I would like to work in the rain on my pond and bogs as it’s cooler, plus last summer was so hot I couldn’t do anything outside for months. So this year I want to work in the rain of course, and when it’s really hot, have a sprinkler running so I don’t end up with heat stroke. The problem is I wear a 10 lb unit on my back to provide enough oxygen so I don’t collapse. For those that don’t know me, I have Cystic Fibrosis and my lungs are in pretty bad shape.
Issues:
Being Liquid Oxygen, the line that comes out of the tank tends to freeze when covered or insulated.
It releases a lot of moisture out the bottom.
I have to refill it off a large reservoir every 3 hours.
It’s electronic, so water on the top would damage it (where the batteries are).
It is very unwieldy and normal backpacks don’t hold it snug enough, so I use the one made for it, which is mostly mesh.
My unit is the large one pictured at the top of this PDF . My own lame attempt was a thick garbage bag, but I can’t get it cut right to not let water in.
Thanks for taking the time to think on this. For an even tougher challenge - I’d like to go in sister’s pool too - hehe. I miss being able to do that.
Long tubing doesn’t work in summer in our climate. Humidity causes water to build up where the tubing is lowest (dragging on the grass) and it becomes impossible to that water out disturbing airflow (I tried this). Also, you’d never believe how easy it is to trip over your own tubing and have it catch on stuff ripping it off your face. Very painful on the ears and nose.
I’ve thought about Scuba gear in the pool, but I can’t afford it. I would so do it if I could!!!
Another issue is the tank must remain perfectly upright. If it is on its side or upside-down, it sprays Oxygen out the bottom as it can’t take the increase in pressure.
The “use a float” for the pool thing is a great idea though. I might be able to get a dry tank and put in on an inner tube. Dry tank wouldn’t matter so much if it got wet since it wouldn’t use batteries and weight wouldn’t matter as it’s floating.
I don’t have anything useful to add to solve your issue (i really have no idea on the kind of equipment you need to keep well), but i do hope you plan to do this stuff with a friend to help out, or a relation or some such. It sounds like it could be dangerous no?
JP, you might reconsider the idea of a pure compressed O2 tank vs. your LOX unit. Since you aren’t constantly boiling off LOX you shouldn’t see anything like the problems with condensation you’re having with longer hoses and whatnot. The main problem is that it would be a heavy tank, so you would definitely need a long hose to use it and still have some mobility. Plus there are no electronics to use, a simple bubble flowmeter or ball gauge is usually the interface. You should be able to get a 25’ line for your cannula and keep the bottle on a cart.
disclosure: I am not a RT, but I did repair LOX and other RT equipment for a few years back in the 90s. I still have the (frost)burn scars to prove it.
Houngan - thanks I did try that as well. The issue with a 100 foot cord is it constantly getting caught on stuff. We don’t have a normal backyard so it’s not like a nice flat expanse for the tube to lay over. For working in ther backyard with ponds and bog, the only real optin is for it to be on my back. Many years ago I did use dry tanks on a cart, but it’s very difficult to get anything done. The mobility issue is very hard to explain a person has been tethered or dragging a suitcase around while trying to to physical labor. In all actuality this liquid backpack system has been a Godsend. It’s just trying to figure out a decent way to keep it from getting wet. I tried a normal backpack that’s waterproof, but it proved too heavy. If I could just figure out some way to seal this in plastic or a mega-gigantic ziploc bag or something I’d be in heaven.
Looks like a lower-weight O2 solution than the old green monsters. You’d have to gauge whether you could handle them (of course they don’t list the weight on the site.)
I’d get some sort of stiff tubing (check out a hot tub store or aquarium store) that you could use to run the cannula tubing through so it doesn’t get crimped at the opening, and then just wrap a hand towel around it inside the bag to catch any drops that get through. It works like a big, super-thick condom. You unroll it, put something in, roll it back down and tie it off. The natural stretchiness of the rubber seals it, and seals it well. It’s what kayakers and such use to protect their electronics.
Probably the thing for you would be to figure out where the crimp lands when it’s closed and melt a small hole so that it will be covered by the final rolled top. I don’t think you could run a line out of the mouth and have it survive the subsequent rolling.
Wow I was joking about gigantic ziploc bag… I didn’t know they existed! That and the Backcountry Sealline. If I can get them in the just the right size I think I might be able to make it work. I could run the Oxygen tubing down the length of the tank (instead of out the top like normal), and leave a small opening for the frozen air/moisture and the tubing to go out at the base. Then place the whole contraption in the backpack. As long as I’m not upside down or laying down it should keep it in good condition I think.
Houngan - the tanks you posted from that link. Much Too heavy for the amount of O2 they can deliver at the high rates I need. The nice thing about liquid compressed gas is though it’s nearly frozen when it comes out, it gives you a lot of gas for the weight vs. dry. Remember I’m not an old emphysema patient sitting around home or doing some light shopping :) That’s what a lot of those are designed for. My air demands are more on par with what a firefighter uses, except I can’t wear a 30 lb tank (and those only last 30-60 minutes anyways). Why do I do this stuff even though it’s kinda beyond my capacity? I’m not sure. Maybe I can’t handle things without going outside trying to make our little ecosystem bigger and better? Maybe it feels like I’ve lost the battle if I have to give up. It’s participating in the joy of life - and when I can it’s soooo super wonderful. :)
Sure man, I don’t know your needs so I was ballparking. They also make drypack backpacks for the total experience, and your idea of going out of the bottom makes a lot of sense. You could even epoxy in a coupling so that you wouldn’t have to snake it every time. And why do you do this stuff? Because it’s stuff that needs to be done, no other reason.
Also, IIRC you’re around Grand Rapids. Cabela’s carries a decent selection of drybags so take yose’f there and see what fits, no need to internet guesstimate.
I have never been to a store like Cabela’s before (nor that Duck store, Duck’s unlimited is it?), or the fishing one, so Houngan I am so glad you told me to go there as I would have spent a lot of time trying to spacialize dimensions from on-line store descriptions. I can’t wait to go now! Hopefully Cabella’s isn’t too far away.
At the low tech end of the scale I use large food grade plastic bags for honey extraction. The ones I currently use are 60x90cm but you can get them in larger sizes. These ones are strong enough to hold 30lbs+ of Honey without breaking/stretching. Just thinking that one of those and a few zip ties might be a relatively straightforward option?
You got it! I’d be happy to help, and since we’re redoing the Frop Bog, I’m testing some new theories this time around.
Nellie - 30 lbs?! Like English lbs? That is a lot of weight for a ziploc bag. Curious, is the zipper able to keep all that weight in and not let it out? My fully loaded tank is ~12 lbs.
Can you spray all the electronics with circuit board laqueur? That would water proof those electrics components.
Otherwise, smear it all with silicon (all = electronic components). Use neutral cure silicon, as that will not attack any metals.
Jeff, yes they do 15 kilos ish of liquid with no problem but there’s no ziploc on it, hence the suggestion to use some zip ties/cable ties around the hose. The bag would be more than strong enough to resist bumps and scrapes not to mention big enough for the tank, plus give water resistance
Doubt you need to go all the way to Cabela’s just for dry bags. Meijer should have them in the hunting/camping section or even gasp Walmart if you could bring yourself to that.
