Camping with a CPAP Using a Portable Power Station
If you have sleep apnea, going camping doesn’t have to mean foregoing treatment. With a portable power station, you can use your CPAP machine for multiple nights outdoors.
After a diagnosis of severe obstructive sleep apnea in 2024, I started using a CPAP machine at home. But since I spend a lot of time camping throughout the year, I also needed a solution for taking my CPAP setup on outdoor overnight trips. I considered buying a travel CPAP and compatible battery unit, but the cost was for both was around $1,200 – and I had already spent quite a bit on the setup that I use at home. Instead, I decided to look for a portable power station that would work with what I already have.
When researching which power station to purchase, cost and portability were the most important factors that I considered. CPAP machines and all of the supplies that go with them are an ongoing expense – with the masks, tubes, and filters needing to be replaced on a regular basis – so I didn’t want to spend upwards of $1,000 on a power station. And since the whole setup has to be carried from the car to the tent, portability was also important to consider.
Here are two power stations that I’ve used on over 20 camping trips. Both have performed well and now I never have to miss a night of treatment for my sleep apnea when I’m out camping.
Jackery 300 Plus Portable Power Station
After reading reviews, watching numerous videos, and looking at the specs for different brands, I decided to buy a Jackery – one of the better known brands for portable power stations. Their products consistently get good reviews, and I like that they also offer solar panels for recharging their power stations. The 300 Plus is one of their smaller units – making it more affordable with a list price of $299.99 – and it weighs just over 8 pounds so it’s easy to carry.
CPAP Machine Settings
To conserve the amount of power the CPAP machine uses while connected to a portable power station, it’s important to make a few changes. Since the humidifier includes a heating element, it uses a considerable amount of power so that’s an area where it’s easy to conserve energy without too much impact on the use of the device.
To test this on a three night camping trip, I didn’t use the humidifier and left the water chamber empty. To turn off the humidifier, go to options or settings on your machine and change the humidity level to 0. This prevents the machine from using power to heat the empty water chamber. I also switched out the ClimateAir tubing, which uses power for heated air, to Slim Line tubing, which is unheated. If your machine has the option, putting it in airplane mode may also help to conserve power. I left all other settings as is.
120 Volt Adapter for use with the Jackery
The first time I took my setup on a camping trip, I used the power supply that came with my ResMed, plugging it into the AC port (the one that looks like a grounded wall outlet) on the Jackery. I also left the humidifier on – and almost all of the power was depleted after just one night, with only 3% power left on the Jackery in the morning.
In researching how to solve this issue, I discovered in online forums that using a 120 VOLT cigarette lighter-type adapter would work better with the CPAP, so I purchased an adapter compatible with the Resmed 10 on Amazon. Switching to this method for powering the ResMed made a big difference – enough to power it for multiple nights with plenty of power left over for other devices.
Power Usage
After using the Jackery with my CPAP while camping for three nights with the new adapter and no humidifier, it had 84% power remaining after the first night, 68% power remaining after the second night, and 52% power remaining after three nights. Based on this, there would be plenty of battery left for charging other devices, or for powering my CPAP on longer trips.
To keep the CPAP equipment clean and in good condition while transporting it, I used the carrying case that came with my ResMed unit for the CPAP machine, tubing, and mask. For the Jackery, I purchased a case that holds the power station and all of the cords and adapters in one place.
View case for Jackery at Amazon
EASYLONGER ES960 CPAP Battery
I’ve also used the EASYLONGER ES960 to power my CPAP machine — which comes with adapters for several CPAP models, so there’s no need to buy anything extra. Like the Jackery, you’ll get the best runtime by turning off the humidity setting and using a non-heated hose.
I’ve used this battery on over ten camping trips in the past year. On my most recent winter trip, it powered my CPAP for four nights and still had a small amount of battery power left.
It also includes ports for charging other devices, along with a built-in lantern that offers two brightness settings. Since it’s compact and already includes CPAP adapters, this is the battery I reach for most often on trips, leaving the Jackery free to handle my other electronics.
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With either of these power stations, I can confidently go camping for multiple nights without skipping treatment for my sleep apnea.**