CPAP users: how do you bring your machine with you?

[SoozKH]

I am a CPAP user, and would need to bring my machine as I need it at night during the Camino. I have a regular size Resmed (without the water chamber). My plan is - to pack it in the CPAP bag/carrier , and then put this carrier pack inside my luggage (Mid size check in luggage, semihard Samsonitecase), and use the luggage transfer service to help send between the various accommodations. I will also bring an extension cord, just in case the socket is not near my bed. Will be staying in private room in pension house or some albergues
Anyone else would like to share their experience on how to manage the CPAP during the Camino?

 

[Xali1970]

I bought a travel size CPAP and carry it in my backpack.
Adds a bit less than 800g all told
If you do a search on CPAP you'll find a few threads about it

 

[dougfitz]

I have carried mine with the machine, power supply and mask in a smallish padded bag and the hose in a separate mesh bag. Getting close to a power point has never been an issue, but I always let the hospitalero know if I am not staying in a private room. I don't use a pack transport service, so don't have any experience shipping it. It is always in my cabin baggage when flying.

 

[J Willhaus]

Hi @SoozKH ,
My husband and I are both CPAP users. He has used his many years and I have only been using one the last 3 years. We both have travel machines and we use them a for lot for things like the Camino, camping trips, etc. These are small machines that weigh a couple of pounds with all the hoses, plugs, etc. There are several threads about this on the Forum that you may want to search for.

We carry our machines in a stuff sack. I do have an extension cord now so that he and I can just share one plug if we are in a bunk bed. At albergues we alert the hospitalero that we need to be near an outlet and have always been accomodated. Newer facilities often have more outlets that older facilities.

I also carry a copy of my prescription for the CPAP in case there is a need to source supplies. Here are some photos of my machine, the stuff sack I use, and how my husband and I can share an outlet. We don't general have our packs transported and if we do transport my husband's I carry both our machines in my backpack. I don't want to get the machine broken with pack transport.

You can also rent a travel machine if you don't want to purchase one.

 

[SoozKH]

Hi @SoozKH ,
My husband and I are both CPAP users. He has used his many years and I have only been using one the last 3 years. We both have travel machines and we use them a for lot for things like the Camino, camping trips, etc. These are small machines that weigh a couple of pounds with all the hoses, plugs, etc. There are several threads about this on the Forum that you may want to search for.

We carry our machines in a stuff sack. I do have an extension cord now so that he and I can just share one plug if we are in a bunk bed. At albergues we alert the hospitalero that we need to be near an outlet and have always been accomodated. Newer facilities often have more outlets that older facilities.

I also carry a copy of my prescription for the CPAP in case there is a need to source supplies. Here are some photos of my machine, the stuff sack I use, and how my husband and I can share an outlet. We don't general have our packs transported and if we do transport my husband's I carry both our machines in my backpack. I don't want to get the machine broken with pack transport.

You can also rent a travel machine if you don't want to purchase one.
View attachment 168413View attachment 168414View attachment 168415

The thing is - my CPAP is almost fully sponsored by my health insurance, but there is a minimum of 4 hours i need to log per night for the continuance of cover, which they monitor year on year basis. If I were to go 'off' this set program and buy my own travel CPAP, and for the number of nights away not counted may risk me not hitting the minimum for the continuance of next year. So, in short, I am stuck with the current machine.
I do worry if the machine being damaged if i use luggage transfer, that's why posting to see other's experience.

 

[J Willhaus]

The thing is - my CPAP is almost fully sponsored by my health insurance, but there is a minimum of 4 hours i need to log per night for the continuance of cover, which they monitor year on year basis. If I were to go 'off' this set program and buy my own travel CPAP, and for the number of nights away not counted may risk me not hitting the minimum for the continuance of next year. So, in short, I am stuck with the current machine.
I do worry if the machine being damaged if i use luggage transfer, that's why posting to see other's experience.

My husband also has a similar requirement and he downloads and prints off the information from his travel machine and provides it. I don't know if that will work for you though. He has to provide it to the Veterans hospital here in the US.

I have seen people who carry their big machines so it is done. (Those pilgrims are usually fascinated by our smaller machines.) Think also about where you will set your machine if you chose to stay in albergues. With our small machines, we can put them in the bed with us when needed. There may or may not be a chair, shelf, etc. and sometimes there is not much room between bunks and the backpack needs to go under the bed.. I don't like my machine flat on the floor as I feel it will suck up more dust there and create the need to check the filter more often.

If you are staying mostly in private rooms, this will be less of an issue. I volunteer as a hospitalera and I prefer the albergue life as a pilgrim so my husband and I have made sure we have machines that will fit that choice.

edit: you might check to see if your insurance will loan or cover the cost of a travel machine rental since they do require regular use?

