bushcraft and disabilities.

[rivermom]

hello, out there,
this is my first time ever using a forum, as i am new to the world of computers.
I have always been an outdoor person, and interested in bushcraft. but access to the bush is rather difficult, since i am disabled and live in an isolated village with no public transport.
recently i started looking for some alternative mode of transport by means of which i could get out and about.
does anyone have any suggestions. the parameters are as follows.

it can not be a car, because i cannot get a license.
it can not be a bicycle, because i have poor sense of balance.
it can not be a horse, because i have no land or stable.
it has to be able to negotiate hilly terrain.

i would appreciate any suggestions you folks can come up with.
Rivermom.

 

[Wayne]

Does no car mean no motorised transport?

My first suggestion would have been a road legal quad bike but i expect thats out. Our local RSPB reserve have a tramper for people with impaired mobility. Basically an off road disabled buggy reasonable turn of speed and range too.

Balance would not be an issue for an off road tricycle.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[malente]

Hi rivermom,

welcome to the forum!

Have you had a look at these: http://www.trekinetic.co.uk/home.html

I just found them on google searching for 'all terrain wheelchair'.

kind regards,

Mike

PS I have no affiliation with the site.

 

[rivermom]

thanks for the replies, guys. it seems that i may have been unclear in my original post as to what i am looking for.
i am not wheelchair dependant. i just can't walk very far. i actually do climb small mountains, just very slowly. and i can get around in the woods and such. but all that there is around me here is farmland full of cows.
but six miles away there is a lake, with islands. i just have no way to travel the six miles. and the terrain here is hilly; drumlin country.
the mode of transport i need can not have an engine, because an engine driven vehicle must have a licence.
i have just spent the evening researching tricycles, and i'll certainly let you know if i find anything suitable.
by the way, are there any other 'bushcrafters' here in the north west of Ireland?
cheers,
Rivermom

 

[BOD]

Why are you not able to have licence?

I would have thought that a disability merits a vehicle licence

 

[Matt Weir]

Hello and welcome to BcUK Rivermom

I hope you can get fixed up somehow. Best wishes,

Matt.

 

[John Fenna]

Hello and welcome!
I hope that you enjoy the site and you find a solution to your mobility/transport probs - I have heard good things about tikes but if you are going off road get puncture resistant/runflat tyres or be sure you have a good puncture kit/spares......
John

 

[hammock monkey]

What about finding a friend that maybe has a car and a love of the great outdoors?
People quite often think of rain and cold until they get out there - or get back and reflect on the day with satisfaction.
Obviously you've already thought of this, but maybe there's someone you haven't asked yet, or someone on this site whose willing to pick you up on their trips out?
Good luck, dont give up

 

[BorderReiver]

A tricycle would be a great idea,depending on your finances.I have seen a few that have been adapted for really good load carrying and there is also the trailer idea.

Good Bike Site

One thing about trikes though is that you have to be careful when cornering.There is always the chance of going tip over apex if you take them too fast.Whether or not your impaired balance would be a problem I obviously don't know.

 

[Arth]

What about a electric bike? I don't know if you need a license for it or not.

 

[Lostdreamer]

What about a electric bike? I don't know if you need a license for it or not.

You don't.

I have done some homework on this subject being interested in an electric trail bike myself (the idea of a bike that could get itself up the hills at the expense of some flat ground speed seems like a good one. Shame I am skint.)

So, the following is 'in theory', I havn't been there and done that - yet.

An off the shelf model will probably struggle with trail conditions/hills. However, you can get conversion kits that use a motor to drive the bike chain directly, thereby allowing the motor to use the bikes' gearset. This will overcome the problems both by allowing you to use a bike frame more suited to the conditions, and by offering the motor lower gears to help it with the difficult stuff.

Cost £100-1000 depending how fussy/techinical you/your mates are.

There are probably two main flaws with this setup. One is getting stuck/falling off - depends how soft/tricksy the ground is. You may need to find a way to scout it first, or just not be afraid of turning back when it gets dodgy.
The other flaw is that is isn't a self sufficent setup - there is no way of recharging the battery for the motor. Once it is flat, it's over.

Other ideas you may not have considered:

Find the local 'Green Laners'. These are people who explore vehicular Rights of Way in 4x4s. The object is NOT adrenaline fueled car hijinks, but simply to travel & enjoy the countryside from the comfort of their car. Most people will have plenty of space for a passenger or two and probably be glad of the company.

Book a taxi.

Call your local council. I know the council around here opporates a door-to-door pre booked bus service for disabled people, and I suspect there are a few other things as well. Give 'em a bell and see what they can offer.


Hope my wafflings help
'Dreamer.

 

[w00dsmoke]

Hi Rivermom,

welcome to the site.

I'm quite fascinated by your post. You may not be aware that between here on BCUK and SOTP (a paddling site for those into canoes rather than kayaks), there are a fair representation of members/users who have a variety of needs and the solutions we collectivly conjure up in the form of ideas and help are awesome at times. There's a canoest on SOTP who sea paddles with only one arm-amazing really.

