I fly a C-182 with a better than 1100 lb useful load. With half tanks, full camping and survival equipment and my wife along, we are well below that. Does anybody ever bring along a quiet generator for trips into the backcountry? Both my wife and I use CPAP for sleeping. She is a small thing but her snoring is at > 100 db without her machine (at least that is what it sounds like to me). The generator I am thinking of is a 50db 45 lb unit-Pulsar PG2300iS, and if we camp a bit away from people (which we would have to do anyway to prevent being shot for snoring) it would not be a noise problem. What do forum members think about this? Has anyone ever done this? Thanks, Frank

I think ANYthing that makes noise, ANY noise, is going to make you unpopular with backcountry campers. If you're in wilderness, or go into wilderness, generators are prohibited.

One of the reasons folks go to these places is to enjoy the "natural quiet". Even a very quiet generator is going to irritate some folks, especially if it's running all night.....

MTV

Your probably aware that many of the airstrips are inside wilderness areas so generators are prohibited. I’ve seen generators used at strips are aren’t inside wilderness areas; usually for making coffee at 6:30am before going flying. I personally feel that an early morning generator wake up call is annoying enough; if you leave the thing running all night you might wake up to a missing generator. I’m sure that at some locations you could camp at the far end of the strip and the sound of a creek or river would prevent other users from hearing the generator.

My other concern would be wildfires. Generators start wildfires every year and if it happened while you were sleeping it would likely be too big to stop by the time you noticed it. There goes your airplane and a desirable camping location. Proper generator location selection can pretty much eliminate this issue.

Perhaps a battery bank and solar array would be a better solution.

I have seen a portable power pack used to run a cpap for up to 3 nights. You can even get a solar charger to charge it during the day.
They are only a few pounds and can be bought for a couple hundred dollars.

Have you thought of using a "Solar Generator"

IMHO verry misleading name as they are really battery packs with built in inverters that can be recharged via solar, shore power or generator.

They come in many sizes, I know many campers use them for cpap machines. You'll need to do some math and figure out how big of a battery you need.

For example (I'm making numbers up, I don't know how much energy your cpap uses).

Lets say the CPAP machine is 120volt, uses 0.4 amps continously, and runs for 8 hours per night.

watts=volts x amps = 120 x 0.4 = 48 watts

No to determine watt-hours needed, simply multiply by run time.

Watt-hours = watts x hours = 48 x 8 = 384 watt hours.

Based on the example, the "solar charger" below, would give you almost three nights between recharges, it has a 1000 watt-hour battery.

https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-Portable ... 07743f5512



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All good points and I was not aware of the regs. No Generator it is. Solar generator it is.

MTV wrote: I think ANYthing that makes noise, ANY noise, is going to make you unpopular with backcountry campers. If you're in wilderness, or go into wilderness, generators are prohibited. One of the reasons folks go to these places is to enjoy the "natural quiet".

Um, all due respect, but y'all didn't come in by mule. Airplanes make a lot of noise. You are giving the same argument that the anti-backcountry flying people give to argue for restrictions on backcountry flying. True, no one lands or takes off at night, and I agree with the other responses, especially if illegal or a fire danger. However, airplanes are not producers of "natural quiet."

Thanks all, agree no generators.

Frankenflaps wrote:MTV wrote: I think ANYthing that makes noise, ANY noise, is going to make you unpopular with backcountry campers. If you're in wilderness, or go into wilderness, generators are prohibited. One of the reasons folks go to these places is to enjoy the "natural quiet".

Um, all due respect, but y'all didn't come in by mule. Airplanes make a lot of noise. You are giving the same argument that the anti-backcountry flying people give to argue for restrictions on backcountry flying. True, no one lands or takes off at night, and I agree with the other responses, especially if illegal or a fire danger. However, airplanes are not producers of "natural quiet."

Thanks all, agree no generators.

Ummmm, YOU were describing something that makes noise all night! An airplane, as I’ve pointed out to quite a few non aviation types, is a very transient noise source, NOT something that’s humming all night.

While our airplanes make some noise, it’s a very brief disturbance.

Please don’t try to put me in the category of anti aviation. I’ve been jamming throttles on these things for more than a few years.

MTV

The so called "solar generators" are a rip-off, made for those unable or unwilling to put together their own battery pack, inverter (if even needed, there may be low voltage DC CPAPs, no inverters means no inverter losses. For the same price, a person could buy a bigger, higher quality battery, not no name Chinese junk, same with any solar and the other components. Find a reputable off grid solar supplier (Backwoods Solar, Arizona Wind and Sun are two, 30 plus years experience) tell them what you are trying to do, and you will get.much more bang for your buck, over the junk equipment in a pretty box the sol gen people are pushing.

Most places I land have nobody around. Oregon Coast is helicopter friendly too.

Yamaha works for warm fresh coffee and a preheat in winter when there’s no Sun.

