Travel/Hotel Question

[caffeinatedcfo]

I found some good travel tips, but have a specific question.

What should I do with my equipment in the hotel during the day? Those of you that travel, do you leave it out with a note to housekeeping to leave it be?

[StuUnderPressure]

I found some good travel tips, but have a specific question.

What should I do with my equipment in the hotel during the day? Those of you that travel, do you leave it out with a note to housekeeping to leave it be?

Even with a note, "I" would never trust housekeeping to leave it be.
Or, they could accidentally knock it down while cleaning the room.

I always empty the humidifier of water & put everything in the bag on top of my other empty luggage in the closet.

I also keep a very small combination lock on it just to keep the curious out of it.

[jdm2857]

I haven't traveled with my CPAP (except to relatives' houses) but I think it would be a good idea to
empty the humidifier and put the equipment into a drawer. That way there's no way it will
accidentally get knocked to the floor.

[DiverCTHunter]

I've left my equipment set up with the travel hose hanger at both 2 and 4 star motels. Never had an issue.

[HoseCrusher]

I travel a lot. I picked up a silicone baking sheet that is slightly larger than the footprint of my machine. I set the sheet down on the floor and put the machine on it.

Usually there is an end table or something that the phone sits on. Many times this has an open lower space that I can fit my machine and hose into. My mask came with a cloth bag and I use that.

In the morning I dump the water in my humidifier, put the cloth bag over my mask and stuff everything under the table. I have a certain way that I lay things and have never had it disturbed in any way.

I have a good idea of how much water I use so I just fill my humidifier with enough water to make it through the night. This minimizes the amount of water I have to dump in the morning.

On a side note I have found that when traveling with my wife we end up with a lot of "stuff" in the room. It has been my observation over the years that in general the housekeeping staff doesn't like to incur the wrath that comes from messing with other peoples "stuff."

In general if you leave them enough room to make the bed they will work around your machine.

[Tino2You]

I put my mask and hose in the mask bag and left the rest of the setup ready to go. I did not have any problems. One thing to always remember is to bring an strip extension cord.

-tino

[zoocrewphoto]

I usually move the machine to a dresser drawer. If I am leaving the do not disturb sign on the door (to avoid cleaning that day), I will leave it out, but put a towel over it just in case.

[Denial Dave]

I've been putting my mask and hose directly in the travel bag in the mornings. After emptying it, I put my empty humidifier in a plastic bag and then put it in the travel bag.

Depending on the hotel rooms layout, I've been leaving the machine either on the desk table or I store in my big luggage bag.

Dave

[Drowsy Dancer]

I guess I've been living dangerously. I just leave it out.

I tend to remove the Bible and phone book from the top drawer in the nightstand that is invariably by the bed and put the machine in the open drawer.

I like the idea of the towel and the silicone baking sheet though.

[drj130]

With all of the times that I've stayed in a hotel while I was in Russia, I've never been in one long enough to have to worry about that, but I have learned from when I've been in the field to never leave water in my chamber if I'm not around the machine.

[allen476]

When traveling, I use a sil-pat baking sheet under the machine. That way the hotel can't say I damaged the nightstand.

I leave the machine out and tuck the mask and hose into my luggage. I have never had a problem. The hotel staff is trained to not go near it. When I stayed at a Candlewood Suites in Charlotte for 10 days, they didn't even vacuum near it. They also had a receptacle above the top of the nightstand just for cpap's and device chargers.

Also a 15' extension cord is a good thing to have with along with a triple tap adapter just in case. A lot easier to carry them with than trying to find a store open at 2 in the morning when you realize that you need them ( and a bathing suit because you forgot that as well ).

Another tip too. Call the hotel ahead of time and ask for a gallon of distilled water to be in your room as well. Never had a problem with that either.

[chunkyfrog]

I leave it out; but I put the mask and hose on top of the machine so they don't have to handle it when they make the bed.
I really like the dedicated outlet above the nightstand.

[caffeinatedcfo]

Thanks for the replies. I guessed it would be a mixed crowd. I was mainly concerned about my nasal pillows/short hose drying after cleaning in the morning. Maybe letting them drain in the bag then blowing out any leftover moisture before bed with the machine will work out well. Staying in a Marriot so I'm not too concerned about staff.

[LaurieP]

I have traveled quite a bit with my machine and have never had a issue. As a matter of fact, never even thought about putting it away. I leave the mask hanging over the hose buddy and go about my day. Now you guys have me all worried.....yikes!!!

[DreamDiver]

If it's a B&B, I'lI leave it out with a note asking the staff not to disturb anything on the nightstand. Depending on my confidence in the hotel, I'll leave out my machine, but maybe not the mask. If it's a really cheap hotel and I'm staying two or more nights, I'll put out the Do Not Disturb sign on days when I don't want service and pack the machine on days when I do.

I also bring a small cafeteria tray that's light and small enough to pack, but bigger than the machine. That way, if there is no suitable nightstand, or I can't find a chair to put it on, it's not sitting directly on the floor. You pick up all kinds of really nasty smells when it's on the floor. Try to make sure you've got a non-smoking room. More often than not, there is some ornamental headboard, window or drape nearby from which you can hang three plastic hangers hooked together barrel-of-monkeys-style as a makeshift hose holder.

cpap travel check list:
1. cpap machine
2. hose
3. mask
4. extra mask, different model
5. AC adapter
6. water bottle
7. tray
8. three plastic hangers
9. (edit) surge protector extension cord