Whether you have a disability or not, the likelihood is that at some point you or someone you know may face temporary injury or have a challenge of some kind in accessing the outdoor environment. Maybe there is something we can all learn and utilise from the equipment that has been designed or modified for ‘disabled’ people to ‘enable’ adventure.
Accessible Toilet Woes
My biggest fear about hand cycling through Central Asia and the Himalaya was “How do I go to the toilet?” Being paralyzed, it’s impossible to crouch on wooden planks balanced over long drops, or hover behind boulders. There was enormous potential for messy and embarrassing difficulties, but I didn’t want this ‘simple’ thing to stand in the way of such a compelling journey.
Used imaginatively, an inflatable toilet seat and a garden trowel offered a reasonable solution, and this combination sufficed for the wild and bumpy terrain of the Tien Shan Mountains and the Taklimakan Desert of Western China. However, journeying into Pakistan, the rocks of the Karakoram proved testing for the fragile rubber seat. In mid-action and an unpleasant location, there was a loud explosion as the seat ripped and I was plummeted downwards into the pungent hole in the floor. A wheelbarrow inner tube was the only other local solution I could find, but I knew that there had to be a more reliable, clean, and satisfactory solution.
Some years later I was one of two paralyzed paddlers invited to join a sea kayaking expedition where we explored the fjords and glacier-draped mountains that line the Pacific coast of Canada and Alaska. We had a prototype of a field toilet to test, courtesy of Equal Adventure Developments, an UK-based inclusive adventure equipment design company.
The prototype was a padded and moulded plastic seat with a strategically placed hole cut in it, all mounted on four short legs. There is now a carbon fibre, titanium-legged version of this original prototype. It is also available with snow-feet to prevent it from sinking into the white stuff if that’s the environment you aspire to adventure in. The price tag isn’t cheap and improvisation with cheap, easily available products is always an option, e.g., adapted camping chairs.
The toilet may seem like a trivial example, but having access to the correct equipment and clothing are key factors in enabling disabled people to go into the outdoors. Some of these equipment requirements can be very specific and need custom designing, whereas other items are just a matter of making an informed choice from a selection of standard gear available.
SCI Temperature Regulation
For example, most people with a spinal-cord injury are not able to thermo-regulate. This means that it is difficult to make or retain heat very well in the part of the body that is affected by nerve damage, as the blood vessels are unable to constrict and dilate according to temperature.
Being paralyzed, this means that I have legs of ice for most of the winter, and overheat when the climate is slightly warm or humid. In the cold, the key is not to lose the heat in the first place. Developments in fabric and clothing technology now make this possible. Thick pile leggings and down trousers are the most effective at keeping the heat in, though they can make you quite bulky for climbing into your hand cycle or sit-ski.
Heated fabric technology is now available in outdoor clothing, with a range of products including insoles, socks, gloves, and jackets. This kit is usually powered by small lithium rechargeable batteries that have enough energy for 3-6 hours of heat supply. The gloves and insoles are a blessing for outdoor enthusiasts who suffer from Raynaud’s Disease, where circulation to the extremities is impaired. They’re also great for anyone with thermo-regulation challenges! The readily available heat pads that can easily be inserted between layers in particularly vulnerable cold spots are also great—just watch out for burning if you have no sensation.
Adapting Clothes
Maintaining body temperature isn’t the only issue. Finding outdoor clothes to fit if you have an unusual shape, posture, missing limbs or are sitting down permanently can be a challenge in itself. Equal Adventure Developments have been supported by the charity ‘Search’ to develop a range of outdoor clothing, both for outdoor centre use and for outdoor athletes.
The garments are uniquely tailored to accommodate a range of needs, regardless of whether you use sticks or a wheelchair to get around. The range for outdoor centres is already available and they hope to develop a range of clothing for athletes. Another company, Able 2 Wear, also makes some outdoor garments which have been tailored to suit a range of disabilities.