 

[Xali1970]

The thing is - my CPAP is almost fully sponsored by my health insurance, but there is a minimum of 4 hours i need to log per night for the continuance of cover, which they monitor year on year basis. If I were to go 'off' this set program and buy my own travel CPAP, and for the number of nights away not counted may risk me not hitting the minimum for the continuance of next year. So, in short, I am stuck with the current machine.
I do worry if the machine being damaged if i use luggage transfer, that's why posting to see other's experience.

Ask them if if you provide data for the nights you use another machine is acceptable.
Pretty much all CPAP machines, including travel ones are capable of storing data on a data card and can be read -extracted & combined using open source software like

OSCAR - Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter

OSCAR is PC software for reviewing and exploring data produced by CPAP and related machines used in sleep apnea treatment

www.sleepfiles.com

Maybe it would be acceptable to your health provider

 

[WildBillMN]

The thing is - my CPAP is almost fully sponsored by my health insurance, but there is a minimum of 4 hours i need to log per night for the continuance of cover, which they monitor year on year basis. If I were to go 'off' this set program and buy my own travel CPAP, and for the number of nights away not counted may risk me not hitting the minimum for the continuance of next year. So, in short, I am stuck with the current machine.
I do worry if the machine being damaged if i use luggage transfer, that's why posting to see other's experience.

Check if your machine stores data on a USB card. You may be able to use another machine with the USB card from your home machine.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola everyone. I too am a CPAP user, I have two machines - the one with the hydration tank and the other which uses to hydration pellets. I have seen, but have not as yet purchased a battery pack I will do some more research to see it there is a estimated life provided. I know that I would no willingly be without mine. My partner and I will each take our portable ones on our next OS adventure. Buen Camino

 

[Xali1970]

Hola everyone. I too am a CPAP user, I have two machines - the one with the hydration tank and the other which uses to hydration pellets. I have seen, but have not as yet purchased a battery pack I will do some more research to see it there is a estimated life provided. I know that I would no willingly be without mine. My partner and I will each take our portable ones on our next OS adventure. Buen Camino

Battery packs provide 8h of power at most

 

[J Willhaus]

Battery packs provide 8h of power at most

This depends. My husband and I both have larger battery packs we use in our camper or for car camping. Mine lasts 3 days and his is a larger battery (he uses higher pressures) and it lasts 7 days without recharging. The batteries are both too large to carry on a Camino, but they portable enough to be fine for our camping and car travel. We are making a 3 month trip driving to Alaska and back this summer. They used them last year for about 3 weeks of camping and we can recharge either in our car while driving or with our solar panel for our camper's power set up. I put in a link for his larger battery below. Far too heavy for a Camino.

EX96 Pro Lithium Ion Battery Bank

The EXP96 Pro lithium battery bank has extra power for extended time away from an outlet. Keep your therapy going as you go further off grid than you ever thought possible!

www.cpap.com

 

[Xali1970]

This depends. My husband and I both have larger battery packs we use in our camper or for car camping. Mine lasts 3 days and his is a larger battery (he uses higher pressures) and it lasts 7 days without recharging. The batteries are both too large to carry on a Camino, but they portable enough to be fine for our camping and car travel. We are making a 3 month trip driving to Alaska and back this summer. They used them last year for about 3 weeks of camping and we can recharge either in our car while driving or with our solar panel for our camper's power set up. I put in a link for his larger battery below. Far too heavy for a Camino.

EX96 Pro Lithium Ion Battery Bank

The EXP96 Pro lithium battery bank has extra power for extended time away from an outlet. Keep your therapy going as you go further off grid than you ever thought possible!

www.cpap.com

I was referring to battery packs that can be carried while hiking.
They'll be coming at anything from 250g to 500g and will provide "1 to 2 night's power under normal conditions" as the blurb states, or 8 hours use.

 

[J Willhaus]

I was referring to battery packs that can be carried while hiking.
They'll be coming at anything from 250g to 500g and will provide "1 to 2 night's power under normal conditions" as the blurb states, or 8 hours use.

Yes, we've had those smaller packs and were not very satisfied. Rarely lasted what the packaging indicated due to my husband's higher pressure requirements.

 

[WalkingInGers]

Just saw this new thread on CPAP machine and I am trying to take a photo to show you how small my travel CPAP machine. It weighs 850 grams with mask.

