Packing – love it or loathe it, we all have necessities that we can’t live without when we’re away from home. I spend a lot of time travelling; for work, and as a disabled travel blogger. Sometimes it’s just a day trip, often a quick weekend getaway, and occasionally a longer break. No matter where I’m going or how long for, these are my top five essential items that make my travels loads easier.
Medication
Like a lot of people who have a medical condition, I take medication daily to ease pain and make sure I’m feeling at my best. When travelling I always pack extra meds so I’m covered in case of delays or changes of plan – there’s nothing worse than being stuck in an airport or train station whilst struggling with pain! I also, unfortunately, can get quite travel sick, especially if my wheelchair isn’t facing the direction of travel when I’m on a train or bus. So I always make sure I have something to ease motion sickness tucked in my bag.
Mobility Equipment
A pretty obvious one; I can’t travel without my wheelchair! I have a manual wheelchair, a power add-on, and a FreeWheel attachment. I’ll travel with a combination of these depending on the situation. Often if I’m travelling for work, usually by train, I might need to take a taxi from the station to my destination, in which case I’ll have just the manual chair as it’s easier to fold without the add-ons, and means that I’m not limited to a wheelchair accessible vehicle. If I’m going for a longer trip with some long distance wheeling involved, the power add-on means I can zoom around to my heart’s content, and the addition of the FreeWheel gives a smoother ride on bumps, grass, gravel and cobbles.
My Phone
At the risk of sounding like a typical millennial, I absolutely could not travel without my phone. It’s my camera, my diary, and my navigator. I use apps to find accessible places to stay and visit, I draft blog posts on the go, I have a never-ending supply of lists in my notes app – from to-do and meal plans to content ideas and half-drafted social media posts – and at the end of a long day travelling I like to unwind with an eBook. It’s also really useful for keeping travel documents, tickets, wheelchair manuals and itineraries all in one place. I physically wouldn’t be able to carry all of these things in my luggage, so my phone definitely makes travel more accessible for me.
Luggage
Disclaimer:This section contains a gifted item
Of course, I couldn’t pack any of these items without something to pack them in. I have a variety of different cases, rucksacks and bags – a lightweight cabin-sized case which I use when travelling with my husband, some standard backpacks and a brilliant rucksack/briefcase hybrid which carries my laptop, notebooks, clothes, toiletries and food when I’m on solo work trips. This weekend I took a trip with the Mia Tui Samantha bag for the first time, and I’m in love!
Made in collaboration with disabled actress Samantha Renke, it’s the brands first fully inclusive bag. It’s a gorgeous, stylish yet totally practical handbag, with the optional addition of mobility clips to hang it from the back of a wheelchair.
There are specially designed pockets for a water bottle, phone and pens, and a clip for keys so they can be easily found. It comes with an extra clutch bag with wrist strap, which makes such a difference.
It’s not always easy for me to reach into a bag on the back of my chair to find what I need, so to have a smaller bag for my phone, cash and tickets which I can keep on my wrist, whilst still having a free hand, is so much easier. I love how smart it looks on the back of my chair – with a rucksack on there I can sometimes look like I’m off mountaineering; not exactly the aesthetic I want to channel on a date night or city break.
Comfortable Clothes
Whether it’s a day trip for a work meeting or a
About the author
To read more from Carrie-Ann – including accessible travel reviews, tips and destination guides, visit carrieannlightley.com
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