As someone who has suffered fairly restrictive mobility problems (broken back), I hope I can share some suggestions/ideas for discussion.I don't understand your post here when you say able for small mountains yet six miles of farmland stop you. A bit of a contradiction here-so a bit of clarification would help us help you.


1/Concentrate on what you are Able to do
2/ Focus clearly on what you want to achieve and realistically assess whether this is possible/reasonable.
3/ Don't concentrate on what you can't do unless there is a realisitic possibilty of a solution.
4/Sometimes we nearly always underestimate ourselves-I can't do what I used to do, but I can do some of it, just in my own time and pace, I can do more than I was told/thought I could do, but there are trade offs. If you can handle the trade offs then go for it. Mine is excruciating pain/lack of mobility the next day after a paddling trip or long walk.
5/ Everything is relative. A long walk to you is different to a long walk for me or anyone else. It's relative to your ability.

Good luck and if you can be a little bit more clear then that would be great.

WS

 

[irishlostboy]

what she means by "small mountains" is caish, a small, but steep mountain about 20 odd miles from her place. the occasion she gets there, its by a lift from various friends. which is good when it happens.
the main thing mom is looking for from transport is something she can take on the roads for the six odd miles to the lake. not an offroad vehicle.

she tried getting a delivery trike with an electric motor. something called a powatryke
http://www.yeoviltrailers.co.uk/powabyke/Powatrike.htm
the construction was terrible, and the electrics would die when asked to do even a moderate hill. the sheer weight of the thing was crazy. the current idea is to get a good quality non-motorized trike.
a mate of mine, who has been a bike mechanic for near 10 years recomended this
http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/picador.html
the build quality is meant to be really good. according to him, the store he worked in stopped doing all electric bikes, as the damp in ireland did them no favours.

thanks all for the welcome you have giving to my dear ol' daft mother. i put her on to this site, as its the most "human" place i could think of in cyberspace.

 

[tommy the cat]

I have no suggestions I am afraid but do have a number of friends who are disabled (horrible term I think.)
I think the suggestions by Woodsmoke are bang on. My problem is that all of my disabled friends drive so all my knowledge is in off road wheel chairs/ snowboards etc.
I wish you all the best and hope you can resolve what must a frustrating problem. I wish I was nearer and could drive you myself. Dave

 

[Toddy]

Nearby where I live there's a middle aged man with cerebal palsy who has a trike like that. His mother said it was the best gift anyone could have given him. It gives him freedom to travel around without needing to be accompanied, it allows him to carry stuff, and it gives him both confidence and a lot of valuable exercise.
The only problem has been the weather but decent waterproofs and mudguards really helped there.
His father paid for some sort of upgraded gear system and that allows him to safely negotiate not only some of the woodland paths but up and down the steep pavements to the river too.

Oh, and welcome to BcUK rivermom

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Tengu]

http://www.balanzbike.com/

might be better offroad?

(says she who is wary of things with two wheels too.)

 

[rivermom]

I am really blown away by all your replies. I had no idea that there were so many intelligent and friendly people out there. I am really grateful for all your advice and encouragement.

I will be testing a tricycle within the next two weeks, and if I can manage it, I will be ordering one. This testing will be a real adventure for me, white knuckle stuff, because I have to test it by cycling it in Dublin! I live in a one horse village, but the horse emigrated.

I have already tested one of the tricycles with the auxiallary electric motor. But the machine was badly designed and very heavy, so the motor was absolutely no help on hilly roads. but a well geared lightweight trike should do the job. Then I will be off exploring the countryside again, and reawakening my old passion for the wild places.

 

[Ed]

I am really blown away by all your replies. I had no idea that there were so many intelligent and friendly people out there.

Its really good of you to say so .... thanks .... and it amazes me too aswell sometimes, but its one of those things that make BCUK unique and its a real credit to all our members here

To us, a disability is not really a problem.... more of a challenge for us to overcome .... I teach bushcraft and have had some serverely disabled students.... even to the point we have run classes in their back gardens and have had some great times that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

We really hope you reawaken you passion as you will never loose it no matter what .... welcome aboard to BCUK .... and most of all .... Have Fun

Ed

 

[Tengu]

I hope you do well with it.

Im getting a buss pass (thought they were only for people with mobility problems) so this will allow me to do more things.

like visit my uncle in south Wales (cant afford bridge toll)

 

[rivermom]

hello again floks. I am delighted to be able to inform you that I now have a wonderful tricycle. I am like a kid on christmas morning! This tricycle is built by Pashley, and it is light and sturdy.
So far I am mainly using it to get to the shops, but I am taking it out further and further every day, building up my strength and my confidence. And it is just such a buzz, to be moving faster than a snail, to feel the wind on my face. You would not believe how powerful it feels.
And the memories it is awakening, of what it was like before I got M.S. And I don't think it is a coincidence that the M.S. is going into remission again. Life just keeps getting better and better. And I am going camping with my sons this summer.
So, thanks for all your good wishes, and enjoy the summer.