CPAP at Hunting Camp: How to Power It for the Whole Hunt

You can run your CPAP at hunting camp for the whole trip, even with no power at camp or a generator that goes off at lights-out. The plan comes down to four things: count the nights you'll be in camp, bring a battery that covers them with the humidifier and heated hose turned off, pack the right DC cord for your machine, and have a way to put charge back in between hunts, whether that's the truck, a solar panel or the camp generator. For a long weekend, an EXP48PRO APEX usually does it. For a week in a wall tent, or two hunters sharing one, the EXP96PRO APEX is the easier fit.

Here's how to plan it for the kind of camp you're actually going to.

Start with how many nights you'll be in camp

Most people plan CPAP power for "a few nights" and then stay an extra two because the elk finally started talking. Plan for the whole hunt, plus a night of margin.

Write down:

• Nights in camp. Count from the first night to the last, including the night you might stay over if someone gets an animal down late.
• Where you'll sleep. Wall tent, cabin, camper or truck cab. Each one changes your recharge options.
• How you'll recharge. Daily drives in the truck, a sunny spot for a panel, a camp generator in the evening, or nothing at all.
• How many machines. If your hunting partner is also on CPAP and you're sharing a tent, you're planning for two.

On a single charge, the EXP48PRO APEX runs a CPAP for an estimated 2 to 3 nights and the EXP96PRO APEX for an estimated 4 to 6 nights, both with the humidifier and heated hose off. Those are estimates. Your pressure and mode, your machine, mask leak, battery age and the temperature in the tent all move the number. Cold nights in particular will cut into it, so leave yourself margin. If you want to work out your own number, our guide on how long a CPAP will run on a battery walks through it.

Which battery fits which kind of camp

Wall tent or spike camp, no power at all. This is where capacity matters most. If you're packed in for five or six nights with no truck nearby, the EXP96PRO APEX is the one to bring. It's about 6.5 lb, so it belongs in the gear that rides in on the horse, the wheelbarrow or the truck, not in a day pack. If two of you are on CPAP in the same tent, its two DC output ports run both machines at once. Two machines share the same battery, so plan on fewer nights than one machine alone. Our comparison of one EXP96PRO vs two EXP48PRO batteries helps you decide which setup suits two sleepers.

Deer camp for a long weekend. Two or three nights with the truck parked at camp is right in the EXP48PRO APEX's range, especially if you top it up on the drive in and out of your hunting spots. At about 3.25 lb it's easy to keep with your sleeping gear.

Cabin or camp with a generator that gets shut off at night. Either battery works, and pass-through does the heavy lifting (more on that below). Size the battery for the nights the generator might not run at all: someone forgets fuel, it won't start in the cold, or the camp decides it's too loud.

Camper at the trailhead. If the camper has a house battery and an inverter, you can use them, but a dedicated CPAP battery on a direct DC cord is simpler and uses less power than running your machine through an inverter. It also keeps your CPAP separate from the furnace fan, lights and coffee maker drawing on the camper's batteries. Our boondocking on CPAP guide covers camper setups in more detail.

Sleeping in the truck. Plenty of hunters sleep in the cab or under a topper at the trailhead so they can be walking by first light. A battery sitting next to you means there's no engine to run overnight for your CPAP. Then charge the battery back up on the drive.

Turn the humidifier and heated hose off

On battery, the humidifier and heated hose use far more power than the CPAP blower. The EXP96PRO APEX goes from an estimated 4 to 6 nights with them off to roughly one night with both on. That's the biggest single change you can make to how long your battery lasts in camp.

If you're not sure how to switch them off on your machine, here's how to turn off the heated hose and humidifier step by step. If dry air in a cold tent is a concern for your therapy, talk to your sleep or equipment provider before the trip.

Recharge from the truck between hunts

Most hunting camps involve a lot of driving: to the trailhead before light, between spots at midday, into town for ice or fuel. That drive time is charge time.

Plug the battery into the truck's 12V socket with its car charge cord while you drive. The EXP48PRO APEX charges in about 4 hours from a car and the EXP96PRO APEX in about 8, so you won't necessarily fill it in one drive, but a couple of hours a day adds up over a week. Use only EXP PRO charge cords.

Bring the battery back into your tent or cabin when you park for the night. Don't leave it in the truck bed.

Put a solar panel on the tent or cabin during the day

If you're gone from sunup to dark, the tent is empty all day, and that's when a panel can work. Set a folding panel on the sunny side of the wall tent, on the cabin porch or on the truck's hood, and let it charge while you hunt.

• The Summit 60W panel charges an EXP48PRO APEX in under about 5 hours of good sun, or an EXP96PRO APEX in under about 9.
• The Summit 100W charges an EXP96PRO APEX in under about 4.5 hours of good sun.
• Already have a panel? The EV-SOLAR-C adapter works with most 18–22V, 40W non-regulated third-party panels.

