The Definitive Word on Outlets for C-Paps

[rallydave]

First for us: Being charged a deposit for the use of an extension cord at the Best Westerrn City Hotel in Copenhagen.

 

We do not travel with an extension cord, vastly preferring to fill the area surrounding the C-PAP with filled Nalgene bottles of distilled water. ( After paying over 10 GBP to have the bellman get a bottle of distilled water on a visit to London some time ago, we now arrive for pre cruise hotel stays with enough distilled water to get us onto the ship.) But we've never before been asked to return the extension cord to the desk at check out time or would have forfeited a deposit for failing to do so.

 

In most other respects this hotel was a great reasonably priced hotel in a very expensive city. Perhaps the ultra, ultra expensive hotels are air conditioned , but even the merely expensive hotels are not. The street on which the Best Western City is located is super quiet and we were able to leave our windows open for a comfortable night's sleep for both temperature and low noise level.

 

Incidentally, I specifically mentioned Nalgene bottles because this material gets a really tight seal when screwing on the lid and will not leak. This product tends to ve available through outdoor type stores like LL Bean, REI, and Eastern Mountain Sports in addition to travel specialty catalogs.

 

Interesting development. Can't understand why anyone would try to pack distilled water with their c-pap and then attempt to put it thru security when liquids are not allowed? Seems this would cause issues getting your c-pap and water thru security. Would have to put your water in your checked baggage in order to get them on board.

 

As to the use of only distilled water, as I stated earlier have been using a c-pap for 10 years and while I do try to use distilled water, quite a few times I have used plain tap water which works just fine. The only problem with that is the reservoir ends up with deposits in the tank which looks bad but, doesn't hurt at all. And, I can replace the reservoir when I reorder mask supplies for only $5 so easier to buy a new reservoir than worry about these special containers and trying to get them thru security.

 

You see the water goes no place but, in the reservoir and then is heated up into a safe vapor that mixes with the air that flow to your mask. The water itself never goes anywhere except in the reservoir so no problem with the machine. Thus still recommend the extension cord alway be carried to avoid charges or hotels/ships without extension cords that will restrict you from using your cpap at all while the lack of distilled water simply means you use the cpap without humidification or with tap water which is always available.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Interesting development. Can't understand why anyone would try to pack distilled water with their c-pap and then attempt to put it thru security when liquids are not allowed? Seems this would cause issues getting your c-pap and water thru security. Would have to put your water in your checked baggage in order to get them on board.

 

As to the use of only distilled water, as I stated earlier have been using a c-pap for 10 years and while I do try to use distilled water, quite a few times I have used plain tap water which works just fine. The only problem with that is the reservoir ends up with deposits in the tank which looks bad but, doesn't hurt at all. And, I can replace the reservoir when I reorder mask supplies for only $5 so easier to buy a new reservoir than worry about these special containers and trying to get them thru security.

 

You see the water goes no place but, in the reservoir and then is heated up into a safe vapor that mixes with the air that flow to your mask. The water itself never goes anywhere except in the reservoir so no problem with the machine. Thus still recommend the extension cord alway be carried to avoid charges or hotels/ships without extension cords that will restrict you from using your cpap at all while the lack of distilled water simply means you use the cpap without humidification or with tap water which is always available.

 

We'll it's time for you to learn that distilled water when accompanying a C-PAP is categorized as a medical liquid. And like ALL medical liquids, may be carried on board an airplane from outside sources.

 

When we put our device through the scanner, we announce "medical liquids". We do this to alert them that we know the drill: We'll carry our C-PAP to the spectrometer station just a few feet from the lanes of scanners. Then we'll be asked to do a wide variety of things. In the early years, we'd be asked to open each bottle and some sort of diagnostic paper would be dipped into each bottle. Then, the spectrometers got better and the machines could read the contents through the bottles. With our GOES card, we're always TSA PRE and lately, we're just waved through.

 

This whole process adds less than five minutes to the security screening, far less than it would take to locate and purchase distilled water, especially internationally. ( In Italy, head to a gas station. Its most common use in Italy appears to be car-related)

 

Clearly a case of your mileage may vary. Using the devise without the proper level of humidification is torture for my husband so you blithe statement of "all that will happen.." really doesn't apply.

 

I'm not expecting you to change your approach but I sure wish you were less dismissive of ours, especially since you didn't even know getting liquids through security is an option. It's very important that people new to traveling with C-PAP hear all the options open to them

Edited July 23, 2015 by Pet Nit Noy

[LuAnn]

We'll it's time for you to learn that distilled water when accompanying a C-PAP is categorized as a medical liquid. And like ALL medical liquids, may be carried on board an airplane from outside sources.

 

When we put our device through the scanner, we announce "medical liquids". We do this to alert them that we know the drill: We'll carry our C-PAP to the spectrometer station just a few feet from the lanes of scanners. Then we'll be asked to do a wide variety of things. In the early years, we'd be asked to open each bottle and some sort of diagnostic paper would be dipped into each bottle. Then, the spectrometers got better and the machines could read the contents through the bottles. With our GOES card, we're always TSA PRE and lately, we're just waved through.

 

This whole process adds less than five minutes to the security screening, far less than it would take to locate and purchase distilled water, especially internationally. ( In Italy, head to a gas station. Its most common use in Italy appears to be car-related)

 

Clearly a case of your mileage may vary. Using the devise without the proper level of humidification is torture for my husband so you blithe statement of "all that will happen.." really doesn't apply.

 

I'm not expecting you to change your approach but I sure wish you were less dismissive of ours, especially since you didn't even know getting liquids through security is an option. It's very important that people new to traveling with C-PAP hear all the options open to them

 

Thank you so much for your insight and advice. As has been mentioned ...by several of your fellow CC members.. we have had different experiences. As you say "YMMY"...Rally Dave and I are trying to tell our fellow CCers what has happened with us...in various counties/airports/ships/hotel etc....We are talking about "the options open..to them.".. in our experience there is NO "norm" of how a CPAP machine is handled in any airport...even in our own home airport at SAN...it is ALWAYS different!!! That is OUR experience!!!.and TBH...we have traveled the world...as I'm sure YOU HAVE!!! So...as you mentioned...several posts back...we will "agree to disagree"...You ...believe you have the "Definitive" Answer on the CPAP machine" on a certain type of an O ship....and thank you for that re how the "plugs" work. We..are just trying to expand that information re what WE have encountered...on other ships..in other countries and in other ships...YMMV...we are TRYING to give a broader picture of the world of the CPAP!! I think we are all trying to give the new/old CPAP person info...so...let's just "chill out"...ok??? We are all trying to say the same thing...this is what you might encounter...and be ready for it, right??? LuAnn