travel machine

[aavenger]

hey looking for a compact machine cpap for travel antone have some advice?

[D.H.]

As far as I know, most travel machines do not offer humidifiers or are almost as large as standard CPAPs once they're included. See if you can use your current CPAP without humidification before you start looking around.

At one time, travel CPAPs did not offer altitude adjustment (I don't think that this is the case anymore). This is kind of ludicrous, as you need this on a travel machine much more than you would need this on your home machine!

[ChicagoGranny]

hey looking for a compact machine cpap for travel antone have some advice?

What is your current primary machine? Is it giving you good therapy?

Please update your equipment profile.

[Cardsfan]

If you need a battery option, I like my Dreamstation GO with battery. Nice machine, but, not really much smaller than my everyday machine. It is also heavy when you add the battery. Another one is Resmed AirMini. But, the reviews say it is loud. It looks really tiny in the pics.
These are the 2 newest travel machines. There are 2 older ones, Transcend and Z1.

[chunkyfrog]

I invested in an Intellipap, because it will run on any 12 VDC supply.

[SewTired]

What type of travel do you plan to do? Camping? Car Camping? Motel to motel? Air? Train? Cruise? Recommendations can change depending on your plans.

[edatlanta]

I just returned last night from a 5 day trip to Keystone, CO and since I'm a new CPAP user and only have one device I took my Dreamstation with me. It packed fine in my suitcase with clothes around it for protection. A little extra weight, but the suitcase rolls so....

The altitude adjustment make my usage seem just like home in central Alabama. The high altitude, 9,200', and temps in the low single digits and very low humidity payed havoc with my nose, but I worked through it and slept fine. I did turn the humidity setting up to 5 and felt I could have used a setting of 10.

At this point I don't see a need for a specific travel machine, but then I'm retired. If I was using a CPAP when I still worked it would be a much different story.

[LSAT]

hey looking for a compact machine cpap for travel antone have some advice?

I would use your back up S8 without the humidifier...Quieter than most travel machines.

[hobbs]

hey looking for a compact machine cpap for travel antone have some advice?

I would use your back up S8 without the humidifier...Quieter than most travel machines.

That is my travel machine of choice.

[ChicagoGranny]

It packed fine in my suitcase with clothes around it for protection. A little extra weight, but the suitcase rolls so....

This goes against all recommendations to carry the CPAP and accessories on board in a medical bag. (A medical bag does not count against carry-on limit.)

[CapnLoki]

It packed fine in my suitcase with clothes around it for protection. A little extra weight, but the suitcase rolls so....

This goes against all recommendations to carry the CPAP and accessories on board in a medical bag. (A medical bag does not count against carry-on limit.)

You're right except when you're totally wrong. If you need the extra space, a "medical bag" is the right way to go. But if you can fit it in a carry on, as I do for my short trips, that's fine too. If you're driving its OK to put it in a suitcase. The real no-no is to check it in luggage where it could easily get damaged or separated. Although I've never had a problem myself, I seen enough issues to treat checked luggage as "maybe I'll see this again someday!"

[Okie bipap]

When my job required a lot of travel, I had my luggage lost three or four times. It usually caught up with me within 24 hours. Once, my bag got damaged so badly, it could not be salvaged. I used a large, hard side suitcase, and always put a rainbow colored strap around it so I could easily identify it. When I got to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on one trip, the only thing that kept my clothes from spilling all over the conveyer belt was the strap I used for identification. It looked like the suitcase had fallen off the cart onto the tarmack and then run over by the cart. The airline wanted to send the case in to see if it could be fixed. I told them that was unacceptable as this was the first day of a five day, three city trip. I bought a new bag, and gave the receipt and old bag to the airline. They said they could not cut a check for more that $100, so I told them to just give me two checks. They did, and I left the next morning with a new suitcase.

[edatlanta]

It packed fine in my suitcase with clothes around it for protection. A little extra weight, but the suitcase rolls so....

This goes against all recommendations to carry the CPAP and accessories on board in a medical bag. (A medical bag does not count against carry-on limit.)

I am aware of that, but I was traveling with my wife and two 10 year old grandchildren. There was no room on my body for another carry on.

[edatlanta]

It packed fine in my suitcase with clothes around it for protection. A little extra weight, but the suitcase rolls so....

This goes against all recommendations to carry the CPAP and accessories on board in a medical bag. (A medical bag does not count against carry-on limit.)

You're right except when you're totally wrong. If you need the extra space, a "medical bag" is the right way to go. But if you can fit it in a carry on, as I do for my short trips, that's fine too. If you're driving its OK to put it in a suitcase. The real no-no is to check it in luggage where it could easily get damaged or separated. Although I've never had a problem myself, I seen enough issues to treat checked luggage as "maybe I'll see this again someday!"

As I stated to the first response to my post, I didn't have more room on my body for another carry on. I have traveled more than 1,000,000 miles via air in my working career and I made the decision to put my CPAP at risk. If it didn't make it I would buy another one. Acceptable risk IMHO. Not for every trip, but certainly the right decision for this trip. Most of the time if will be in it's travel case in my hand.

[Passport in-hand]

Travel machine or not?
Rather than purchasing a device specifically for travel, may I suggest an alternative? Just a thought and something for you to digest without knowing your scope and intensions. Depending on the type and age of your machine, purchase an new home CPAP and use your old one as the travel kit. You may have an older and heavier machine - and that might not work. I’ve owned the Resmed S9 and had no problems with it traveling. The S9 came with a travel bag and fits well in my carry-on bag. I now have the Resmed S10 AirCurve, the newer of the Resmed bunch. I now segregate the S9 as my travel machine.

IF your current machine is still in operation and IF your insurance company allows for a newer machine; may I suggest purchasing a new machine and travel with the old one, as I have. Again, I don’t know you situation and this is just my suggestion. IF your current machine included a travel kit, I would certainly use it - rather than opting for a travel specific-device. Something noteworthy: If travel space is a concern, the travel device with it’s accessories still occupies space - and is also much louder (fan noise) than the conventional machine - and may require a physical ‘learning curve’ to sustain quality sleep.

For additional, hopefully helpful tips, here’s a post I made a while back.
Good luck!

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