It’s all a question of hardware…!!!

Today I was on tour with my Minitrac (see older blogposts) for the first time in the snow.

With its tractor tyres it is a perfect technical aid.

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My latest tool – an Overhead Lift

After half a year of “enjoying” free food and lodging in different hospitals while testing their equipment and treatment options, I am now back home. Let me introduce to you my latest support instrument.

As some sort of a “Christmas gift” my insurance kindly approved the overhead lift that I had requested out of necessity because of my increasing restrictions. (A mobile standard patient lift cannot be used in combination with my height-adjustable frame insert.) It took a few weeks of organizational back and forth between my insurance, the medical supply store and the manufacturer – you know how this goes – until the lift was finally mounted at the beginning of February.

The Lift is hanging from my bedroom ceiling and ensures a safe bed-air-wheelchair-transfer with the optional switch between wheelchair and shower wheelchair.

For people with back problems, instead of using belts for transfer I recommend a special lifter cloth.

With the three heavy duty anchors, each 1 ton load capacity, I do not need to be fasting right away

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Well… ok, I confess guilty… see older blogpost concerning the subject wheelchair tyres !!!

It is difficult to explain to a pedestrian how much the driving characteristics of a wheelchair can change if you only change the tyres. Plus according to my opinion a wheelchair may also look nice.

The wheelchair mirrors a bit the soul of the driver!

Show me the wheelchair, and I prepare a complete psychological profile of the owner.

You need the right tyre for each occasion, or would you go into the opera with hiking boots… ehhh… mountainbike tyres???

I was somehow missing such an opera tyre…

Like girls fancy pink and bling-bling, boys have always been crazy about chrome.

Of course I have this Y-Chrome-osome as well.

When I saw in the depths of the internet this blinking wheelchair tyre with more than 140 spokes

and the mighty racing nut in the middle I immediately had to think of James Bond and his Aston Martin DB05 from Goldfinger and Thunderball.

Source: jamesbond.wikia.com

My second thought was, these wheels with their white sidewall tyres want to be put on my wheelchair quickly.

I think they look great, the chrome trims on the dress guard were there before. The blue steering forks will of course be exchanged.

What do you think, a chrome radiator grill between the legs is already under discussion

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Even shoes are every now and then cleaned and injected with impregnation.

A wheelchair may also look nicely (see older blogpost).

Quite often the small plastic parts on the frame e.g. on the joint of a foldable wheelchair are the squeaking originators which are stressing my nerves a little.

Inject all moving parts with silicone spray*…!!!

Attention: If possible use silicone spray only outside, because if the silicone film gets on e.g. laminate this becomes so smooth that the next pedestrian can fall badly. Also use a mask over mouth and nose!!!! (see additional security advice below)

For wheelchair maintenance I recommend to clean the wheelchair beforehand with common cleaning agents. This may also happen more often than only before Christmas and Easter. At the same time you should also put oil or grease on the axes (see older blogpost).

Stainless steel cleanser is due to its lubricants not recommendable for footrest and hand rims, unless you would like to go downhill without braking the wheelchair.

Tips for hand rim covers click here

If the wheelchair is a bit more dirty only the car wash will help…

It is not my wheelchair which you can see on the picture above, but its brother, last shower about 2 years ago. If you have a closer look, the wheelchair is not dirty, but has a protective coat

I got stuck in the mud once in Austria with my wheelchair… to see the blogpost click here

But seriously, the guys from the car wash almost all have a steam blaster!!!

Security advice*:

Allegedly silicone vapours can accumulate in the lung. As a precaution you should use a mask or at least put a tissue on mouth and nose.

With a clean and de-squeaked wheelchair you can even go again to the opera

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However you have to look closely at some vehicles to recognize the range of use.

Quite often you see things from the past coming back. This supposed-to-be new technical achievement is obviously a medieval upgrade.

An

Offroad Palanquin Chair

with a battery-powered supporting middle wheel is quite special.

It is made by: www.ferriol-matrat.com and makes trekking tours through virtually every terrain possible. The company also makes other innovative technical aids.

There is also the variant of a

Semi-palanquin Offroad Chair

with two middle wheels so that the wheelchair doesn’t fall over, for just one pusher.

You can rent such a wheelchair in various places in Germany for trekking tours. For more detailed information please contact the producer!!!

Now I just need two sherpas, and I can climb the Taunus mountain range again via the north face

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