine battery from Wal-Mart for years. ResMed actually sold the power plug with alligator clips that would attach to the positive and negative poles on this type of battery. In this case you don't even need the travel type machine! 😁
I hope you're able to find a solution, Evan and don't hesitate if you've got any more questions.
@@ColemanOutdoors hello again.
My BiPAP machine does work on 12 V.
And I use it without the humidifier.
It is a Philips Respironics system one.
It has been recalled because of the foam situation, but I took it apart and took the foam out, and it still works just the same.
Now that you know that my machine can run on 12 V, do you think that your battery system would work on my BiPAP machine?
Thanks again.
I have that same CPAP that I've used for years and I'm still waiting on the replacement from Phillips! Although I went in for a sleep about a year ago a got a new machine....ResMed AirSense 11. But anyway....
12v is 12v regardless of the source, so I'd image that the LiPo battery would work with your BiPap if you can find the barrel lead for the machine.
As previously mentioned, I used that deep cycle marine battery for years while car camping on two different machines from Phillips. www.thecpapshop.com/shielded-dc-cord-for-cigarette-lighter-socket
www.thecpapshop.com/respironics-dc-battery-adapter-cable-1
Both of these links are for the two pieces you would need to get if you went this route. Bearing in mind you would also need to get a battery charger for this type of battery.
The reason for using a marine battery as opposed to a regular automobile battery is you won't destroy it by completely discharging to 0%. You could use an automotive battery, but discharging it down to 80% or 10.5v is considered completely discharged because anything below this cause irreversible damage.
I know I went a bit beyond in answering your question, it's really just to show you've got multiple power sources to get your machine running off grid. I'd stick with this LiPo battery method though. Even though it takes a little work to set up and it's kind of heavy for the backpacking world, it's much much lighter than the marine battery. The marine battery is pretty much plug and play and less worrisome as you can't kill the battery.
Good morning youngster
Haha....how you doin' buddy?
@@ColemanOutdoors watching the temps climb 😜
I tried to go the mouth gaurd route. Several years ago it cost over $1000 and was not covered by my insurance because i already had a cpap.
After listening to a podcast interview with James Nester he suggested tapping your mouth with a small piece to force nasal breathing.
So i use my chin strap and some scotch tape when backpacking and camping. It's not perfect but better than just suffering. Thanks for the great content.
Gruntproof fan.
Oh man....that's too bad. You'd think insurance would help cover that sort of thing....it's preventive medicine, right?
Well, I'll have to listen to that cast and try some mouth tape.
And glad to have another Grunt Proof fan aboard!! Thanks!
You can make your own mouth guard with dental paste mix.
Normally used to make impressions of the teeth.
I had this procedure done 25 years ago and I haven't had a problem with sleep apnea since
UPPP is the most commonly performed surgery for OSA and has been used since the early 1980s
This surgery involves removing or shrinking parts of the tonsils, the uvula, and the soft palate. The uvula is the structure that dangles in the back of the throat between the tonsils, and the soft palate is the part of the roof of the mouth that connects to the throat. The soft palate contributes to airway blockages in more than 90% of people with OSA
The National Center for Bio
.
Yeah....I remember reading about this and it made me a bit nervous. I understand that some folks complain that there's a weird feeling in the back of your throat from the removal of the soft pallet that never goes away. Although, I'd assume one gets used to it over time. Did you experience this at all? Thanks for letting me know there's a surgical option out there in case I get tired of lugging this thing around. I may have to consider it one of these days.
@@ColemanOutdoors
Good Morning
I hope that this helps
Following the operation my throat was swollen much worse than the worst sore throat that I've ever had,I couldn't swallow ....anything
I went back to the hospital and got plugged into an IV for a couple of days so that I could stay hydrated
I can't eat spicy food anymore
Because my soft palate is gone ,I have to be careful about what position my head is in when I drink liquids . If my head is in the wrong position the liquids will come out of my nose ;kinda funny if you know that it's gonna happen
All in all I'm really glad that I had the operation done
Doesn't sound like the cons are too bad. Glad to hear it's all worked out for the best. Thanks for sharing!
