CPAP and Safari
 

We will be going on safari and DH uses CPAP. We will be able to charge a battery during the day. For those that have done this...what battery did you buy/have, how many hours can you really get out of a ten hour battery, and did you bring a spare (they are rather costly)? Thank you for any and all answers and/or tips.

Jakester379,

I can't really help you at the moment but I will be able to give details later in March. I'll be in Tanzania with a CPAP Mar 7-21. Our outfitter, Thomson Safaris, has agreed to provide a car battery for me and recharge it everyday. My CPAP has an integral humidifier which, I am told, sucks more power so I am truly hoping I get a full 7-8 hrs outta that battery!

When do you leave?

-doo

We went on safari last Nov. my husband used a CPAP it is called Goodnite we got on line,they have a small battery that we charged with the camera batteries at camp. It worked well for him, lasted all nite. The CPAP & Battery was about $700. Is small and was not that much weight, we were only to have 26 lbs.

I have the AEIOmed Everest 2 CPAP Machine. Small and lightweight. found it at www.cpap.com

I also have the AEIOmed Everest with a rechargeable battery, and I find it to be excellent. (The battery is part of the unit.) When it is fully charged, I find that it lasts a good 9 or 10 hours. My setting is for 8cm; higher settings would probably have less battery life. I found no need for a spare battery.

What is a CPAP? Sorry, for the ignorance.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure - it's a machine, a sort of pump, that sends air under pressure into your airway, preventing the tissue relaxation and collapse that leads to sleep apneas - temporary cessations of breathing. It inflates the throat and neck cavity a bit like a balloon.

CPAP is used to treat sleep apnea (apnoea), which Gardyloo has just described.

Ah, but a CPAP is also used to treat UARS (Upper Airway Resistance Sydrome) which is my condition :)

And, for those CPAP users who are interested, mine is a Fisher & Pakel HC220. It does not have an integrated battery which, up till now, has never been an issue.

-doo

doohickey: We won't be leaving for Africa until next summer. Call me anal retentive but I like all my ducks in a row well in advance so if something goes awry I can pout even more.

sea4burkes: Did you buy this unit specifically for the safari?

Thank you for your responses. My husband already has an "Escape" CPAP so I am looking at just getting a battery. Because of the expense I was hoping some one would say, "Hey, I used this battery and it was great." Anybody? Anyway, I don't even use the sucker but I have to figure it all out. Love those men!

jakester -

In regards to your "Love those men"! I couldn't agree more. My DH has had a stinking cold hanging on for weeks now. I finally practically had to haul him to see the doc two days ago. Now he's got 2 scripts to get through before we leave next week! Geesh!

-doc

We did not only buy cpap for safari we do a lot of trips some with motorhome. We got battery at cpap.com works real well.

I checked out cpap.com and for his machine there is a battery for $299.99. It weighs an additinal 3 lbs (machine is 3 lbs). I think for the travel one with battery is $399.99 and it is a total of 3lbs. I'll let him decide. I forgot to ask about the plane ride. Did you use the battery back up or is their an adapter? We will be flying SAA - not sure if they have a plug or not

My safari isn't until May. I didn't buy it specifically for the safari but for two other reasons also. First my wife travels several times a year on business and some of those times I go with her. It was always a hassle packing and unpacking my primary machine. The second reason
I bought it was to have a back-up in case my primary machine stopped working.

Hey Jakester, et. al.

How is your planning going? Are you under deposit yet? Getting excited? :)

I got back a couple of weeks ago from a tented safari in Tanzania followed by 3 nights on Zanzibar. I'll soon be posting a report about using my CPAP under a new thread:

On safari with a CPAP, March 2008 (Thomson Safaris)

-doo