Wheelchair Accessory Update

So one of my first posts on this blog was a list of accessories that I found useful for the superhero machine, It’s been a year and as I’ve got more comfortable and more used to the wheelchair some of those accessories have changed so I thought an update post might be useful for my readers.

Probably my favorite bit of kit is my arm protectors. They are useful for when it’s muddy or is actually raining to keep whatever i am wearing clean and dry. I even use them when I have my cagoule on because they are more heavy duty and will cost less to replace. they are also good at protecting my clothes if i’m wearing anything delicate or snaggable that I don’t want to catch on the wheelchair.  I bought mine from MobilityDirect2013 on Ebay. I no longer use the florescent wrist straps to hold my sleeves up because these are much more reliable and versatile

 

I was actually quite happy with the cute little water bottle I was using but my partner dropped it and it cracked so I needed another one. This one seems quite expensive for what it is but I like it a lot, the long handle means it can slide safely and securely on the back of my chair and the tube and mouth piece mean I don’t need to take it off to drink, so no risk of me dropping or spilling it. It also holds a litre of water which is useful if I’m going to be out for a long time or rolling a long way. I bought mine from Ableworld inPenarth for ten pounds.

 

I still use the same gloves, the snack box, and the arm purse that I wrote about last time. I also still use the phone wallet for my phone, keys, and inhalers but i find it easier to wear it on my ankle rather than my wrist.

I also always carry baby wipes, small bags to put dirty baby wipes in, and anti-bacterial gel, all in case I roll over anything disgusting and can’t get to a place straight away to wash myself and the wheelchair

 

Traveling accesories

So I’ve had the wheelchair for  about two months now and I’ve more or less worked out what little extras I need  for easy comfortable traveling. Obviously other people will have different needs but these are the things I’ve found useful.

If at all possible do not buy your accessories from places that specialise in wheelchair equipment because they will be much more expensive than they need to be. I try to get as many of my accessories as I can from bike shops, outdoor shops or ebay.

 

Wrist wallet

this is just a neoprene wallet on elastic that fits round your wrist and is big enough to fit notes, coins, and a small set of keys. I bought it from ebay for about five pounds

 

Arm Phone holder

 

This has several pockets one in which I put my phone and one in which I put my reliever inhaler, my RADAR key, and my house keys. It attaches with a velcro strap, it can be kind of annoying for my sensory stuff sometimes but i’m usually okay if i attach it over my sleeve rather than straight onto my arm. This cost me five pounds from ebay

 

Reflective Velcro Straps

I bought these to stop my jacket/jumper sleeves falling down my arms and getting dirty or in the way when I’m wheeling, I got them from the local bike shop for about three pounds. They are unisize and  you need to cut them to fit you (I kept the excess reflective strip and will eventually stick it on the superhero machine)

Gloves

 

 

I use two pairs of gloves. they are both cycling gloves and are both padded on the palms and thumb pads

One heavy duty pair with fingers for outside/long distance traveling. They are Endura make and I bought them from a bike shop for £17  I like them a lot, comfy and hard wearing. Possibly you can get them cheaper online but I was in a hurry for them. (if you don’t have rim grips you might not need the fingered pair but if you do have rim grips you will take the skin off your fingers without fingered gloves)

the other pair is  lightweight and fingerless  for inside and picking things up. These cost me about four pounds from ebay.

Water Bottle

 

 

Self propelling makes me really thirsty. So I always make sure I take some water with me when I go out. This cute little bottle cost me two pounds fifty from Tescos and is attached to my superhero machine bag with a very lightweight carabiner that I bought from Mountain Warehouse for about two pounds

Food Container

 

I don’t always take this with me but if I’m going for a roll in the countryside or anywhere there wont be somewhere to buy food I always pack a healthyish snack so I don’t end up starving ages from anywhere (and self propelling does make me extra hungry)

I hope this is helpful and gives you some ideas, I will also have posts in the future about useful wheelchair attachments,  suitable clothing, and  storage/bags for wheelchair users