Traveling with Sleep Apnea Tip #2 - Packing your CPAP like your life depends on it

Traveling somewhere by plane? If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP for treatment like I do, then I recommend the following tip for airplane travel with a CPAP machine.

"Pack your CPAP machine like your life depends on it."

Going without treatment puts a damper in a vacation and can also have risks. Getting a replacement CPAP quickly will be a challenge while traveling.

I always carry my CPAP and mask in my backpack which I carry the airplane. It gives me comfort. Putting valuables in check-in luggage leaves me with a fear of loss or theft, so carrying it on with me means it never leaves my sight.

Also, realize that CPAP machines are delicate. Protect it in a way as to prevent damage from impact or being crushed. Take care as to avoid letting the buttons or display get damaged.

Put some sort of padding around it. If your CPAP didn't come with a padded travel case, take a look at padded camera bags as an alternative.

Bonus tip: When going through security gates at airports, take your CPAP out of your backpack and put it in a separate bin for scanning (like others do with laptops). Oftentimes, the security team needs to do a quick cotton swab test on CPAPs for some reason. Make it easy for security and they'll be quick.