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_DJ_1's avatar
_DJ_1
Explorer II
Mar 09, 2017

Camping with oxygen?

The time has come where I need O2 at night. I have an oxygen concentrator that plugs in to my CPAP. Really notice the difference after only 2 nights. Please bear with me as I am really new at this.

Is it even possible with the pilot lights running? I am thinking to throw some ice in the fridge at bedtime and shut the propane off at night. If it's cold I could run an electric heater.

Also my machine is the size of a large suitcase and heavy (on wheels) not real practical to take camping. And LOUD!!!! I don't mind the fan noise but it does a loud thump every couple seconds like an old locomotive sitting at the station. I had to move it down the hall in to the spare bedroom!! Does anyone have any experience with a smaller, more portable and quieter unit?

Thanks for your input.........DJ
  • DW has the Respronics Everflow Q which is quiet enough for us. At home it’s in the closet and I ran a tube through the wall. In the MH it’s in the open closet. It’s a power hog at 3.0A AC and hence requires planning for overnight use ie about 33A DC which is about 50% overnight battery bank discharge for the current 4xGC2 batteries with just the oxygen machine. No problem when on shore power of course. It generates substantial overnight heat which is one reason the closet door is partially open. The closet is next to the bed but we quickly adapted to the noise. It’s also heavy to move in/out of the MH. For other reasons I bought a wagon but it certainly makes moving the oxygen machine and all other MH stuff quicker and easier.

    We also have a pricey Activox LifeChoice portable machine which only uses 6.0A DC or about 12% battery discharge overnight.

    No concern about pilot lights.
  • Exactly why I asked about liters needed. My wife needs at least a setting of six liters for daytime use at ~5000 feet, so we got her the InogenOne G2, which maxes at a setting of 6. Nice, small, battery powered, etc. Of course, the G2 is also heavier at 7 pounds. Other models provide for less oxygen and are, of course, not as heavy.

    Inogen machines are great, but they're not that cheap. We paid around $3.5K for the unit with all bells and whistles; it had to come out of our pockets as the insurance wouldn't pay for it. It was still well worth the investment!

    :)
    Lynn


    Fish 'n ' Grits wrote:
    Check out the Inogen One.It's a small battery-operated concentrator. I've been using mine over two years with no problems at all. I don't leave pilot lights on anyway (too many years on boats), so I never give the propane a thought. I have Medicare and a supplement, so there was no cost to me. Get the double batteries, it comes with 12Vdc and 115vac chargers. I think you'll be pleased. Except as a satisfied user, I have no connection with this company. BTW, the flame for your frig is outside.
  • There should be no real danger with an oxygen concentrator and pilot lights etc. in the same structure. The oxygen concentrator only extracts/filters oxygen present in the air and provides it to you in greater concentration, correspondingly reducing the oxygen in the air it exhausts back to the room. The only areas where there's any elevated oxygen levels are between the machine and you. (An oxygen cylinder may well be a different matter in terms of safety; certainly I'd have more concern with one.)

    From an ignition point of view, an electric heater may not be particularly safer than a pilot light or fridge burner or furnace anyhow; the thermostatic switch is often not sealed and can spark when it opens or closes. You'd also be more likely to have the heater near you and your equipment, rather than rather more distant (for an oven pilot) or outside the living area (for the water heater, furnace, and fridge burners).
  • Check out the Inogen One.It's a small battery-operated concentrator. I've been using mine over two years with no problems at all. I don't leave pilot lights on anyway (too many years on boats), so I never give the propane a thought. I have Medicare and a supplement, so there was no cost to me. Get the double batteries, it comes with 12Vdc and 115vac chargers. I think you'll be pleased. Except as a satisfied user, I have no connection with this company. BTW, the flame for your frig is outside.
  • Respironics has the Everflo Q (for quiet)which weighs about 30 lbs and is reasonably compact. This is about as quiet as they get - still noisy. Their Simplygo is a portable which weighs about 10 lbs and puts out 2 l/min max. Both can be ordered from Amazon under industrial supplies. You would have to check their website for power requirement.
  • been traveling with oxygen for a couple of years in the summer we put the unit in the living room and and in the winter in the bedroom, because of the heat it puts off. never worried about the propane gas.
  • Could you use small cylinders while camping? That would remove the thumping, and the large device, and the extra electrical demand.

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