October and November days are short, the sun sits low, and mountain valleys go into shade early. Treat solar as a steady top-up, not a guarantee. Face the panel toward the sun, keep the battery in the shade next to it, and keep it away from wet grass, snowmelt and the water bucket. Our 60W vs 100W solar panel comparison can help you pick.

The camp generator that gets shut off at lights-out

This is the most common hunting camp setup, and pass-through handles it well.

Plug the battery's AC charger into the generator and plug your CPAP into the battery. The CPAP runs on the battery while the generator keeps it topped up. When the generator gets shut off at lights-out, the CPAP keeps running on the battery. There's nothing to flip or switch, and nothing to do at all.

It also works the other way. If the generator runs out of fuel at 1 a.m. or somebody kills it early, your CPAP was already running on the battery and it carries on. You start the night with a full battery, which is exactly where you want to be.

You can leave the battery in pass-through all the time if you like. It's a normal way to use it, and the same setup works for keeping your CPAP running during a home power outage.

Cold mornings in camp

Pre-dawn in a wall tent after the stove has burned down can be well below freezing. The EXP PRO APEX batteries are heavy-duty and temperature-protected, and we've charged them in temperatures near 0°F. Cold still shortens runtime, so:

• Keep the battery in your tent, cabin or sleeping area overnight. Not in the truck bed, not on the tailgate, not in an unheated trailer.
• Keep it off the frozen ground. A cot, a gear bin or a pack works.
• Keep it at a sensible distance from the woodstove and away from anything that drips: the coffee pot, wet boots, the water jug.
• Plan extra margin for your coldest nights.

For more on cold-weather setups, including hose and mask tips, see our guide to CPAP camping in cold weather.

Flying to elk camp

If you're flying to your hunt, only the EXP48PRO APEX is an option. At 153.6 Wh it's under the FAA's published 160 Wh carry-on threshold, but final acceptance rests with TSA and your airline, so check with your carrier before you go. The EXP96PRO APEX can't fly. If your outfitter is driving you in from the airport, ask whether they have a generator or charging at camp and plan around the answer.

Your hunting camp CPAP pack list

• The battery, fully charged. New batteries ship at about 10–30% charge, so charge it fully before the trip.
• The DC cord for your CPAP. The cord matches your CPAP model, not the battery. The most common mistake we see is a cord for the wrong generation of machine. Check the CPAP DC cords before you leave town.
• The AC charger for the generator or cabin outlet.
• The car charge cord for the truck.
• A solar panel, if you'll have daylight and a sunny spot.
• Your CPAP, with the humidifier and heated hose off.

Do a test night at home before opening day

The worst time to learn your cord doesn't fit is 9 p.m. at camp. A week or two before you leave, run your CPAP off the battery for a full night at home:

• Check the battery is set to the right output voltage for your CPAP. The LCD shows it. This is the number one thing people forget. The manual or our support team can walk you through changing it.
• Confirm the cord fits and the machine powers up.
• Turn off the humidifier and heated hose and note how much battery you used overnight.
• Recharge it the way you'll charge it at camp: from the truck, or from the panel.

If your CPAP won't run on the battery, start with our guide on why your CPAP won't run on your battery, or call us. You'll get a real person at 360-686-7424 or orders@exppropower.com, and it's a lot easier to sort out from your kitchen than from the tailgate.

Find the right battery for your hunt

For a long weekend at deer camp, the EXP48PRO APEX is light and easy to recharge from the truck. For a week in a wall tent, a camp with an unreliable generator, or two CPAP users in one tent, the EXP96PRO APEX gives you the most nights between charges. Both come with a 2-year warranty and a 45-day satisfaction guarantee.

FAQ

Can I run my CPAP off the hunting camp generator all night?
You can, but most camps shut the generator off at lights-out. Plug your battery's charger into the generator and your CPAP into the battery. The generator keeps the battery topped up, and when it's shut off, the CPAP keeps running on the battery. Nothing to flip or switch.

How many nights will my CPAP battery last at hunting camp?
It's always an estimate. With the humidifier and heated hose off, the EXP48PRO APEX runs a CPAP for an estimated 2 to 3 nights and the EXP96PRO APEX for an estimated 4 to 6. Pressure, mask leak, battery age and cold nights all change it, so plan margin.

Can I leave the battery in the truck overnight?
Bring it into your tent, cabin or camper. It needs to be next to your CPAP anyway, and cold shortens runtime.

Can two hunters share one battery?
Yes, with the EXP96PRO APEX. It has two DC output ports, so it can run two CPAP machines at once. Two machines use it up faster, so plan fewer nights than for one.

Can I charge the battery in the truck while I hunt?
Charge it while you drive. The EXP48PRO APEX takes about 4 hours from the car and the EXP96PRO APEX about 8, so daily drives add up over a week in camp.