Any need for a travel machine?

I often read references to people buying a 2nd machine for travel purposes. Fortunately if I do travel it is only 3-4x a year and perhaps 1-2 nights per trip. Given how rare my travels are, not sure the need of a travel machine exists.

What I would find reasonable is buying a 2nd CPAP machine for home use, as a "back up" incase my main CPAP fails. How likely is that to happen? My DME is 10 minutes away and seems to respond 24/7 if needed.

I installed a battery-back up on my CPAP machine so in the unlikely event of power failure it won't interrupt flow, also being in South Florida, home of frequent power surges the CPAP will be protected should a power surge pulse through the electrical lines of my house. Most of us put surge protectors on our home computers, flat-screens, etc... why not spent the $30 to protect our CPAP machines which also has a battery-backup built in! Seems like a win-win.

Would like to hear your thoughts about purchasing a 2nd CPAP machine for the "just in case" event. How many people have them? Is there a compelling need? All advice is appreciated.

Jace

I have a second unit for travel but I spend a lot of time traveling. The reason I have the second unit is two-fold: first, it is much smaller than my primary machines which makes it easier to get into my carry-on, and second, it saves me from having to tear down and setup the primary system each time. I suppose that travel unit would work as a backup to my primary if it broke some night but I expect I'd just deal without the machine for the remainder of that evening and then call the DME in the morning.

I happen to have a second machine from the last time I was on Cpap. I actually had two extra.....one was an old S8 which I donated to the Sleep Clinic where I go. I was going to donate the other one but my doctor suggested I set it up in the living room by my favorite chair for when I dozed off in front of the tv or reading. I also will probably use it for when I travel which is not that often. I think the chair thing is good advice but I procrastinate a lot and haven't yet.

Personally, I no longer want to sleep without treatment so would always like to have a machine for emergencies. When I can afford it, I will buy a battery back-up.

JaceS wrote:Would like to hear your thoughts about purchasing a 2nd CPAP machine for the "just in case" event. How many people have them? Is there a compelling need? All advice is appreciated.

This gets discussed periodically and answers vary considerably depending mostly on circumstances. Some people have a spare just because they got a new machine for some reason and the old one still works. Others bought a spare when they found a bargain that was too good to pass. Some have a spare because they travel a lot and don't want to constantly risk their primary machine. Some have a spare because they don't have insurance and couldn't replace theirs easily if/when it breaks. And some don't feel the need to have one since they have the money or insurance to deal with a problem quickly if an issue arises.

In the end, the only real question is... would YOU be okay if something happened to your primary unexpectedly.

I recently got a second machine (Resmed S9 autoset, same as my primary machine). I got it for a couple reasons. One, I really don't know how fast I got a replacement or repair if something happened. I fired the DME I got it from as they were useless. So, I would have to go somewhere else and wait for insurance approval.

Second, I do travel a bit, by car, and I usually stay in a hotel at least one weekend a month. It's not a big deal to take the same machine, but I have two problems with travel. There is a higher risk of my machine being stolen as the travel bag looks similar to a laptop bag. I do keep it inside another tote bag to try and disguise it. But It does worry me that my machine could be stolen, and I don't know how long it would take for the various insurance companies to fight over who would pay for it if anybody. I mean, if it is stolen from a hotel room, would it be covered by my medical insurance? I doubt my car insurance would cover it. I would be out of luck and no cash to buy a machine in a hurry.

I also have the problem that I get home from my trips, exhausted, and sometimes fail to set up my machine before falling asleep. So, I use it on my trip, no problem, then come home and sleep an extra long night without my machine. Major headache in the morning. With two machines, this is not an issue.

I found my machine on craigslist. I checked a couple times a week for 3 months, and I found a nice condition, Resmed S9 autoset for $200. It has fewer run hours than my current machine. I was actually looking for any Resmed S9, even a straight cpap Escape,. I just wanted to make sure it was the same basic setup and sound, with interchangeable parts. I got really lucky finding an autoset for that price. I have found, though, that if I am not in a hurry, I can check frequently, and eventually, a great deal will come along.

JaceS wrote:
Would like to hear your thoughts about purchasing a 2nd CPAP machine for the "just in case" event. How many people have them? Is there a compelling need? All advice is appreciated.

Jace

travel or backup machine = samething
cuz your dme is 10 mins away has no bearing
fwiw they will not respond for a cpap problem after business hrs, period
your machine could fail on fri (or thur) before a long holiday weekend
when mine failed it took my dme 5 bus days to bring me another machine
thankfully i had a travel machine

if you are used to sleeping with the cpap trying sleeping w/o it for a nite
that should help you make up your mind

jaye8898 wrote:Personally, I no longer want to sleep without treatment so would always like to have a machine for emergencies.

My travel/backup was new from our hosts.
Medicare does not know about it.
I paid for it.

I like a travel/backup machine for many reasons. I frequently stay with my mother-in-law after she's been hospitalized, or after she has out-patient surgery. Its much easier than taking my machine apart, packing it up & taking it with me. Also, I like the extra insurance of having that machine as a back-up in case my primary machine goes out. For me sleeping without CPAP means NOT SLEEPING. I literally cannot sleep without my machine. If power goes out we have a generator here at home. I plan to buy a battery back up power source soon from our hosts, cpap.com.

If you are relatively new to CPAP, the need for another machine may seen like overkill, but after you sleep with it for awhile, you will see why no one wants to sleep without it. Also, for many of us its dangerous to sleep without our machines. I sleep better knowing I have that 'extra protection' if my machine malfunctions. As for travel, its great to get home & not have to drag my machine out of the bag & set it up again when I'm tired & just want to go to bed.