Camping and Travel

[Sleepster]

As far as airline travel: In the US it does not count as a carry-on item. I don't put it in checked luggage because I've seen how roughly that gets treated. For TSA/security, they do want the CPAP removed from the case and put in one of the plastic bins when it goes through the X-ray.

Yes, it does not count towards your carry-on allowance. Different airports, though, have different security practices. At Houson's big airport they do want it out, but not in Washington's.

While waiting in the terminal they did want us to check our carry-ons because of space limitations, but I told her I had medical equipment in mine and couldn't check it. When she frowned I said "CPAP machine" and she just nodded and said "Okay".

[afwife4]

Being a newbie, I was concerned about going through security a few weeks ago, I did not encounter any issues at any of the airports where we went through security. I experience a power outage in one of the hotels and my machine was alarming at me. I couldn't figure out how to stop the alarm since all my alarms were silenced so I thought. In the middle of the night I was going through the manual to figure out how to turn off the alarm, lol. I'm glad I kept the manuals with my machine and didn't leave them at home. Also, I have had my first opportunity of taking it camping as well.

[MrGadget]

I have traveled with an S8 several times over several years, and will ONLY carry it on with me. Never check it, and since its an approved medical device, it does not count as carry on baggage; you can get an official letter to carry, but that's not as needed anymore. It's been getting better as more people have them and the TSA folks encounter them more.

But as with in life, you still deal with the entire bell curve of humanity, and had one agent decide that wiping the drug/explosive wipes all over the machine was warranted. At least they are required to wear gloves, but they don't change them in between different peoples baggage, and handle lots of other dirty crap (shoes anyone?) and then 'finger' your machine, so there is no logical thought (basically the entire TSA apparatus as well) about cross contamination.

Some airports require it to be out of the carrying case, others let you just run the case through the x-ray machine (it won't hurt it) and don't make a big deal, but again, the idiots (and intolerant folks like me) are the ones who cause the most trouble and are the reason why rules are created in the first place. It does help if you try to positively interact with them and get them more informed about things, but then you have the 'hold my beer' and 'I'm scared of new things' folks as well. Not all of them are oblivious, but the ones who choose the willful ignorance route that perpetuates and enables the corrupt folks at the top, who then use them to maintain their power over us all. Then you get [insert current presidential candidate here].

Sorry, got on a rant there.

Love these forums for the free and open discussion, even when they were BBS's. The only constant is change.