chefisaac

Hey guys. I know some of you asked about how to tour with sleep anea and how I took the cpap with me.

Here is the review and write up.

Just know that it IS possible to tour with a small cpap machine and it worked wonders.

professorbob

I have the same issue. I just got an oral device designed for sleep apnea. It doesn't work as well for me as the CPAP, but it's much better than nothing. I was expecting that result when I went in on it, and so for the few days (maybe a week at a time) when I camp, it will suffice. However, your battery operated device looks pretty interesting. When my insurance allows, I might look into it.

Tandem427

Excellent, thanks for posting! I'll have to check it out.

It's been 20 years since I last went touring, before I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. But at least when I snored it scared off the bears and other critters.

goldfinch

It looks like you use a full face mask. ResMed just came out with a new, lighter full face mask, the Quattro Air. I bought it about a week ago. It is a substantial improvement over other full face masks and the light weight is a bonus. https://www.resmed.com/us/products/qu...ml?nc=patients

chefisaac

Gold: Thanks for the tip. Can you weight it for me in ounces or grams? Just curious if it is worth being able to purchase or not. Its almost time for a new mask anyway.

slowride454

how well does that light weight mask seal? I had the nose piece one for a while but I could snore with it, so I've been using a full face. I can not get the thing to stay sealed over night. it can make my eyes really dry if it leaks on the bridge of my nose. I took my CPAP for an over nighter. Mine can detach the humidifier, it is fairly compact without it.

goldfinch

The lightweight mask has mixed reviews, like all masks. It might pay to go to your medical supplier to try it there under pressure. What I like, for me:

---they improved the design around the nose so I don't get pain/irritation at the top of my nose due to pressure there. This is major for me.
---the light weight
---I have no problems with seal and no more leaks than any other full face mask. The surface of the seal area is somewhat different than the usual silicone, it has a texture to it. This is supposed to help with the the seal.

What some people seem to have mixed feelings about or dislike is that there are no clips to attach the headgear and that it takes a bit of fussing to get the tension of the headgear correct. I do not have a problem with no clips. I figured out how tight I need the straps over a couple of nights of use, then the straps stay where they are, and I can loop them on the mask with no fussing at all. I actually like the system better than clips, which I find to be an unnecessary complication.

Chef, I'll weigh it and the headgear when I get off the road.

chefisaac

It might be a bad seal so it might be worth going to a local shop to chat with them about it. I find shops that actually carry products more helpful then the place that issued and did my sleep study but that was only my experience.

It could also be the type of strap you are using for the full face mask.

There are some wonderful CPAP forums out there that I have leveraged before which were helpful. That might be a nice route to go down if you need to explore some more ideas.

chefisaac

lol. I hope you find the information helpful. That was my biggest barrier to go tour and do over night hikes.

Terrierman

I have sleep apnea too. I use the quattro air mask. Works perfect for me.