As I’ve said, my house is in a rather natural environment. It’s not even remotely urban. It’s not suburban. In fact, the whole area is nicely uncrowded. My county is not “unpopulated”, but I can drive to “no-shit, not overstating the case, actual, textbook definition, real- life, unpopulated” places pretty easily. (Normally I’d be in such a place during September!)
Live like this long enough and you become a different kind of person. I crave the silence and love the space. When the foliage is gone and the wind is just right I sometimes see a glimmer of my neighbor’s pole light in the distance; I immediately wonder if I need to move. I’ve lived in cities but now I’m not that guy. I don’t really know how I did it, only that I won’t ever again.
The side effect of this is that my yard is probably a thousand times “wilder” than a campsite in most National Parks. I forget that. Wildlife started encroaching on my dark little universe. A deer, possibly a very stupid deer, approached the obvious, bright, light of the lantern. It snorted aggressively; as if to say “this is my path to the apple tree, get your ass off my path”.
I said nothing, which pissed it off more. I didn’t move and the air was still. The deer was baffled. It pawed the ground, as if to charge. It had antlers. It’s going to have to get a grip on it’s testosterone or it’ll be whacked on opening day (not too many weeks in the future). Possibly it’ll get shot by me. “You are prey.” I announced. “I’m not.”
The deer had no idea what the silent brooding thing under the lantern was. But it sure as hell knew human talking when it heard it! It turned itself inside out trying to run for its life. It tore off into the forest like a missile. You could hear it crashing through the brush for several hundred yards. I wish him well. Then again, in a few weeks the cycle of life rolls around and we will play humanity’s most ancient game. I’m in no condition to go thrashing through the forest like Rambo, but I’ll still hunt. I’ll shoot that buck (legally) if he continues acting unwisely enough to get in my scope. Marcus would approve. Teddy would’ve attacked the buck with a knife right there in the dark; just to see if he could take it.
It was time to turn in. Here’s where I admit to a medical detail. I need a CPAP. It pisses me off to need anything but it is what it is. It’s not a minor thing either. I was so ill and the CPAP so helpful that the fucking thing is perhaps the most important physical object I possess.
I’m well aware that I have only one CPAP. If I fuck up and break it, the medical bureaucracy and the cretins at my insurance company will jointly form a circular firing squad and start the game of foot dragging. Acquiring a replacement CPAP is possible but it would entail significant delays. It worries me. Damage that machine and I’ll suffer without it for weeks or a month or more. I do not want to deal with that kind of shit. (At least for now. I wonder if I’ll wean myself off it in a few years? There’s always hope.)
Like so many things, this is a place best filled with gratitude. The dumb little plastic box winched my ass out of a grave. (I took a lot of meds, some of them surely helped. I’m not so sure about the doctors I consulted. They meant well but human fallibility seems baked in the cake. They seemed to mostly rule things out based on expensive tests; which was much appreciated. They weren’t particularly good at forming hypotheses that pointed toward true causes.) So if a football sized gadget is such a miracle, it’s rude of me to complain but I still do. Marcus and Teddy would tell me to shut the fuck up. I get it. If you’re not dead, don’t bitch about why. I’m working on it.
Sorry about that digression but it was necessary to the story. The thing is, I’m unreasonably uptight about the CPAP. It must be protected at all cost. It must have all the power it’ll ever need. (I’ve had one extended power outage once since my dependency on it and I felt like I’d been hit by a truck.)
Knowing how important it is, I bought an Anker SOLIX C1000. I bought it literally before I had the CPAP in my hands. I’m not saying you need a battery device to go camping, obviously you don’t. But if you have a CPAP and it’s a big deal to you, buy a battery device yesterday. You don’t have to buy exactly what I bought (there are dozens of similar devices), but get something. Mine protects my CPAP constantly. Grid down is the worst possible time to indulge medical weaknesses!