Pressure Sores
If a disability involves nerve damage, sensation is often impaired. In this situation, pressure sores can be a problem. Indeed, the fear of developing pressure sores while camping and being active in the outdoors can prevent some people from setting out. However, solutions are available in the form of self-inflating mattresses, such as those by Thermarest and Exped, and also gel-filled seats made by Skwoosh for kayakers and campers. Although these products are intended for mainstream use, they are fantastic for pressure prevention, which can be such an issue with some disabilities.
Visual and Hearing Impairments
For other sensory impairments, such as visual, the challenges of being in the outdoors are a little different. Receiving auditory information becomes very important. For example, blind skiers use a range of solutions. A buddy might ski alongside and describe the route ahead, or ski ahead with a loud hailer mounted around his waist, projecting the sound of his voice backwards to the blind skier. For downhill skiing, blind skiers often hold onto a horizontal ‘guide’ pole, attached to a pair of three metre long poles that stretch behind to a ski guide. He or she can use the poles to steer the blind skier around corners.
Learning Disabilities
One of the biggest groups of disabled adventurers is people with learning disabilities. Clear communication and sufficient time to plan will make any adventure more successful, but it is especially important in this area. Equal Adventure Developments is developing a range of pictorial databases for those planning outdoor activities where this would help the team to be more inclusive of everyone. The Duke of Edinburgh Award (UK) also has a range of publications which may help in this important area.
Expensive Adaptive Equipment
The ‘bigger’ bits of kit that enable people to be active in the outdoors are unfortunately often expensive (between £1000 and £2000), but offer so much freedom and access to the wilderness. For example, downhill ski-bobs and cross-country sit-skis enable people without the use of their legs to ski. Various forms of tricycles and hand bikes are equally enabling.
Kayaking and canoeing are also great ways to access wild places, but the design of the craft can be critical if you have balance problems. A flatter-bottomed kayak or a more stable double kayak are two possibilities if you find regular craft too ‘tippy.’
There are many opportunities to escape civilization for some wilderness, regardless of whether you have a disability. It just sometimes takes a little more searching, innovation and creativity to get there if you have physical or sensory challenges. I hope that this article will help you find your way. Choosing the right equipment is a critical element in inclusive expeditions and adventure, but it’s still no use having “all the gear and no idea”!
What is an ‘Inclusive Expedition’?
The terminology ‘disabled’ seems rather ironic at times considering the people I know with disabilities who are far more active and able than some able-bodied sofa-loafers. Examples include the circumnavigation of the UK by sea kayak with a visual impairment, journeying by electric wheelchair across Iceland, hand-cycling over the Himalaya, and climbing the world’s highest mountains blind or with amputations.
For these reasons, in the world of adventure and fieldwork, the term ‘inclusive’ has been adopted in reference to a team of people that includes people with disabilities. The recent BBC television series ‘Beyond Boundaries’ depicts this to some extent. It illustrates the kind of challenges that disabled people are perfectly capable of undertaking, although it was somewhat manufactured for reality TV. Most ‘Inclusive Expeditions’ would see a more mixed team of disabled and non-disabled participants contributing equally, and operating both independently and self-sufficiently through their chosen terrain.
Wild Biking
Cycling is a sport so easily adapted to suit so many needs. Climber Magnus Ross fell from the roof of a house while living in Chamonix. He received head injuries and now struggles to coordinate his movement or find strength in one half of his body. A tricycle has given him the freedom to regularly take to the hills.
Don Harding, an outdoor pursuits instructor, lost a leg above the knee. He has found freedom in the outdoors again with a “Windcheetah” recumbent tricycle that allows him to pedal with his prosthetic leg, steering the bike with a joystick. Blind friends cycle tandems. I cycle with my arms, using either a specially built recumbent tandem (pedalled with arms by the front cyclist and legs by the rear cyclist) or on a recumbent hand-pedalled tricycle. There are also “clip-on” versions of hand cycles available to attach to the front of wheelchairs.
