Carry An Extra o2 Tank

[eJM]

As my lung disease progresses, I require more oxygen. When I was first diagnosed with emphysema, it was already severe and I was told to be on o2 whenever I was not sitting. They set me up with tanks - M6 size for portability and E tanks for dragging around on a little cart. I was given an electric powered concentrator, which I was to use when I sleep or when moving around my apartment. They gave me 25 and 50' hoses for that.

I didn't like the shoulder bag they gave me for the M6 tanks. Things like that always slip off my shoulder and it's just too awkward to do anything that requires a little movement and 2 arms. And riding around on a Segway was no fun with that thing. So, I bought myself a CamelBak backpack and it worked really well. It was even more stylish.

Couple years later, the VA puts oxygen supplies out for bid again and another company won and they had portable concentrators. But the backpack harness for those made me look like I stole a backpack from a 5th grader. I got used to it though. But the company only had one model and when my o2 needs increased beyond the capacity of the portable concentrator, they told me I had to go back to tanks.

This time, they didn't want me to have the M6 tanks. They didn't hold enough o2 for much more than an hour at my settings, even less if I used continuous flow. I've been known to be out and about on my Seg for hours - not gliding all the time, but going to town, shopping, restaurants, visiting with friends. But I convinced them I could manage with M6s. My pulmonary doc said he would need to be sure, or he wouldn't continue to prescribe the M6 size tanks for me.

I had the followup appointment yesterday and he was impressed. I hope you will be too. All it took was less than $10.00 worth of material (less than 20, if you count the glue). There is a small problem, which I will explain below the pictures.















I glide pretty aggressively. Going around corners sharply and jumping off curbs and bouncing over rough terrain cause the holder to twist on the shaft. My legs keep it from going over as far as it shows in the picture, but it's still irritating. I think I can fix that problem by adding a thin layer of rubber (like from an inner tube) to the shaft attachment piece.

The holder is made from 4" and 2" PVC and a 4" PVC end cap. I glued them together with JB Weld after filing a flat spot on the 2" half-pipe to get a bigger contact patch (I contoured it a little with sandpaper and my finger, so it's not actually flat). I cut slots through the 4" pipe that would allow the velcro strap to pass through and act as a clamp for the tank, to keep it from bouncing around inside the tube. I cut a slit along the length of a narrow rubber hose and will glue it to the 4" pipe's open end. The bottom of the 2" half-pipe rests on the collar of the shaft base. There are several holes drilled in the cap to allow for drainage - I don't mind gliding in the rain or snow. I imagine this could easily be adapted to the i2/x2 too - and without the twisting issue I have on my i170.

The pictures above aren't the finished product. I haven't finished sanding and painting, but I wanted to take it on a test ride the other day and then show it off to the doc yesterday. Now I carry a full tank in the holder and use the tank in my backpack (just got this nice looking one: Rig 700 Ballistic, by Geigerrig). If I manage my activities and time, I can go nearly 3 hours. Even aggressive Segging doesn't take 5 or even 4 lpm, so I can dial it down to 3 while gliding and bump it up when I have to walk or talk for extended time. My saturation levels are always lower than normal people, but I can keep them around 91 or 92 and above.

I wanted to share this with any of you who are also tethered to an oxygen hose. If you are like me, you don't want lung disease to keep you from enjoying life as much as you can. And any of you that don't need this for o2, maybe you can make something like this for a beverage, or to hold your tripod when you go out to take those beautiful landscape pictures, or for some other purpose.

Best R'gards,

Jim