Here’s some good advice you don’t want to doze through: If you need a CPAP machine to control your sleep apnea, keeping it clean when you’re traveling is just as important as keeping a sanitary unit at home. I’ve used a CPAP machine for nearly a decade now, so I’ve been able to fine-tune the gear I bring along with me on vacations and road trips. These items don’t take up nearly as much space as your home maintenance tools, so traveling with your CPAP should be as safe as it is painless. While CPAP machines themselves require a doctor’s prescription, many cleaning and replacement supplies are available for purchase online. Here are four items I highly recommend you add to your travel kit.
SolidCLEANER CPAP Cleaner and Sanitizer Bundle
Truth be told, CPAP users need a good sanitizer at home and during travels. This model is our pick because it has everything you need in a bundle including a sanitizing bag, a heated hose adapter, an A/C adapter and a USB charging cable. When fully charged, this unit can provide eight sanitizing sessions.
Portable Outlet Battery
Here’s an important tip: Before you buy a battery backup for your CPAP machine, make sure it’s safe for travel in an airplane – some are not. This unit from Atavyst can be carried in the passenger cabin of aircraft but not in the cargo area, so be sure to keep it next to your machine.
RespLabs Medical CPAP Mask Cleaning Wipes
Every time I travel, the item I most often forget is cleaning wipes for my mask – and depending where you’re going, these aren’t the easiest things to replace. So invest in these 100-plus packs of wipes, which can easily be tucked inside a packed shoe or luggage pocket.
CPAP H2O Premium Distilled Water
It’s always tempting to just use some bottled water from the hotel room mini mart for your CPAP humidifier chamber, but that’s a bad move. Distilled water is recommended to keep the unit clean and free of mineral deposits. Always keep a pack of these little bottles on hand for last-minute road trips or even for visitors who might have forgotten their own distilled water.
Steve Spears is editor of Florida Travel & Life, an online brand that inspires active, affluent travelers, providing them with insider information on discovering the best of Florida. Informative and engaging, the website showcases travel destinations, arts and cultural venues, vibrant dining scenes, recreational activities, the great outdoors and the revitalized real-estate market. He is based in Orlando and counts St. Augustine, Key West and the Gulf Beaches among his favorite destinations in the state.