 

[Hilly]

Hola everyone. I too am a CPAP user, I have two machines - the one with the hydration tank and the other which uses to hydration pellets. I have seen, but have not as yet purchased a battery pack I will do some more research to see it there is a estimated life provided. I know that I would no willingly be without mine. My partner and I will each take our portable ones on our next OS adventure. Buen Camino

Check the regulations for flying with a battery pack. I think that you're limited to 100Wh or less.

 

[Gringazolana]

I traveled with my full-size ResMed (I think it’s series 11?), with water tank and hose and mask and cable and and and… over 6 pounds total.

I put it all (except the mask, because it didn’t fit) in a soft side camera case, then packed it in my small hard-side carryon suitcase. I wrote FRÁGIL EQUIPO MÉDICO on the outside and shipped it ahead of me each day. The suitcase also held whatever I couldn’t carry in my daypack. And an AirTag, so I could navigate to my stuff each afternoon! Of course, this means you have to plan ahead each day how far you are going to go.

This year I am swapping out the hard side suitcase for my gigantic 60 liter backpack because pulling that little suitcase over cobblestone streets was so not fun. I can strap my daypack to Mr. Gigante Osprey and shlep it all together when I am visiting family in Madrid and Pamplona. (All the streets are uphill, both ways, with curbs and uneven cobblestones!).

PS The first day I bought a liter of distilled water at a pharmacy and after it ran out, I just used bottled water.

 

[MariaC]

I am a CPAP user, and would need to bring my machine as I need it at night during the Camino. I have a regular size Resmed (without the water chamber). My plan is - to pack it in the CPAP bag/carrier , and then put this carrier pack inside my luggage (Mid size check in luggage, semihard Samsonitecase), and use the luggage transfer service to help send between the various accommodations. I will also bring an extension cord, just in case the socket is not near my bed. Will be staying in private room in pension house or some albergues
Anyone else would like to share their experience on how to manage the CPAP during the Camino?

Ask your doctor if you qualify for an oral appliance for your sleep apnea. Find a dentist who has credentials with Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) to make you one. I know many people who use this appliance instead of CPAP for their travels

 

[DMarie]

I am a CPAP user, and would need to bring my machine as I need it at night during the Camino. I have a regular size Resmed (without the water chamber). My plan is - to pack it in the CPAP bag/carrier , and then put this carrier pack inside my luggage (Mid size check in luggage, semihard Samsonitecase), and use the luggage transfer service to help send between the various accommodations. I will also bring an extension cord, just in case the socket is not near my bed. Will be staying in private room in pension house or some albergues
Anyone else would like to share their experience on how to manage the CPAP during the Camino?

My husband and I are currently walking the Camino. He has brought his travel-sized CPAP, and has done great with it! It’s quiet, and easy to carry. Expensive? Yes! But worth having, especially since we are not sending bags ahead. Best wishes!

 

[WalkingInGers]

My husband and I are currently walking the Camino. He has brought his travel-sized CPAP, and has done great with it! It’s quiet, and easy to carry. Expensive? Yes! But worth having, especially since we are not sending bags ahead. Best wishes!

I have wrapped the electrical plug in bubble wrap in order that it not be damaged during transport. I use Bluetooth to keep a record of the episodes of sleep apnea.

 

[Phil&Barb]

I am a CPAP user, and would need to bring my machine as I need it at night during the Camino. I have a regular size Resmed (without the water chamber). My plan is - to pack it in the CPAP bag/carrier , and then put this carrier pack inside my luggage (Mid size check in luggage, semihard Samsonitecase), and use the luggage transfer service to help send between the various accommodations. I will also bring an extension cord, just in case the socket is not near my bed. Will be staying in private room in pension house or some albergues
Anyone else would like to share their experience on how to manage the CPAP during the Camino?

I have the Resmed CPAP with water chamber and used it throughout our Camino. I had our luggage transfer service transport it in its carrying case seperately along with the rest of our luggage (in other words I did not put it in my suitcase). It worked out fine with little if any extra cost and the device was well taken care of. I think your plan is fine and you should have no trouble finding electrical outlets. Be sure to bring an adaptor for plugging it in.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Just saw this new thread on CPAP machine and I am trying to take a photo to show you how small my travel CPAP machine. It weighs 850 grams with mask.View attachment 168507View attachment 168507

I and my partner both have this one. Works very well. I recommend it!

 

[Joe C]

Hola everyone. I too am a CPAP user, I have two machines - the one with the hydration tank and the other which uses to hydration pellets. I have seen, but have not as yet purchased a battery pack I will do some more research to see it there is a estimated life provided. I know that I would no willingly be without mine. My partner and I will each take our portable ones on our next OS adventure. Buen Camino

I carried a battery pack on my last two Caminos. It probably weighs at least twice as much as the machine itself. I have only used it once, and I probably could have gotten around that if I had asked the person beside me to swap beds.