I would never do that. It has only a 50% success rate.
@@Dentspeed I had heard that too.
3:14 My brain activity is already very very low
HAHAHA! You must get some exceptional deep sleep leaving you prepped and ready to go every morning. ;)
No lower than 3.4 volts.
Best practices, sure. I suppose I've gotten some mixed opinions on that matter. Although, the Z2 will pretty much cease to function for an extended period of time at around 3.1 or 3.0. Again, I know that's potentially bad for them, but I did use both of these batteries for the 2nd year in 2023 for a 9 day trip. Got a good 6 hrs of sleep for those 9 days between the two. My point is, this "mistreatment" hasn't killed them yet.
Why not just use LiFe 10AH?
I wouldn't be opposed to it. I just went with the LiPo's since it was suggested. Looking at them on Amazon, the price seems right, but it looks like the LiFe batteries are going to be a bit heavier. Still a possibility though. These could definitely be a better option for car camping though. I've lugged a huge deep cycle marine battery in years past. Thanks for the suggestion, I may still check one of these out.
Power tool batterie work with my old transcend cpap. Heavier but more robust. And have them in the garage so no extra outlay because it is dual purpose.
I'd love to say that I'm not part of the crew who has expensive stuff on, but I do now..... and I feel hurt by your comments.😢 love the the Video IRL but it hurts in the inside😂👍
Sorry.....I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. :) I'm not a rich man, however I am blessed and over time I've able to purchase some of the finer things. Hope your able to enjoy the outdoors regardless of the of level of gear you've acquired.
@@ColemanOutdoors I do the youtubies too and a have great going outdoors even if the excuse is filming stuff's. 😁👍
@@LeopoldElwes great to hear it! I'll give you a look!
@@ColemanOutdoors I'm sorry good sir, but it's all in German, but thank you🤣👍
@@LeopoldElwes 🤣🤣 no worries! I need to learn German, maybe this is my excuse. I watched your 2023 gear video and you do great work!
I charge my batteries at 10amps
All your batteries at 10 amps? Even if they're like 5K mAh?
My charger cost $300.
Woah! Slow down there big spender! ;)
You must be in the hobby. Planes, trains or automobiles?
Or are you using LiPo's for CPAP as well. If so, I'd love to hear what's working for you.
Americans always have all the gear😂
haha...well, I may be the exception. I've never met another CPAP user out on the trail. That'd be great if we could change that though.
next video Get to the point
I'll do that! Just for you, Frank.😉 Hopefully you were able to FF to the juicy parts.😁
Do you like making fun of people who stutter????
No...I don't. Not sure I understand why you ask.
He’s not making fun of people who stutter. He’s making fun of our old, demented nitwit president who can put coherent sentences together.
@@maximusthemerciful9452 haha...I had forgotten about that part.
Thomas, maybe try staying up-to-date
Why do we have to put up with all the blah, blah, blah?
Can't you just get to the point?
haha....no one was forcing you to watch the video, although I do appreciate it and the feedback. ;) Hope you're able get yourself up and running with with a backpacking cpap soon. I get the feeling you need a nice long trip with plenty of quality sleep.
I want to backpack and thru hike. I have a regular cpap machine but I am not humping that. I can't afford a portable one. I'll guess I have to suck it up.
🤣 Yeah, I hear you there. Fortunately my employer threw some extra funds into our FSA's during the pandemic. They told us to use it or lose it by a certain time. So, I guess I didn't pay for it out of pocket either. There was no way I was going to do that myself. I may have to suck it myself at some point too. Like I said, it's pretty weighty and super long trips make it a challenge, but it is nice to have without a doubt.
@@ColemanOutdoors I'm gratified that you were able to get that deal! I'll figure something out.
@@Grizzly907LA I hope you do too!
Some dude named Spanky sent me
Much obliged to Spanky! I hope this helps you out or you've just been entertained!😉