But for an adventure lover, the adaptability of bikes is not the issue. The big question is what level of rough terrain can they tackle? Damaging your head or losing a leg doesn’t take away the desire to be in the mountains, feeling the raw and wild beauty of nature, and getting away from tarmac and concrete. Greenspeed is a company that has done a pretty good job of building unusual trikes to tackle rougher terrain, and mine has been successful in negotiating rough tracks from the Scottish hills to the Himalaya. Also “One-Off” bikes are specifically designed as hand-cranked mountain bikes, and a few have made it to the crater rim of Kilimanjaro.
Ten of the Best
In this regular feature, we provide a flavour of the current crop of products on the market rather than a head-to-head test of competing merchandise.
1. For toileting!
EAD Field Toilet
Designed by people with disabilities for people with disabilities. Height adjustable, ergonomic seat shape, carbon-fibre-titanium construction. If the price tag is too high, other people have used the BioToi (www.biobags.ca) or improvised with various forms of camping chairs. Also good are “Wag Bags” (‘a toilet in a bag’ for environmental disposal of debris, www.wagbags.com)
2. For cross-country skiing
Handinor Handisnow 2
A cross-country sledge with an adjustable frame. Supplied with a Madhaus skating ski. Racing skis are optional.
3. For off-road biking
Greenspeed Dual Mode Tandem or Single Handtrike; One-Off Hand-crank MTB
Custom-made bike with hand cranks, gears and brake controls for the captain, plus foot cranks for the stoker. Awesome!
4. For downhill skiing
Praschberger Monoski
More than 100 medals have been won by skiers using this state-of-the-art monoski, including 30 at the 2002 Paralympics.
5. For hand protection
Berghaus Heatcell Mitt
Lined with Primaloft to help keep your hands toasty, this mitt includes lithium battery-powered technology for an extra three hours of self-heating warmth.
6. For camping and/or kayaking
Skwoosh Utility Cushion
One of a range of cushions for anyone who gets a numb backside. This general purpose model is ideal for campers.
7. For base layers
Smartwool thermal base layers
The choice of base layer is critical for people with thermo-regulation issues. The natural Smartwool fibres do a great job of helping to keep you comfortable, but there are also other pure wool companies on the market, like Icebreaker.
8. For feet
Sorel Snow Bird
It’s important that footwear is easy to pull on; these insulated boots are just the job for people with no sensation in their lower body.
9. For climbing
Oxygen 1 by Ozone; Yeti harness by Gin; Kite 2 by Equal Adventure Developments; Wellman Custom Rock Chaps from No Limits Tahoe.
These are a range of harnesses to help people with disabilities climb—the first two are parapet harnesses, the latter two are specifically designed products. They all work differently so will depend on your personal circumstances and choice. A parapet harness of Kite works better for people with high levels of injury/paralysis, as they support sitting balance better.
10. For sleeping
Thermarest Luxury Camp L OR Exped DownMat
The worry of pressure sores can deter even the most enthusiastic adventurer from setting out on a long expedition. Thermarest and Exped mats like these greatly reduce the chance of sores developing. The Exped mat is down-filled, so it’s better insulated, warmer, and generally thicker/more padded than Thermarest, though not quite as easy to blow up.
Stockists and Information
Greenspeed: +61 3 9753 3644; www.greenspeed.com.au
One Off: +1 413 634 5591; www.oneoffhandcycle.com
Handinor: +47 63 88 72 40; www.handinor.no
Praschberger: +43 5373 425570; www.praschberger.com
Skwoosh: +1 978 689 0500; www.skwoosh.com
Smartwool: 0131 221 2200; www.smartwool.com
Thermarest: +1 800 531 9531 (North America); +353 21 462 1400 (Europe); www.thermarest.com
Berghaus: +44 191 516 5600; www.berghaus.com
Equal Adventure Developments: +44 1479 861 372; www.equaladventure.co.uk
No Limits Tahoe: www.nolimitstahoe.com
See Related Articles
For more information about accessible sports and the best time of the year to start them, see Adaptive Sports: What’s Out There?
See I'm a Woman--and an Ironman! to learn more about one woman's return to competitive racing with adaptive equipment after a bike accident left her paralyzed.
