Help with generator/camping generator question

[RNYCLV]

My middle daughter (8 years old) was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. We have a ton of 2-3 days camping trips planed for the summer all fairly close to home (less than an hour to an hour away). However we have a ten day trip planed for upstate New York at DEC run Rogers Rock Campground on Lake George. She requires insulin multiple times a day. We do currently have a pump and PDM which helps regulate her Blood Glucose, however it requires charging twice a day. For short week day trips on the water we have used solar to help keep the required electronics charged but have yet to take a longer trip without a power source. I am not going to lie I am getting nervous about the trip and not being able to have a constant power source as a just in case. I have purchased a TacLife 1200A Jump Starter - T8 Pro jump pack for emergencies, but would like to know if anyone uses a quiet generator camping that is affordable and somewhat lightweight. I would be towing said generator in the boat for approx 6 1/2 - 7 hours upstate so I just don't want to do damage. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[gt5pilot]

Having a wife who is insulin dependent, I know how this can be a struggle.

Can you link me to the pump/PDM that she uses? I bet I could do a capacity/usage spreadsheet very quickly to understand what kind of power that you need; either in a stored form (battery pack) or something else.

Generators...quiet and reliable...Honda all the way! But they are pricey! EU1000i

 

[Sidarousmg]

@RNYCLV so i have a pump (medtronic) and a CGM (Dexcom). pump battery lasts a few weeks (regular AA battery) and the CGM battery lasts for 3 months (sensor lasts for 10 days). so what is it that you need to charge twice per day? if it's something small, then something like the jump starter or battery pack could probably do the trick. if it is for keeping insulin cool, i would say a good small cooler (refill with ice as needed) would do the trick. there are also small mini fridge's for sale on amazon that can run on 12v DC with a cigarette lighter adapter (use this in our bedroom to keep pumped milk cold for the newborn without having to go downstairs in the middle of the night).

 

[RNYCLV]

Having a wife who is insulin dependent, I know how this can be a struggle.

Can you link me to the pump/PDM that she uses? I bet I could do a capacity/usage spreadsheet very quickly to understand what kind of power that you need; either in a stored form (battery pack) or something else.

Generators...quiet and reliable...Honda all the way! But they are pricey! EU1000i

Thank you very much, she has the Dexcom G6/CGM and the OmniPod Dash PDM (OmniPod take 90 units and last 3 day) the PDM typicaaly needs a charge twice daily. She does have the clarity app so we can probably cut out the CGM and use a cell phone if need be there. However we are fairly new to the diabetic scene

 

[Sidarousmg]

Thank you very much, she has the Dexcom G6/CGM and the OmniPod Dash PDM (OmniPod take 90 units and last 3 day) the PDM typicaaly needs a charge twice daily. She does have the clarity app so we can probably cut out the CGM and use a cell phone if need be there. However we are fairly new to the diabetic scene

i see, so the PDM is the remote control for the Omniopod? a quick google search tells me that the battery in the PDM should last up to 3 weeks, so maybe there is a setting that needs to be adjusted or you have a defective unit? similar situation with the reader that came with dexcom, battery would only last a couple of days, so i now just use my cell phone. if you can do the same with the OmnioPod, then you should be good to go as long as you have enough juice to charge your phone, which shouldn't be hard with battery packs. I'm sure it seems like a lot right now but trust me, you will get used to it very quickly and will not even have to think about it for a week's trip...

 

[RNYCLV]

@RNYCLV so i have a pump (medtronic) and a CGM (Dexcom). pump battery lasts a few weeks (regular AA battery) and the CGM battery lasts for 3 months (sensor lasts for 10 days). so what is it that you need to charge twice per day? if it's something small, then something like the jump starter or battery pack could probably do the trick. if it is for keeping insulin cool, i would say a good small cooler (refill with ice as needed) would do the trick. there are also small mini fridge's for sale on amazon that can run on 12v DC with a cigarette lighter adapter (use this in our bedroom to keep pumped milk cold for the newborn without having to go downstairs in the middle of the night).

The OmniPod Dash PDM, is what we need to charge regularly. The electronic that regulates the pump itself. The Dexcom should be good if we do it the morning we leave. As they last ten days, I will bring extras just incase. The biggest concern is the PDM and pump. We had an issue this past weekend where water temp caused pump failure. So I will be bring a box of five with us just in case, and a few extra pen vials of insulin if the units arent working I can use the pen as a backup

 

[RNYCLV]

i see, so the PDM is the remote control for the Omniopod? a quick google search tells me that the battery in the PDM should last up to 3 weeks, so maybe there is a setting that needs to be adjusted or you have a defective unit? similar situation with the reader that came with dexcom, battery would only last a couple of days, so i now just use my cell phone. if you can do the same with the OmnioPod, then you should be good to go as long as you have enough juice to charge your phone, which shouldn't be hard with battery packs. I'm sure it seems like a lot right now but trust me, you will get used to it very quickly and will not even have to think about it for a week's trip...