MTV,
Ummmm, I did point out that no one takes off and lands at night. I also pointed out that in fact airplanes are the antithesis of "natural quiet." You stated that, and I quote: "ANYTHING that makes noise..." I did not put you in the category of anti-aviation, but your argument is, in fact, in that category. Sorry, you made the statements, and claiming that your statements only apply to quiet at night ignores a logical fallacy. My oh my, touchy, aren't we?
All Best,
Frank

I have the 1000 watt Honda inverter. 28 lb. plus fuel. Runs my 850 Watt preheated at 3650’ ASL no problem. Very quiet. Check run time on a single tank for your given load though. At 850 Watts, I get two hours to empty.

I use a Honda EU1000i on my camping trips. It only weighs 29 lbs and it is super quiet. It won’t offend anyone at 42 to 50 dB(A).

I have no idea of the length of legs you're planning on flying. But if you're camping I assume you're not ten minutes away. But one thing that raises my eyebrows is going half tanks to fit creature comforts in. I've seen quite a few get too sexy in this department. I know of one guy who dead sticked a turbo commander with ten people onto a road with no gas. There was no damage thankfully. He was being ramped checked on departure and went a little skinny. I've witness another punch through an inch think front window when he ran out of gas downwind. He nor the aircraft survived.
These aircraft have the dodgiest fuel systems, all be it much safer by a big multiple, with digital fuel flows. Not however infallible.
All I'm saying is don't go to skinny on the gas to load up with stuff.

It's amazing how much sound can travel in the backcountry. I vividly recall a past fishing trip to one of the many island in northern MN. Someone on a neighboring island had a generator running all night long. The sound carried for what seemed like miles, sure made for a terrible backcountry experience. JMHO

courierguy wrote:The so called "solar generators" are a rip-off, made for those unable or unwilling to put together their own battery pack, inverter (if even needed, there may be low voltage DC CPAPs, no inverters means no inverter losses. For the same price, a person could buy a bigger, higher quality battery, not no name Chinese junk, same with any solar and the other components. Find a reputable off grid solar supplier (Backwoods Solar, Arizona Wind and Sun are two, 30 plus years experience) tell them what you are trying to do, and you will get.much more bang for your buck, over the junk equipment in a pretty box the sol gen people are pushing.

I have to agree with the above statement. While absolutely appealing, "solar generators" are sold to those who can't do math. The solar panel isn't even 1/10 the size needed to put any serious juice back into the internal battery. I suppose if you were stranded on a rock with a dead InReach you could eventually get a few watts into it for a rescue, but power a 'Merican lifestyle? Not a chance.

As a person who used to get around on a large sailboat I understand how late night or early morning generators are viewed. We were as neighborly as possible and wouldn't fire up the genset before 9am and ran it only briefly before dark. I also travel by motorcycle which involves camping, and I routinely observe lousy generator etiquette.

Natural quiet is QUIET, and all I'm left with is the ringing in my ears.

WWhunter wrote:It's amazing how much sound can travel in the backcountry. I vividly recall a past fishing trip to one of the many island in northern MN. Someone on a neighboring island had a generator running all night long. The sound carried for what seemed like miles, sure made for a terrible backcountry experience. JMHO

Its amazing how well sound carries across water, I've listened to full conversations on occasion from some distance.

Enter the: Yamaha EF2000iSv2 portable genset (it is great)!

Yamaha dealer close for parts and service in case it breaks. This unit has been used for pressure washing a boat berthed in tropical water (major fouling) for (7) years. Also, power tools, charging batteries, big shopvac and lights at night.

Easily transported in an aircraft. Never had a complaint even in quite marinas with retired affluent yachtsmen as neighbors. But, I’m not a chronic electrical fiend either.

NOTE: The video sound has been removed for sensitive viewers. I don’t want to offend.

Frankenflaps wrote:MTV,
Ummmm, I did point out that no one takes off and lands at night. I also pointed out that in fact airplanes are the antithesis of "natural quiet." You stated that, and I quote: "ANYTHING that makes noise..." I did not put you in the category of anti-aviation, but your argument is, in fact, in that category. Sorry, you made the statements, and claiming that your statements only apply to quiet at night ignores a logical fallacy. My oh my, touchy, aren't we?
All Best,
Frank

Wound a little tight, are we, Frank??

Just keep us posted where you're going to be camping so we can be sure to be elsewhere....

MTV

courierguy wrote:The so called "solar generators" are a rip-off, made for those unable or unwilling to put together their own battery pack, inverter (if even needed, there may be low voltage DC CPAPs, no inverters means no inverter losses. For the same price, a person could buy a bigger, higher quality battery, not no name Chinese junk, same with any solar and the other components. Find a reputable off grid solar supplier (Backwoods Solar, Arizona Wind and Sun are two, 30 plus years experience) tell them what you are trying to do, and you will get.much more bang for your buck, over the junk equipment in a pretty box the sol gen people are pushing.

I agree a DIY unit can be done cheaper. However some people don't enjoy such DIY projects, and or prefer the fit and finish of a manufactured package that just works that they can buy and throw in their camping gear.

This could be said on a larger scale too... why spend $250k + on a "newish" Cessna, when you could build a brand new RV-10 from scratch that would perform better and be better equipped.

I myself would DIY one... to each their own.

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