Travel tips for the chemically sensitive

Portable ionizer

Using a portable ionizer and a simple dust mask may help you through some situations. Keep the ionizer close enough to your nostrils that it help you, but not so close that you can smell the ozone, which can be irritating. The ionizer is generally only a help when you sit still, and not in an area with moving air.

Airplane travel

Traveling with a commercial airplane is difficult. You sit close together with other people, and have limited ability to move around. On the good side is plenty of air coming in from the vents. Even though it's mostly recycled cabin air, it's still better. Use that to put a barrier of air between you and the offending person. Don't be shy of steering your neighbors vent too, they may not even notice.

If you sit close to a perfumed person, ask the stewardess for another seat. You can also move yourself to a vacant seat, as soon as the plane has taken off. You can do that without asking.

You can also try to bring along a small mask, even the small "dust masks" may help a little.

You can call the airline in advance, and ask them to put in your travel information that your are 'aroma sensitive,' i.e. have problems with smells. I think they call this process documenting, which they use for all sorts of disabilities and special needs. The advantage of doing this is first that the cabin personnel know in advance that there is a potential problem, and also lets the airlines know that this problem exist - imagine one day there could be fragrance-free flights! (or at least the travel information people get could ask passengers to lets off the fragrances).

Car Rental

Most rental cars are less than a year old. When the car gets beyond twelve months, the rental agency typically sells them.

You can try to request the oldest vehicle they have on site. Rental cars gets a lot of use, so they gas off faster than cars that sit closed up all day, so a one-year-old car may be good enough.

Ask for a car with cloth seats, as plastic seats gas off more.

To get older cars, try Rent-a-wreck, they have affiliated outlets in most cities. Their web-site can help you locating an affiliate. I have used them, and been highly satisfied, and saved money too. The affiliates are locally operated, are seldom located at an airport and may not be open evenings and weekends, so there is some amount of inconvenience, and you don't really save much.

Hotel Rooms

Many hotels change carpets and paint every few years, and use strong cleaners and detergent, so it can be difficult to find a usable room.

More expensive hotels, do NOT mean better indoor climate. I've stayed at a Hyatt that had NO fresh air intake in the room, the register on the wall simply recycled the room air, while sending it through a dust filter and heating/cooling the air. The front desk folks were not aware of this. When I complained about the air quality, they offered to send up a technician to increase the air flow, fortunately the technician was understanding, and opened the window that otherwise could not be opened.

About a hundred hotels/motels around the country have evergreen rooms, that are smoke free and comes with an air cleaner. See below for a listing.

Always call the hotel ahead of time, some hotels will leave the room unoccupied for you the night before (unless they are full), so it has not been cleaned right before you arrive, and lingering smoke and fragrances is gone. Ask how long ago it is since they remodeled or put in new carpet.

When you call, insist on a room with operable windows, get a firm promise that the windows can be opened, or that they will open them for you. Many times the windows can only be opened with a special key. Another way around this is to get a room with a balcony, or French doors. Also, ask about how old the carpets are, and request a room with an old carpet. Tell them the reason, they may be reluctant to put you in a room with an old stained carpet.

Here are some ideas for when you get to the hotel:

Ask for a room with operable windows, that face away from parking lots, and is located at a higher floor
Get there early, so you can open windows, and determine whether the place can be used.
Unplug the TV from the wall outlet, the tube is kept warm so it can be on instantly, the heat increases gassing off in the electrical components of phenols, flame retardants, etc
Bring your own small fan, to put in the window. One of those with a clip will do fine. You can also try to borrow one from the reception desk. Let the fan blow air INTO the room, it is more effective than sucking air out.
Remove the covers from the bed, so the detergent in the sheets can air out
Bundle unneeded bedding (covers, etc), and put in a closed closet or drawer
Remove scented soap, etc, from the bathroom. Physically remove it, or seal up in a plastic bag
If you stay for multiple days, put the 'do no disturb' sign up the whole time, so housekeeping won't come in with more chemicals. You can also tell the front desk, but keep the sign up.

Plan ahead for other places to stay, in case the hotel cannot accommodate your needs.

Bed & Breakfasts

There are a growing number of Bed and Breakfasts around the country that caters to people with environmental sensitivities. There is even a small resort on the Florida coast. Many of them have web pages, or are otherwise mentioned on the web, just search for them.

Camping

Campgrounds do have some hazards, such as smoke and fuel fumes from camp fires and grills. Still, they often offer the best economical way for fresh air at night. I camp whenever possible.

Choose your site with caution, here are some suggestions:

Sites at the end of a row, or on the outskirts have fewer neighbors
Older folks, and folks in RV's have less often camp fires
Younger folks, groups, and weekend warriors, have more often camp fires
The wind generally comes from the west, try to avoid neighbors that are upwind.
A few campgrounds have 'walk-in' sites, where you have to walk maybe 100 yards from your car. In return you get peace and solitude. These sites are often not shown, you have to ask.
The attendant may be able to put you next to long-term campers, or RV's, both unlikely 'fire hazards.'

If you don't want to say anything about these problems to the attendant, ask for a quiet corner, that is usually the best place anyway.

You may also want to ask about whether they have recently sprayed with pesticides. I have once seen a campground that actually posted the last date they sprayed.

There are books on the market listing free campgrounds. These are often rustic campsites maintained by the Forest Service, the sites are usually widely dispersed, and thus an excellent choice.

RV rental

A good option is RV rentals. The rental units can be older vehicles, that have gassed off nicely. I've tried renting a six-year old vehicle once for two weeks, it was delightful. Make sure to ask for an older vehicle. You can rent a small (20 foot), older, vehicle for maybe twice what a rental car would cost. That is a great size for two people, and still offers indoor plumbing and shower. They are not hard to drive.

One word of caution on the use of toxic chemicals in the toilet: These may be a problem for you to handle. We used enzymes, which worked very well. Only inconvenience was the need to put a spoonful of the powder into the toilet once a day. I forgot the name of the product, we had to buy it directly from the company. We just had to ask the rental agency to fill up the sewage tank with water, so we could flush out the chemicals used by the previous renter, as they kill the enzymes.

Resources

A travel directory for MCS sufferers is available, The Safer Travel Directory listing MCS-aware hotels, motels, B&B's and campgrounds. There is a also a listing of real estate and hotels with evergreen rooms. There are even a few resorts for MCS sufferers.

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