BajaNomad

What I use in Baja and the US at home

Lee - 4-8-2026 at 11:51 AM

This meter will detect colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas by measuring concentration in parts per million (PPM) over time.

I bought it after reading about the couple who died at Rancho Pescadero from CO poisoning. I plug the device in at hotels and at home.

I've read Siterwell and X-Sense work best.



https://www.amazon.com/s?k=siterwell+carbon+monoxide+detecto...

JDCanuck - 4-8-2026 at 07:04 PM

Great idea and probably the most useful post for a long time. Thanks, Lee

AKgringo - 4-8-2026 at 07:41 PM

I wonder if there is a unit like that designed for the standard 12v outlet in cars?

lencho - 4-8-2026 at 08:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
I wonder if there is a unit like that designed for the standard 12v outlet in cars?
Why? Most CO monitors I've seen run on internal batteries. :light:

pauldavidmena - 4-9-2026 at 04:54 AM

Katie O'Grady wrote of her husband Frank's close brush with death in their blog a few years back. A very detailed account of treating a medical emergency in Mexico and taking the steps to prevent a future tragedy.

cupcake - 4-9-2026 at 09:41 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck  
Great idea and probably the most useful post for a long time. Thanks, Lee


X2

Lee - 4-9-2026 at 10:37 AM

Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  
Katie O'Grady wrote of her husband Frank's close brush with death in their blog a few years back. A very detailed account of treating a medical emergency in Mexico and taking the steps to prevent a future tragedy.


Wow. After sitting next to an open window for hours, it was still possible to be overcome with CO symptoms. If I didn't know about people dying from this poisoning, after reading this story, I'd run out to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a detector.

For $21.00, it's great insurance to have this detector.

Anyone know what happened at Rancho Pescadero after the deaths there? Hope the hotel stepped forward to compensate the family.

Thanks for the post, Paul. Great story. Definitely a close call!

AKgringo - 4-9-2026 at 12:07 PM

In Anchorage, a couple of teen-agers backed into a snow-covered hidden spot to spend a little time. They were not stuck, but the snow channeled the exhaust under the vehicle where it was picked up by the heater intake with fatal consequences.

surabi - 4-9-2026 at 12:55 PM

That happened to a young woman somewhere in the US a couple years ago. She had been driving in the highway, when a blizzard forced her to pull over to the side of the road. She called for help, but in the meantime, snow had plugged up the exhaust pipe and she was found dead.

Lee - 4-10-2026 at 03:05 PM

Still can't find a ''Conclusion'' to the tourist's deaths. Hotel changed its name to Kimpton Mas Olas, but looks like the owner is still Lisa Harper.

One EMT who was on scene became sick, employees too, and everything leading up to the deaths looked bad. I think CO detectors were turned off as they or other alarms kept going off. Strong smell of gas is mentioned.

Assuming the families of the deceased are suing Hyatt.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/kimpton-mas-olas/#:~:text=Se...

surabi - 4-10-2026 at 04:31 PM

Well, gas leaks and carbon monoxide are two different things. You can usually smell a gas leak, because of that rotten egg smell they add to propane gas, whereas carbon monoxide is odorless. And a CO detector won't go off because of a gas leak.
And yes, I had read that the CO detectors had been disabled because they kept going off. Which of course is an idiotic thing to do in lieu of fixing whatever was emitting carbon monoxide.
And if they were stupid enough to disable the CO detectors, instead of finding out what was emitting the CO, it wouldn't be surprising that they also had unattended-to gas leaks.

Unless someone had no sense of smell, it would be unlikely to get ill or die because of a propane gas leak- you would smell it long before there was enough in the room to overcome you. The main danger with gas leaks are explosions.

[Edited on 4-11-2026 by surabi]

[Edited on 4-11-2026 by surabi]

mtgoat666 - 4-10-2026 at 08:56 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Lee  
Still can't find a ''Conclusion'' to the tourist's deaths. Hotel changed its name to Kimpton Mas Olas, but looks like the owner is still Lisa Harper.

One EMT who was on scene became sick, employees too, and everything leading up to the deaths looked bad. I think CO detectors were turned off as they or other alarms kept going off. Strong smell of gas is mentioned.

Assuming the families of the deceased are suing Hyatt.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/kimpton-mas-olas/#:~:text=Se...


When hyatt / rancho pescadero (now kimpton mas olas) turned off detector alarms for CO and gas leaks, because the alarms were annoying, they committed homicide (gross negligence, manslaughter, etc.)
Amazing that the same owner has retained ownership after the murders… I would have expected the American owner to have been sued into bankruptcy…. Whether the owner or staff turned off the alarms and ignored the problem, the owner was ultimately responsible for everything employee and contractor she hired.

I suspect Hyatt was just a brand name, probably had no role in managing the hotel…


[Edited on 4-11-2026 by mtgoat666]

Glidergeek - 4-11-2026 at 07:40 AM

I'm thinking one of the armrests on his chair broke off and he took a fall, sustaining a head injury.