need travel tips

[LTen]

When traveling with a CPAP, what are some tips about where you actually place the machine? I'm thinking BEACH time...and I will be with my sister, so two beds separated by a small nightstand with a lamp and radio already there. No room for a cpap machine. We could unplug and remove the lamp and radio, but often in condos it is almost impossible to get to the plug. ( I was already planning on keeping an extension cord in my cpap case.)

If I take a small fold up table, I suppose I could set up the cpap on the other side of the bed, but I would be getting in and out of bed in the closet! And probably hitting my table in the process.

Surely those of you who travel have run into various situations. I wonder if you have any tips. I hate to think about putting my machine in the floor.

Thanks!!

[Hose_Head]

When I travel the things that are normally on the room's night stand get moved to the shelf below, the floor or wherever I can easily move them to. This makes room for my xpap.

In the very few rooms that I have experienced where room cannot be found on the night stand, I have done one of the following:

1) put the xpap in a drawer in the night stand (keep the drawer open!)
2) placed a chair in front of the night stand, with xpap on the chair
3) placed my luggage on the floor beside the bed, with xpap on top of the luggage. (just be careful to ensure that everything is stable)

Failing the above as workable options, you also could asked to be moved to a different room. I've never needed to go that far.

[Pugsy]

Travel by car or plane?
If by car take a rather good size box and use it for a table up off the floor. Doesn't have to be night stand high.
If travel by plane...I would imagine you could find a similar box.
A large sized book (think novel) would also make a good table and keep the machine off the floor.
Or a milk crate type of container upside down.

[CapnLoki]

Its never been impossible for me to find a place. On my boat there is no shelf so the pump lives wedged under the corner of the mattress. Also, if the beach house is not air conditioned, you may find you don't need the humidifier which would simplify the placement issues.

[nanwilson]

I have my spare machine in a plastic tub and when I get to a hotel room, I just place a chair beside the bed and put the tub on it and place the machine on top the tub. In the morning I just put the machine and mask into the tub with the lid on. The lid and the side of the tub have large signs on it that say "medical equipment" and have my phone number and address in case of an emergency they can contact my family.

[LTen]

All Great tips! I know at least a couple of these will work. I've used very similar solutions for other items in a beach condo, but had just now started thinking about the cpap. We're driving, so I can take a box, use for packing, then for additional "surface." The nightstand drawer might work too; can't remember if there is a drawer, but probably. THANKS!

[BlackSpinner]

A check list and multiple copies of it. There is nothing worse then forgetting a small piece and having a non working cpap machine there or at home.

1) empty the humidifier.
2)....

[msla]

A copy of your prescription for the beach DME if any necessary supplies are forgotten or break.

[Tino2You]

One item in my travel machine bag is a small strip plug. All too often, there is not enough outlets near the bed for everything. CPAP, Cell phone charger,EReader.
-tino

[Denial Dave]

Having a 6 ft extension cord is a must.

I also toss in an old mousepad into the bag. It works wonders in elminating rattles, etc from the machine sitting on end tables or books... I tried a hotel bath towel, but it didn't hold the machine in place to prevent it from sliding off the table.

A "new" must pack for me is a small roll of eletrical tape. It came in very handy recently when my hose developed a leak.. A quick wrap or two over the crack in the hose and all was well.

Dave

[dtsm]

Having a 6 ft extension cord is a must.

Or even a 12 ft

[RogerSC]

I actually have a 15-foot surge protected power strip that I use when traveling, just put it in my suitcase. We have several chargers for mobile devices, plus my cpap, so there are never enough outlets where you need them. Nice to consolidate all those so you don't forget them. Scattering them around to different outlets has been a good way to leave them behind. We're planning a trip to Europe this summer, and I've been checking out universal power strips (100-240v) with surge protection for that. Found one, haven't bought it yet. Also, usually pack the hose hanger thingie, it's a travel one, and is very helpful wherever I am.

I like checklists a lot, have made up a "standard" checklist, and just add or subtract from it for a particular trip. That way I don't usually forget to put things on my list (item 1: Make sure everything is on the list *smile*). And you can always use the checklist to make sure that you've seen and packed everything on it before you go home or to your next stop.

Anyways, planning ahead is indeed the key to enjoying a trip and not stressing because you think that you forgot some key thing *smile*. Enjoy.

[HoseCrusher]

I travel a lot and just sit the machine on the floor next to the bed. I started off putting it on a hand towel but now carry a baking sheet cooking liner and use that.

http://www.sil-eco.com/

[chunkyfrog]

Have a wonderful time.

[FrequentTraveler]

I'm new to CPAPs but have been traveling often for quite some time. The clock and lamp always get unplugged nearly the minute I walk in the door anyway. A lot of hotels have been slow to adjust to the fact that travelers now often have three, four, or more items that need to be plugged in (phone, tablet, laptop, nano-router, headphones, CPAP, multiply all of those if you don't travel alone). I can't remember the last time I used a hotel alarm clock, I'd never trust them anyway so my cellphone is my wake up call. I have no qualms shoving clock and lamp somewhere out of my way for the duration of my stay. In my case I will either set the CPAP unit on the nightstand (now clear except for charging gadgets) or just let it ride on the bed.