The Solix works very well. I’ve tested it carefully. It can easily run one CPAP for two nights. That’s two long, complete, sequential, night’s uninterrupted sleep with no charging in between (there’s a cushion of juice left over, I might ration it to three nights). It can do that while handling mundane crap like charging your cell phone. Mine also has a light (as most do) and that doesn’t seem to unduly stress the battery. I intend it for both indoors and out. If it’s plugged into AC and the grid goes down, the CPAP won’t skip a beat. If it’s not plugged into AC and just sitting there silently doing its thing; the CPAP still won’t skip a beat. In case you’re wondering, it’ll charge in an hour from any standard AC outlet. It also has a cigarette lighter plug and can charge that way. It’s also setup to accept solar panels but I don’t have that kind of scratch to spend. BTW: It charges in an hour via AC on the “low” setting. There’s a “fast” setting if for some inconceivable reason you needed that. I don’t use it because I don’t want to unduly stress the crappy old circuits in my crappy old house.
The battery is just one layer in my defenses. I acquired an auxiliary 12V cord (which insurance balked at so I paid cash) for the CPAP. I can therefore run it off most vehicles (just as I can also charge the Solix) though in either case you’d best be running the motor. I suspect a CPAP could kill a car battery overnight(?). I also have two generators; a whole house powering white elephant PITA and a small handy reliable 2000KW Honda clone (Powerhorse). I’m planning ahead. I ain’t going easy into that dark night.
This was the first “real world test” and I was sleeping in screen. It was humid. There would be a lot of dew in the morning. Everything would be soaked. I gingerly covered the Anker with a rain jacket and the CPAP with another rain jacket. I didn’t bother covering me with anything but an old sleeping bag. I’ve been wet with dew before, it’s no big deal. I don’t matter, it’s the gadgets that mattered.
I grimaced at the jumble of jackets. “This isn’t going to work.” I thought.
Then I settled back onto my cot, pulled up my light sleeping bag, and completely changed my mind. I felt as cozy as I’d felt in months. I was home. I like camping. A cheap sleeping bag in a screen tent suits me. I was pleasantly surprised how quiet the CPAP was. Nearly inaudible. The Solix is silent as well.
Something rustled past me in the dark, unaware of me and my Darth Vader mask. A good sign.
I fell into the best kind of sleep; the slumber of those who’ve let go.
Stay tuned for Part 5.
I’ve used a CPAP unit for over 15 years. I was falling asleep during the day and it was affecting every day life. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I had a sleep study which confirmed the diagnosis. When I used the unit for the 1st time – what a difference. Far better – it made a HUGE difference. I am far more alert and have much better work performance. I have no battery free option and a night’s sleep without the CPAP has a significant effect. I took several overnight trips without it so I know of the difference.
Having a back-up source of energy is worth it. I don’t have one as I am considering switching to an updated model. My 1st one lasted bit over eight years. When it suddenly died, I was fortunate in having a co-worker which had a spare unit. It took nearly five weeks before my replacement came in. I was very thankful for that.
I’m glad you are feeling better.
I will add when your nose is stuffed up. If your CPAP mask covers only your nose, you can open your mouth and let the forced air to dry out your nasal passages. Much more sound sleep happens.
Outstanding!
My wife finally made me do a sleep test a few years ago. No big surprise, I have severe sleep apnea. The CPAP has been a life changer, I should have had it 10 years before. I use it every night, but I still hate the damn thing. (Kind of like the hearing aids) Once I worked out a couple of coping strategies, it became a little more tolerable.
I don’t use it at bird camp in late October, though. For some reason, I sleep very well at bird camp, and I am energy-limited. I generally do a straight week of furnace/lights/pump off a pair of 27 series batteries and a 100 watt panel. Also, I have heard from others that your breath condenses in the tube, and at some point during the night you will get a face full of water. YMMV
Neon: RE water in the face: turn down the humidity. The air flow in my unit is unidirectional; exhaled air exits via little flapper valves in the mask, not through the hose. YMMV because I might be full of it.
Mine runs on 24 volts instead of 12, dammit.
Mine supposedly runs on EITHER 12v or 24v. I haven’t tested this and YMMV.
There are machines available on the secondary market. There are companies that buy and refurbish them, and then sell, and they are often available at estate sales.
If I was using one, I’d be watching facebook marketplace, estate sales, etc…
The consumables are available on ebay, but usually not the machines themselves.