 

[walkingagain]

Just finished the CF from Pamplona to Santiago with my Resmed AirMini.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND using Xylimelts since you won’t have a humidifier - otherwise your mouth gets drier than a desert and it wakes you up all through the night. For the uninitiated, Xylimelts are a brand of xylitol tablets that stick to the inside of your gums and keep your mouth moist while you sleep - they are available on Amazon. Resmed does make a ‘moisture capturing’ filter you can put on your mask but I found it restricted my airflow so much I kept waking up feeling like I couldn’t breathe. Having the Xylimelts saved me.

I carried my cpap kit in my day bag to ensure that even if the transport company made a mistake and didn’t deliver our luggage I would still be able to sleep safely. I also put everything but the tube and mask in a waterproof dry bag which turned out to be prescient.

Amazon sells some great European plug extension cords that also have docks to plug in your cpap, and usb to c cords for other devices. The 5ft length worked great for me.

We stayed in pensiones and private rooms in albergues because I was concerned I wouldn’t get a bed near a plug in the dorm style rooms as we are slow hikers and usually are the last to arrive. Although many cpap users have successfully navigated staying in the dorm rooms.

I just didn’t want to risk a night without therapy and therefore sleep. I started the Camino at 330lbs with very severe sleep apnea. I lost a lot of weight over the 713 kilometers and my sleep apnea is less severe now which has enabled me to get a much better quality of sleep!

Good luck on your Camino!

I am a CPAP user, and would need to bring my machine as I need it at night during the Camino. I have a regular size Resmed (without the water chamber). My plan is - to pack it in the CPAP bag/carrier , and then put this carrier pack inside my luggage (Mid size check in luggage, semihard Samsonitecase), and use the luggage transfer service to help send between the various accommodations. I will also bring an extension cord, just in case the socket is not near my bed. Will be staying in private room in pension house or some albergues
Anyone else would like to share their experience on how to manage the CPAP during the Camino?

 

[Terry McLaughlin]

I am a CPAP user, and would need to bring my machine as I need it at night during the Camino. I have a regular size Resmed (without the water chamber). My plan is - to pack it in the CPAP bag/carrier , and then put this carrier pack inside my luggage (Mid size check in luggage, semihard Samsonitecase), and use the luggage transfer service to help send between the various accommodations. I will also bring an extension cord, just in case the socket is not near my bed. Will be staying in private room in pension house or some albergues
Anyone else would like to share their experience on how to manage the CPAP during the Camino?

I have been on CPAP for more than ten years. I bring a snore prevention mouthpiece that works pretty good. It is not much different that a sports mouthpiece fitted to my mouth with bottom jaw pulled forward.

 

[awunderli]

Hi @SoozKH ,
My husband and I are both CPAP users. He has used his many years and I have only been using one the last 3 years. We both have travel machines and we use them a for lot for things like the Camino, camping trips, etc. These are small machines that weigh a couple of pounds with all the hoses, plugs, etc. There are several threads about this on the Forum that you may want to search for.

We carry our machines in a stuff sack. I do have an extension cord now so that he and I can just share one plug if we are in a bunk bed. At albergues we alert the hospitalero that we need to be near an outlet and have always been accomodated. Newer facilities often have more outlets that older facilities.

I also carry a copy of my prescription for the CPAP in case there is a need to source supplies. Here are some photos of my machine, the stuff sack I use, and how my husband and I can share an outlet. We don't general have our packs transported and if we do transport my husband's I carry both our machines in my backpack. I don't want to get the machine broken with pack transport.

You can also rent a travel machine if you don't want to purchase one.
View attachment 168413View attachment 168414View attachment 168415

Hi, I have this travel model, too but found that it dried out my nose to the point where I couldn't sleep. I used creams, etc., to try to make it workable but nothing seemed to help. Have you had a similar experience and did you find a work-around? Many thanks.

 

[J Willhaus]

We use an HME (heat moisture exchange) filter which does help some. You can order then online. It means we have to carry enough for our entire time in Spain usually as each one lasts 7 days. We live at high altitude in a very dry climate in the the US so maybe our nasal passages are more used to it, too.

 

[awunderli]

We use an HME (heat moisture exchange) filter which does help some. You can order then online. It means we have to carry enough for our entire time in Spain usually as each one lasts 7 days. We live at high altitude in a very dry climate in the the US so maybe our nasal passages are more used to it, too.

Thanks very much. I have those same HMEs but haven't had much luck with them. I'm in Maine and my in home machine with a water reservoir works well. I'll be bringing that when I return to Spain next week. Appreciate your info.