I have a problem....CPAP and Carry-ons

[gorkon]

I am a CPAP user and now since I have started CPAP Therapy every night, when I go on trips, I now automatically already have ONE carryon unless I figure this out. I need a way to have 2 carryons only and still have my CPAP. The Aeronaut is not big enough as the CPAP would fill the entire middle compartment and if you make one that is, it won't fit in the overhead or under the seat. I need a bag that is similar to the Aeronaut in size, but with a large padded compartment on one end OR a compartment big enough to fit the CPAP in the case. Any ideas on a Tom Bihn bag that may work??

My next idea may be to just bite the bullet and get a brain cell for my Lenovo T60 or Asus 1000HE and put it in the Aeronaut and cut the amount of clothing in the bag so I can go down to just one bag (and NO checked bags). Then I have my clothes, laptop and my CPAP as the second carryon. Any ideas?

[Tzporah]

Check with the airline... but medical equipment that can't be checked doesn't usually count against your carry on limit.

[MikeG]

CPAP Machine and Carry-Ons

I am a long time CPAP users and am still looking for the perfect solution - not sure that it exists - especially trying to keep within the two-bag carry-on limit. I know many, if not most, airlines will let you carry your CPAP as an addition to the normal carry-on and "personal item" limits, but that gets to be a pain (in my opinion) trying to manage three carry-on pieces.

I am not crazy about the bags that come with most CPAP units, so I generally reconfigure the unit to make it more carry friendly and allow it to be placed inside a regular padded bag. Also, I have abandoned the idea of taking the humidifier with me. I do have a lightly padded bag for the CPAP unit itself which provides some protection. For the hose and mask I use a lightly padded Eagle Creek half cube.

I feel that you have to really protect your CPAP unit from damage, and that gets tough to do with many unpadded bags.

Lately I've used four different padded bags for my CPAP depending on what else I'm trying to carry and where I'm going.

For minimalist trips, I use my Zephyr - the padding provides much better protection than my CPAP bag (except at the top, which is easy to rectify with something light). When I want to carry a little more I use my Empire Builder.

For my more extensive or unusual trips where I want/need to carry-on more I use a Red Oxx PR4 that has been nicely padded by Perry of Red Oxx (yes they do custom work). The only downside is that when I really stuff that bag full, it is not fun carrying it through the long serpentine path that you have to follow from your arrival gate to the immigration and customs area at some large airports. I recently had Red Oxx build me a slightly smaller padded version I call a PR 3.5 and that is a little more manageable.

MikeG

[dtremit]

I know I am a year late to this thread, but figure someone may find the information useful. I have an Empire Builder and find that my Respironics CPAP fits very nicely in it. I pack my tubing, mask, and power supply in my rollaboard, and leave the main unit and humidifier in the Empire Builder for easy removal at security. (TSA specifically does not require accessories to be taken out for screening.)

I don't particularly feel the need for additional padding; the case that came with the unit is fairly lightly padded, and at the end of the day it's really just a fan in a box. But if you felt the need, a simple rectangular pad in the bottom of the Empire Builder would probably do the trick; the sides, front, and back are well protected due to the design of the bag.

My bigger concern is keeping the CPAP clean during screening. For that, I use a Ziploc "Big Bag," as the TSA now allows CPAPs to be left in a plastic bag when going through the x-ray -- and I find they will often leave it in the bag during the swab test as well.