Playing Sports

I place an M6 or M9 tank with a continuous or pulsing regulator inside a small/medium backpack. A hiking pack designed for a water bladder is ideal because it has an opening for the nasal cannula while allowing me to fully zip the pack.

I insert my cannula through the opening of the backpack, making sure that the tubing does not get crimped where it attaches to the tank. I pull the excess tubing into the backpack, leaving out enough tubing to be comfortable around my head.

I connect 50 foot oxygen tubing to my cannula and secure the tubing to the oxygen regulator. I check to make sure there are no tangles or kinks in the tubing.

I wrap a towel around the regulator to protect it from splashes. When I place the tank securely near the pool to maximize the length of the tube, I make sure the tank is not close enough that it will fall in the pool. Usually, I choose to lay the oxygen cart on its side because I am worried that other kids might knock it over.

I have found this also works well at the beach, but I always have a friend or family member stay with my tank while I am in the water as the waves are unpredictable.

Skiing

I set up my oxygen tank in a backpack like the directions in "Playing Sports" above. I place an oven mitt over the entire regulator so it won't freeze. When my regulator gets too cold, it stops functioning. We have found that an oven mitt is thin enough to fit inside the backpack while insulating the regulator from the cold. I need to make sure the cord is not crimped inside the oven mitt before I fully zip the backpack so that the tank is secure.

I have found it useful to experiment with wearing my backpack on the front, as the weight of the pack can disrupt my balance. When I was younger and smaller, I preferred to wear my backpack on the front and zip my jacket over it during skiing. Now that I'm older and taller, I prefer to wear it on my back.

Paddleboarding/ Kayaking

I place an M6 or M9 tank (with a continuous flow regulator) in a waterproof drybag and arrange the tubing connected to the tank so it is in a straight perpedicular line from the regulator out the side of the drybag.

I roll the top of the drybag to cloes it completely. I don't want water to seep in around the tubing. I always secure the drybag inside a life vest so that it will float if it falls in the water. Once the drybag is secure in the life vest, I strap the life vest to the paddleboard or kayak so it doesn't fall off.