Thank you, we are anxiously awaiting the release of a programing patch that would allow the Dexcom and the OmniPod to communicate with each other. They originally stated it would happen in March, yet here we are and its still not available. So we are stuck with the PDM. We have contacted Insulet, the company that manufactures OmniPod. They state they dont make the PDM's and are working to (fix) bugs that are draining batteries faster then expected.

 

[Sidarousmg]

I've never used the Omnipod, but i have heard plenty of praise for the T-slim from people who also use the Dexcom CGM, they apparently integrate really well together and require minimal user input.

 

[RNYCLV]

I've never used the Omnipod, but i have heard plenty of praise for the T-slim from people who also use the Dexcom CGM, they apparently integrate really well together and require minimal user input.

YES! we have heard the same... Big thing for our daughter was the tubeless option of the OmniPod. She was very self conscious about the tubing with kids at school. She was scared of how people would treat her, with it being so new and her being young and kids being so mean these days we let her pick. She wanted to OmniPod, figured not my body its hers let her pick what she feels most confident with.

 

[I_squared_r]

What about a Jackery Solar Generator? I have a 500wh that I use for camping and run a 12v fridge. It charges in the truck when I'm driving and has a solar panel when parked.

 

[RNYCLV]

What about a Jackery Solar Generator? I have a 500wh that I use for camping and run a 12v fridge. It charges in the truck when I'm driving and has a solar panel when parked.

We do have a goal zero invertor and panel, they we use while camping my fear is availability of sun. I could be completely over reacting, this is all still very new to us

 

[1WetBoat]

My daughter who is also 8 is Type1 and just started using the Omnipod Dash and the PDM. Our PDM lasts all day without a charge and sometimes into the following day. We also have the DexCom and that one can last several days but we use her cell phone as the primary DexCom reader.
Maybe check the settings on the PDM for screen ontime etc.. Remember, the PDM sends the signal to the Omnipod and the Omnipod does its thing on its own. You don't need to keep the PDM screen on the whole day or anything like that. We only use it to adjust her Bolus or Basil and that is it.

But, as a just in case, I have two of the charging battery packs, forgot the name of who makes it, but each one can charge our phones multiple times not to mention her PDM/GCM. If you plan on being out in the wilderness with no electricity near by then at a minimum you want the battery packs and maybe a small generator. In a pinch, you can charge the PDM from your car via USB or even the boat via USB port. We always take extra pods and the pens as a backup. You cant ever be over-prepared for her, just do what makes you comfortable. In my opinion you arent over reacting, just being careful. You will get used to it and so will she.

My daughter was diagnosed in May 2020 and right now she can do it all herself , the PDM just makes it so much easier.
The Omnipod 5 is around the corner and that will integrate the GCM with the Omnipod and it will be like the other ones where the integration will allow it to take care of itself with little input from you.

 

[RNYCLV]

My daughter who is also 8 is Type1 and just started using the Omnipod Dash and the PDM. Our PDM lasts all day without a charge and sometimes into the following day. We also have the DexCom and that one can last several days but we use her cell phone as the primary DexCom reader.
Maybe check the settings on the PDM for screen ontime etc.. Remember, the PDM sends the signal to the Omnipod and the Omnipod does its thing on its own. You don't need to keep the PDM screen on the whole day or anything like that. We only use it to adjust her Bolus or Basil and that is it.

But, as a just in case, I have two of the charging battery packs, forgot the name of who makes it, but each one can charge our phones multiple times not to mention her PDM/GCM. If you plan on being out in the wilderness with no electricity near by then at a minimum you want the battery packs and maybe a small generator. In a pinch, you can charge the PDM from your car via USB or even the boat via USB port. We always take extra pods and the pens as a backup. You cant ever be over-prepared for her, just do what makes you comfortable. In my opinion you arent over reacting, just being careful. You will get used to it and so will she.

My daughter was diagnosed in May 2020 and right now she can do it all herself , the PDM just makes it so much easier.
The Omnipod 5 is around the corner and that will integrate the GCM with the Omnipod and it will be like the other ones where the integration will allow it to take care of itself with little input from you.

