A tip for travelers (flying)

[oceanthrsty]

I travel quite a bit for work. Most of it is driving, so I just toss everything into my cpap bag (hose, power, cpap w/ humidifier, mask or 2).

So when I flew for the first time with my cpap I pretty much did the same thing. Threw everything in the bag, made up some medical luggage tag and zip tied it on, and off to the airport I went.

Little did I know they were going to man handle the entire device and make me pull most of it out and the mask falling every where. On my return trip I was randomly selected for secondary screening. Now literally everything is strewn about and being man handled by some guy who's wearing gloves. His hands are clean but the table and his the gloves have probably touched 1000 other people in the last hour and now my mask that goes on my face.

So the moral is... put at least your mask in a ziplock back so when it's flying around TSA screening and will eventually hit the floor it'll stay clean.

[Goofproof]

My tip for traveling, (flying). Don't get into any aluminum tubes that are going to be pushed in the air at 35,000 ft, that you have no control over, with hundreds of people you don't know or like or trust.

Or stay home, or travel by personal vehicle, have a adventure. Jim

[chunkyfrog]

I have traveled in those tubes, but not for several years.
It was OK. ---THEN . . .

[grayghost4]

the only I will ever fly again is in a box being shipped somewhere that someone else is paying for .... and then it will probably be in an brass urn

And I will not need my Cpap ...cause it will not be breathing

[SewTired]

My tip for traveling, (flying). Don't get into any aluminum tubes that are going to be pushed in the air at 35,000 ft, that you have no control over, with hundreds of people you don't know or like or trust.

Or stay home, or travel by personal vehicle, have a adventure. Jim

How is this even useful advice? Why put your rant here?

To oceanthrsty: Thanks. Great tip! I haven't flown for years, but hope to fly to use my frequent flyer miles from years ago in 2016.

[sleepwiggler]

My last flight was last year to Dallas, TX. I had no issues, I didn't even have a medical device tag. TSA only had me open my case. I get the point though if chosen for secondary screening.

[betam4x]

My tip for traveling, (flying). Don't get into any aluminum tubes that are going to be pushed in the air at 35,000 ft, that you have no control over, with hundreds of people you don't know or like or trust.

Or stay home, or travel by personal vehicle, have a adventure. Jim

Well then I hope you don't drive. Look at the stats for airline accidents in the US for the past 5 years and compare them to the stats of car accidents for one single day, then tell me if you still think driving is safer than flying. As a matter of fact, in the US, for the past 5 years only 2 people have been killed, and that was on a private UPS flight! During that time there were more than 150,000 (150 THOUSAND) deaths due to car accidents...to say nothing of severe, permanent injuries.

[Janknitz]

You can put your machine in a large zip lock bag AND ask the TSA agent to put clean gloves on before "manhandling" your equipment.

[russatore]

I travel ( fly ) very often ( 2-4 times a month)and always with my CPAP hand carried and yes from time to time you find the idiot who wants to look at your machine when going thru the X-ray.
Most of the time they are curious, they have never seen anything like this, they have not been trained properly or they just don't like your face.
I have everything packed in separate zip locks in the CPAP carrying case and in the front pouch I have a standing, valid doctor prescription written in english saying I am required to fly with my CPAP.
In the unlucky event I get pulled over the first thing I do is pulling out the prescription and 90% of the cases that will do without having them fiddle thru the carry case. If they insist they want to open I open and show them and if they attempt to open the zip log I politely request they put on clean gloves.

So far only once in the past 8 months someone pulled on clean gloves otherwise they just brush you off.
Today security checks are a pain but a necessary deterrent and I don't find travelling with a CPAP being any additional inconvenience more then pulling off your shoes, your belts or all your electronic equipments.

[cherylann]

I flew Southwest the other day and breezed right through security. No questions asked about any of my three carry-ons (CPAP, computer, and tote). Didn't have to open anything or remove anything.

I wish somebody would design a roller bag that would hold a laptop and a CPAP. The bag that came with my RESMED S10 if great for the machine, but I can barely cram the mask into the outside pocket.