I know you are way out in nowhere so you don’t have easy access to the wealth of used stuff in the big city, but maybe a relative or friend could keep an eye open? I’m watching for specific models for a couple of relatives….
I’m hoping you have a swift and complete recovery.
nick flandrey
A. Life in the boonies is GREAT!
2. sleep apnea seems be associated with oversight conditions to some degree. If that might be a factor, Long term Bennies to removing lard are far in excess of just sleeping better.
Thirdly, craigslist and facialbook marketplace seem to have cpaps crop up intermittently.
d. Congratulations on surviving this year!
Let us know if we can help, aside from prayers.
My wife also uses CPAP. I also have a solar “generator” for it, so power outages isn’t a disaster.
For reconditioned CPAP machines:
https://1800cpap.com/collections/certified-refurbished-cpap-machines
I personally would get the machine that uses your CPAP’s disposables. With changes to the CPAP market and units going obsolete you might find yourself with a cheap CPAP and little ability to get hoses and masks for it.
I looked up your solar generator and am happy to report it seems to use standard MC4 solar connectors NOT propriety ones (like goal zero etc.). So, you should be able (call company to confirm) to use any decent MC4 equipped solar panels to recharge it. I find renology good panels and often the ZON has them with free shipping (renology has terrible shipping from the site) in the 80-100 dollars for a 100 watt panel.
You might do better if your unit can handle it with 200 watt panels again look at manual or call company as there is an amazing number of voltages, amperages and so on out there.
My small solar generator unit has been AWESOME in providing CPAP, lights and recharging kindles and cell phones in some of our Nor’easter storms and power outages. Worth having solar recharge and automobile recharge in addition to grid power.
That’s helpful information. I’m “saving up” for a “backup CPAP”. It might take a while. I think I’m a bit irrational to fret that I don’t have a backup right away. Most people never have a backup at all. Also I’ve only had one for a short time and I didn’t know it’s amazing impact. These things are too pricy to be buying them in pairs when you’re just starting out using them. But maybe in a year or so I’ll buy a used one. Also, I’m aware there are “travel” CPAPs and I’m not sure about the pro’s and cons. Maybe I’d like to have one of them at some future date? I really don’t know. (I’m thinking in terms of motorcycle camping, a regular CPAP and battery to drive it is pretty huge. The “travel version” CPAPs look like they could ride in saddlebags? I think.)
I’m planning on getting solar panels for my Solix sooner or later. I was thinking no sooner than next summer. Ironically, I don’t need solar recharge until I’m healthy enough for outrageous amounts of camping. (A goal but maybe not a guaranteed accomplishment by next summer.) Even then, for “truck camping” I can squeak by with the truck’s cigarette lighter. I suppose I could also bring my small-ish 2000W generator (which isn’t much more hassle to carry than a hefty cooler). I think I’d only need to run it for an hour or two every third day. All of which adds up to I don’t need solar to charge a CPAP driving battery until the CPAP “cures” me up to a pretty happy baseline. It’ll probably happen but not real fast.
It feels good to be thinking about logistics of powering a gadget instead of other more dire future paths I was recently pondering!
I picked up a Transcend Micro travel CPAP from theCPAPshop.com. It’s about the size of a baseball and even comes with slightly thinner travel hoses. There’s also an adapter to use the standard sized ones if you feel like doing that for some reason. It lives in my travel suitcase so my main CPAP never leaves the bedside, and I never forget to pack it.
That’s good to know. Sure helps with my hopes of motorcycle camping next summer!
I used a CPAP for years and the improvement in restfulness was astounding. One thing I had a problem with was getting a new mask. Typically, I was so happy with how well it would work that I waited until the elastic for the mask was falling apart and then I had to make an appointment to see the doctor and get a prescription just to get a mask. That never made sense to me, what possible problem could I cause by replacing the mask? Maybe you won’t have that issue.
The only time it stopped altogether was when the power cord died. Another trip to the doc, to “trouble shoot” (used another cord and it worked) and they overnighted me another cord. So I like your idea of a back up.
Glad you’re feeling better and good luck with that buck when the day comes.
Thanks.