CPAP and vacation

[gingerdos]

My husband and I both use CPAP machines. We are going on a vacation in midwest USA. We will be traveling from Vegas, NV to Zion Canyon Park, to Lake Powell, to the Grand Canyon, to Sedona, AZ. So we will be spending a lot of time with our CPAP machines a parked car.

We will be stopping at parks for hours before leaving to go to our next hotel. The day time temperatures could reach 100 degrees F. We are wondering if the CPAP machines will be harmed by the high temp. in the car. How can we protect them. My husbands idea is to leave them in the passenger compartment with the windows open a crack. I guess I would throw a light jacket over them to prevent theft.

Will the extreme heat harm the machines?

Has anyone had this experience?

Any suggestions on how to keep them cool?

Ginger

[roster]

........My husbands idea is to leave them in the passenger compartment with the windows open a crack. .........

Ginger,

Even with the windows cracked, the greenhouse effect could raise temperatures to 160F in the cockpit.

Does your vehicle have a trunk? With a light colored vehicle, trunk temperatures will be no higher than outside temperatures. Even if the vehicle is dark colored, temperatures in the trunk will never approach what they can get to in the cockpit.

Also, in the cockpit, you run a higher risk of having the precious machines stolen.

If you do put them in the trunk, make sure the trunk release inside the cockpit is locked. A buddy of mine did not lock his in the rental car. He had a breakin in the cockpit and then they stole his machine from the trunk. Police told him if he had locked the trunk release the thieves would probably never have taken the trouble to break open the trunk. Thieves take what is easy and leave quickly.

Sounds like a nice trip. Be sure to have a supply of distilled water. In the dry air you may need to crank your CPAP humidifier up a bit.

[Uncle_Bob]

As rooster said the trunk of your car is probably the best bet, maybe in a cooler?

I think another concern is do your machines have the automatic altitude adjustment? the places you mentioned range from about sea level all the way up to 6000+ feet above sea level.

I would recommend taking power extension cords and surge protectors to use in the hotels.

Enjoy your vacation

[momadams]

I use those "cool bags" - the kind sold for transporting frozen food - for my CPAP and flutes when I need to leave them in the car.
Shari

[DBoone]

If you do put them in the trunk, make sure the trunk release inside the cockpit is locked. A buddy of mine did not lock his in the rental car. He had a breakin in the cockpit and then they stole his machine from the trunk. Police told him if he had locked the trunk release the thieves would probably never have taken the trouble to break open the trunk. Thieves take what is easy and leave quickly.

I never knew you could do that. I'll have to go check my trunk now.

[roster]

If you do put them in the trunk, make sure the trunk release inside the cockpit is locked. A buddy of mine did not lock his in the rental car. He had a breakin in the cockpit and then they stole his machine from the trunk. Police told him if he had locked the trunk release the thieves would probably never have taken the trouble to break open the trunk. Thieves take what is easy and leave quickly.

I never knew you could do that. I'll have to go check my trunk now.

It's been three hours and he is not back! Someone call 911.

[Bigburd2008]

If you do put them in the trunk, make sure the trunk release inside the cockpit is locked. A buddy of mine did not lock his in the rental car. He had a breakin in the cockpit and then they stole his machine from the trunk. Police told him if he had locked the trunk release the thieves would probably never have taken the trouble to break open the trunk. Thieves take what is easy and leave quickly.

I never knew you could do that. I'll have to go check my trunk now.

It's been three hours and he is not back! Someone call 911.

0630 and no response. Hope he did not lock himself in the trunk.

[gingerdos]

Thanks for all the ideas. The cooler bag in the trunk sounds good. We will have a trunk!!
Thanks everyone!
Ginger