Thank you, I have been secretly freaking out slightly...I have wanted to voice my concerns with my wife but figured she would think I was over reacting. I just want to have all my t's cross, i's dotted and have spares in case. I have been running every possible scenario in my head for the past week or so!
I can't wait for the 5 and Dash to connect to the Dexcom. It will be a game changer, shes doing well with the everything now, but it would give such peace of mind knowing the two units communicated together.

 

[Weeb]

Sorry for your daughters illness. The little Honda inverter generators are pretty quiet for camping.

 

[RNYCLV]

Sorry for your daughters illness. The little Honda inverter generators are pretty quiet for camping.

Thank you for the information

 

[Smiley]

Honda and Yamaha inverter generators are super quiet, reliable, and good on fuel. I have a 3000 watt Honda that is rock solid, but heavy. Had a little 2000 watt model that I wish I had not traded for it.

Before I bought the jet boat, I had a little pop up camper that I specifically ordered with a 9kbtu Dometic slimline soft start AC. The little 2kw Honda would power us with everything we needed for boondocking out in the N. GA mountains and on hot nights, it’s was quieter than the AC.

If you can find them, they both made a 1000 watt model as well. Easy to carry, and great for tailgates or tent camping. Super safe for electronics too.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

The 1000 watt Honda is 50Db at full load and 42 Db at 1/4 load. For reference, a normal conversation is 65Db, and, every 3Db either up or down, is a halving or doubling of the perceived sound. So 50 Db is really quiet, and 42 Db is super quiet, definitely quieter than most people This generator will run 3 hours at full load on .5 gallons of fuel, and almost 7 hours at 1/4 load. The other nice thing about the inverter style generators is the voltage is clean with no noise so you can run a computer for instance off of these generators. It will weigh 32# full of fuel. You could literally run this genny 24 hours a day on less than 2 gallons of fuel if necessary.

Honda EU1000i Super Quiet Inverter Generator | Honda Generators

The Honda EU1000i super quiet generator offers 1000 watts of power to run small appliances. This lightweight, portable generator is ideal for camping and tailgating.

powerequipment.honda.com

This one may be a bit more useful. This could be used to run your fridge at your house in the case of a power outage.. similar greatness with this one, just a tad louder and a tad more fuel than the 1000 watt one.

Honda EU2200i Super Quiet Inverter Generator | Honda Generators

The Honda EU2200i super quiet inverter generator offers 2200 watts of power. Extremely quiet and fuel efficient, this portable generator is ideal for camping & RV use.

powerequipment.honda.com

You could get one of those refrigerator style coolers that runs off of 12V or 120V to keep the insulin cool if I’m reading that right. As one of the others posted about getting a Jackery or similar LiFe battery / inverter to run the cooler when the genny is not on. When the genny is on, you could be running the cooler on 120Vac off of the genny, while at the same time charging the LiFe battery back up. That would be a bit pricey but it would work good.

This little generator will also charge your boat battery(ies) via the onboard charger as well. Run lights around your campsite if that is how you like to camp out.

I would not buy anything but a Honda generator.. I have a 7000 watt inverter style that will run my entire house including the well pump, and it is very likely that I will buy one of these for my boat when I start going boating off grid to charge my trolling motor battery, house and start batteries.

 

[Smiley]

I want to ditch my 3000 for a new 2200 and a 7000 for the house.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I want to ditch my 3000 for a new 2200 and a 7000 for the house.

The 7000 one I have is awesome… it’s like 72Db at full load. Electric start with a pull rope back up. It holds 5 gallons and will go, I think either 15 or 18 hours at 1/4 load. For me it will probably go longer as long as I’m not running the well pump a lot. I have a little 1400EX Honda generator that was my Dads.. it still starts right up after sitting for years. Awesome products.

So here is a fun fact for generator users. If you have an old style generator and it is making too much electrical noise say for a computer, plug in a hair dryer and run that at the same time as you are trying to use a sensitive electrical device. The resistive nature of the heating element in the hair dryer will clean up the sine wave.

 

[Smiley]

This thread reminded me it was time to go give my little 3000 a monthly run. It has an electric start and rope back up as well. Turned the gas on, turned the switch to start and she ran about 30 min before I cut the fuel off and let it run dry.

They are a little pricey, but I feel like you get what you pay for. Also, these things may say 2000 or 3000 or whatever, but I can tell you from experience they are underrated on power or other companies overrate theirs. My buddy tried to run a small window unit on his 2000 watt harbor freight and it killed it every time it kicked on. Loaned him my old 2000 Honda and it ran it for them all night long.

My 3000 will run my deep freeze, refrigerator, lights, and furnace in our house along with the TV and internet during power outages.