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Need oxygen

jacko

"Jack"
A short brief before the main question.
After many years of traveling on Goldwings with the kids I decided that it was getting to heavy for me and my old body and decided that I needed something that would be more "fun" riding in the hills,getting to work and still maybe travel a bit. This took most of the winter of '04 to decide that a BMW was the answer and got one of two first new R1200RT's in our area.
This March I contacted pneumonia which alone with other problems,spell Vietnam, has kept me low most of the time since then. I have fought back and am able to do without oxygen a lot of the time but have attacks and must grab the bottle at times. Love the riding so strap on the bottle of the RT and go. The bottle is good for 4~5hrs of steady use. This is fine for short rides and back and forth to work but doesn't make it for long trips.
I hope to be able to do without the oxygen by next spring so I can travel back to the midwest for the BMW ralley.
Does anyone out there have any idea how I could get oxygen refilled while traveling? The company that supplies me now is spotty in other locals. My health provider doesn't have any answers either.
Have priced out a portable 12v generator to wire into m/c but they are pricey.
Any concrete ideas out there?
 
Hi Jack,

Welcome to this club, and thanks for your service. :thumb

What about medical supply stores along your route. O2 is usually a prescribed item couldn't you just exchange bottles on the way.

What size bottle do use? could a bigger one be obtained through your providers?

I have to think about this and ask around about getting refils away from home.

Russ (USA-RET)
 
SF Doc Thanks for answering


Yes oxygen is a prescribed item. Medical supply store handle everything from bedpans to plasters can find O bottles but not filled.
The bottle size that I have for moble use is a size "C" which is 2~3 liters. This coupled with a pulsed regulator gets me the 5~6 hours of use per bottle.
Two bottles camping gear etc. loads the RT. Good thing is that a don't need the oxygen all the time some days I can go for a long time without a drink.
I do have it on all the time while I'm riding for safety sake as I'm in Denver and the call to ride takes me into the hills most of the time, hense altitude and less oxygen.
I did a three day ride last week downhill to the east to test my breathing ability at lower altitudes. I use up most of one bottle in three days, not bad but my doctor would have a fit if he knew about my doings. He had a fit this summer when he found out about me getting a ride in the EAA's B-17 fortress.
The oxygen suppliers around here just won't switch bottles with me if not a registered customer. The only thing that I have come up with is to stop by a hospital along my traveled route a switch bottles while staff isn't looking.
Not a good idea

Later

(USAF RET)
 
Air Concentrator

I asked a friend who is a nurse and she sent this reply. I have no idea what sort of electrical draw theses things have, whether you can get a small one etc. but it might be something to look into. Sounds sort of like a rebreather used in Scuba.

"Holly, have you heard of an air concentrator. We use them where I work. They are rather large for a bike but may be available in a smaller size. They run on electricity. Their principle is to intake air and concentrate oxygen and then let the person use it. You never have to get o2 tanks. Don't know if this would be useful for you on a bike but it is useful in a stationary place."
 
I am not sure if one can "ship" oxygen but what about shipping full canisters ahead. And then there is another off the wall question, but what about a company like Air Products or a welding supply company or is there a diferent between medical and industrial oxygen? Prolly is but figured while grasping at straws.
 
Ran some searches and these may be helpful.

Companies that specialize in providing Oxygen to travelers.

http://portableoxygenconcentrators.com/wst_page4.html

http://www.travelo2.com/index.html

http://www.medicaltravel.org/oxygen/destinations.html

http://www.theoxygentraveler.com/

http://www.icdri.org/Travel/oxygen_travel.htm

http://www.amountain.com/Oxygen/

May be a helpful article:
http://www.goworldtravel.com/ex/aspx/articleGuid.3655C176-5F7B-4E53-9B4E-5EDD380D7617/xe/article.htm


Good luck.

Brad the difference in medical and oxygen used in other areas is the purity and ratio of other gases.
 
FWIW, I heard that welding supply outlets that provide gasses also can fill the O2 tanks. Some may or may not be willing to fill a tank for you though.
 
About purity I can tell you a few things. I just happen to be a medical gas inspector- it is my job to make sure that oxygen and other gases are safe for use in medical facilities. NFPA 99C requires that medical oxygen be at least 99% oxygen- that's it. A welding shop should be able to provide this, but able doesn't mean willing- even if they stand behind the purity of their product, they may still be skittish about liability issues. On the other hand, the vast majority of medical oxygen is supplied by BOC, Air Liquide, Airgas, and Matheson Tri-Gas, all of whom are industrial suppliers as well. I have never seen medical oxygen fail to be at least 99% pure, and I'll bet it comes from the same refining as industrial oxygen (which for some applications may need to be even purer).

Very interesting discussion! Please keep us posted on it.
 
It was my understanding that the hospitals got portable tanks filled from one of the welding supplies in my home town.
 
need oxygen

I am new to the site and don't know if this was brought up....I have done alot of flying over the past decades....most airports that carry jet fuel, this includes many of the smaller airports across the country, also carry oxygen to replenish pressurized aircraft or aircraft that carry portable bottles.... i have dealt with them for years and this might be another avenue.... they have most always been friendly and accomodating........also, there are still numerous airports that would handle oxygen across the country....calling ahead might be an answer.....

as long as the bottle is in date i cannot see any reason they would not fill it......
 
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