Packing, CPAP, number of bags, boggle...

[yardbird]

Alaska cruise tour coming up in about 2 weeks. Trying to plan packing because we're going camping for a week first and might not have a ton of time after camping and before our trip.

 

It's like 7 days on land, starting in Fairbanks (we're arriving early)...then the normal Fairbanks, Denali, McKinley, train-to-the-ship Princess itinerary for the southbound cruise.

 

I'm trying to get my head around the "meet me tonight", "Meet me at the ship" and all that.... I think complicated because I travel with a CPAP machine.

 

Right now we're planning a large check bag (within airline limits....but JUST within them) and a check bag that basically fits inside that really big one when we aren't using them. I don't know yet if we'll repack after arrival and send the smaller one to the ship and just both work out of the one large bag for the land portion. I think we COULD.... but we haven't gotten that far yet.

 

The CPAP complicates things a little in that I'm reading sometimes they want you to put bags out at night, that will go to your next destination. Easy enough to simply plan what you'll wear the next morning and pack your day bag ahead.....but the CPAP... I can't very well put THAT out at night because I use it to SLEEP!

 

I REALLY don't want to lug it around with me all day taking up valuable room in my day bag. Anyone done this and can tell me how they handle this?

[gpb11]

Pretty simple in practice. We did this in reverse with cruise-then-land, but the process is similar.

 

Meet me at the ship -- you give them the bag and the next time you see it is at your cabin once you board the ship. Ours were "Meet me in Fairbanks" and we put these bags out the last night aboard and they were in our room when we got to Fairbanks (last hotel).

 

Meet me tonight -- you put the bag out typically in the morning and you will then see it again at your hotel room that night. The only time we put it out at night was before ship disembarkation. Seward, Anchorage, and Denali were all morning put outs as I recall.

 

To the best of my knowledge, you will get the tags when you arrive at the hotel in FAI and have that night to rearrange your stuff around.

 

Remember, each person gets each of the tags, so you each have a "meet me at..." bag and needn't share if you don't wish. My wife and I traveled with daypacks, two carryon sized bags and two larger bags since we were able to each check a bag free on the outbound flights. Our daypacks were our day bags, and we used the carryon sized as our meet-me-in-fairbanks bags, with the large bags as our meet-me-tonight bags.

 

FYI, the coach drivers were quite happy to stow people's bag under the coach. I saw a handful of folks who had a small duffle bag in addition to their backpack or shoulder bag and just stowed the duffle under the bus or on the luggage shelf overhead.

 

All this said, I'd recommend being prepared for possibly having to put out your meet-me-tonight bag at night, but it would be the exception rather than the rule.

Edited July 13, 2016 by gpb11

[Alaskanb]

It's easy. CPAP goes with you on the bus/train between lodges. We used this bag for DH that held his cpap, meds, and i-pad. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D97M0YU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We sent our flight carry-on bags to the ship with our dressier clothes and things we use only onboard --or needed washing!

Our larger bags became the meet me tonight bags that were put out each morning.

Day pack held any day-use items for me.

[yardbird]

It's easy. CPAP goes with you on the bus/train between lodges. We used this bag for DH that held his cpap, meds, and i-pad. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D97M0YU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We sent our flight carry-on bags to the ship with our dressier clothes and things we use only onboard --or needed washing!

Our larger bags became the meet me tonight bags that were put out each morning.

Day pack held any day-use items for me.

 

Oh, I'm starting to either feel really dumb, or I'm starting to catch on.....

 

On a day when we're moving from one location to another....THAT's what we're doing..... moving...possibly with some stops for pictures or something along the way depending on length or ride (I am guessing), but primarily....we're just changing locations.

 

So if I use my "day bag"....the one I would haul around with me on excursions holding like....rain jacket, hoodie, my good camera, binolulars...whatever..... use that to transport the CPAP from one location to another at that time...it's not like I'm hauling my CPAP around through a day's excursions....we're simply moving.

 

Is that a more or less correct understanding? Because really all I'd have to do is pull one item from the day bag and the CPAP would fit, I think. Like carry the day bag (an osprey backpack...small-ish) and just carry my camera bag separate... (I've got that down to about an 8 inch cube at this point) Or have the wife carry the binoculars or....something. But we're not going on an excursion so....

 

right?

[Freehike]

On a related note, if you travel a lot then this little machine can be a lifesaver. It works extremely well and is the size of a paperback book. I use it exclusively for traveling, camping..etc.

 

 

https://www.sleepdirect.com/travel-cpap/hdm-z1-auto-travel-apap-machine-with-z-breathe?gclid=CM3mh7m58c0CFcxZhgodFXcCtw

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Alaskanb]

Oh, I'm starting to either feel really dumb, or I'm starting to catch on.....

 

On a day when we're moving from one location to another....THAT's what we're doing..... moving...possibly with some stops for pictures or something along the way depending on length or ride (I am guessing), but primarily....we're just changing locations.

 

So if I use my "day bag"....the one I would haul around with me on excursions holding like....rain jacket, hoodie, my good camera, binolulars...whatever..... use that to transport the CPAP from one location to another at that time...it's not like I'm hauling my CPAP around through a day's excursions....we're simply moving.

 

Is that a more or less correct understanding? Because really all I'd have to do is pull one item from the day bag and the CPAP would fit, I think. Like carry the day bag (an osprey backpack...small-ish) and just carry my camera bag separate... (I've got that down to about an 8 inch cube at this point) Or have the wife carry the binoculars or....something. But we're not going on an excursion so....

 

right?

Correct.

LOL For years I have carried DH's cpap in the Osprey Daylite backpack --fits perfectly. I refused this year and got him a bag he likes --he does not do well with backpacks. DH likes to wear a travel vest.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Alaskanb

[yardbird]

Correct.

LOL For years I have carried DH's cpap in the Osprey Daylite backpack --fits perfectly. I refused this year and got him a bag he likes --he does not do well with backpacks. DH likes to wear a travel vest.

 

Thank you!

One more thing to cross off my "What do I do about.....?" list.

 

Rethinking the suitcases for the flights...

A checked bag, and a carryon.... with the Osprey Daylite just packed into the carryon. For the flights, my CPAP carrier is classed as "medical equipment" and doesn't count toward the carryon + personal bag limit. The carryon becomes my "meet me at the ship" bag.

 

Then again....it seems I'm constantly cutting down on how much I'm actually taking. And cameras and binoculars start taking priority over another pair of shoes or too many dressier shirts. Socks and underwear don't take up much space, but extra jeans, pants, shirts....do. Access to laundry seems like it's pretty readily available at most anyplace we'll be stopped long enough to toss a load in.... so.... less is better.

 

I did a week in the Bahamas, followed by 10 days in Florida just with a carryon. I was a backpacker... I think I can do this.