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Disabled Cachers...


phantom

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Hello to all,

I have tried several searches for this topic only to find info on cache types for people with disabilities. I apologize in advance if this is repetitve or annoying.

My question is, who are the cachers out there who have a disability? Do you use a mobility device such as a wheelchair or walker? I have a spincal cord injury but have been intrigued with GC. I haven't done any hunting in a while, but plan to get back into it soon.

 

Introduce yourselves and say "hi".

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One of my closest geocaching friends can only hunt for a cache if he lugs around an oxygen tank.

 

And I'm still shaking my head and marveling at the guy who completed my 6.5 mile multicache in a wheelchair.

 

Recently, I got to know someone here online who uses a wheelchair to find caches, and very quickly found a way to contribute back to the sport by using her writing and editing skills.

 

And I know a geocacher with several hundred finds who also happens to have one of those diseases that they have telethons about.

 

And now I am pleased to make the acquaintance of Phantom, who's been around the sport for quite awhile, longer than me.

 

I am really glad that all these people have found geocaching and are having fun!

 

But sorry, nope, I don't know any *disabled* cachers.

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Heya Phantom,

 

I cache from my manual p.o.c manual chair, though I spend much of the time scuttling (slowly) on my butt. What takes a two-legged walking-type person 15 minutes can easily take me 3 or 4 hours, but I've grown quite fond of killing bugs by squishing them as I make my way to the cache location. To each her own :-)

 

I love caches on rail-to-trails 'cause I can just roll and roll and roll. I want to get one of those recumbant type hand AND foot powered cycles; then I could roll much FASTER. Speed fun.

 

I also try a lot of hydro caches from my kayak. My leg is strong, my upper body is pretty strong, and although I'm fat and could be fitter, I do okay.

 

Cheers!

 

../Mosaica

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we're going to make a mosaica-inspired cache for the bipeds: we have to find a landowner who will allow us to cut new trail, though. our idea is to cut perfect trail that goes through heavy brush, but the trail is only clear for about two and a half feet above the ground, forcing the bipeds to experience the cache in much the same way mosaica does.

 

it ought to be a hoot.

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we're going to make a mosaica-inspired cache for the bipeds: we have to find a landowner who will allow us to cut new trail, though. our idea is to cut perfect trail that goes through heavy brush, but the trail is only clear for about two and a half feet above the ground, forcing the bipeds to experience the cache in much the same way mosaica does.

 

it ought to be a hoot.

Now, that's clever! Please let me know when it's implemented...I'd love to follow up on this in Today's Cacher. :o

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we're going to make a mosaica-inspired cache for the bipeds: we have to find a landowner who will allow us to cut new trail, though. our idea is to cut perfect trail that goes through heavy brush, but the trail is only clear for about two and a half feet above the ground, forcing the bipeds to experience the cache in much the same way mosaica does.

 

it ought to be a hoot.

My back would sure hate that cache. Now if you had a chair to loan out the back would be ok but I'm sure my arms would be hating it. Not to mention a few other muscles I learn you used that I didn't know I had.

Edited by Renegade Knight
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We're everywhere...just way ahead of the bipeds on the trail in our souped-up chairs. :(

 

Just in case you don't know, rldill does a fabulous job of maintaining a web site that lists wheelchair accessible caches.

 

Nice to meet you, Tom. :D

Cool. I sent three of my caches in for submission.

 

I have two others that I think are eligible. One is only 20 feet from the road but there is some hazardous ground clutter that I wouldn't want to make a butt hike over. The other has minimal hazards but the ten foot area around the cache is cluttered... I think I'll submit it after I take another look at it.

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My wife often geocaches with me, and she uses an oxygen tank due to a lung disease, and a birth defect in her heart. (and she's never smoked in her life)

 

You won't find her registered as a geocacher here, for some reason she just won't do it. She says it's not neccesary, since she's always with me when we geocache, and I log the finds. I'm not fussing, I'm just glad she enjoys going with me! :huh: I'll sometimes refer to her as "Mrs CND" since she won't pick a handle. :mad:

 

Our oxygen machine at home allows us to fill our own bottles. The portable bottles are relatively small, (12' tall) and each bottle will last a little over an hour. (set at 5 L/min, the highest setting) The bottle has it's own pack, that can be worn across the shoulders, or around the waist. I carry the bottle, and we have several feet of small tubing so she can stay connected when she's walking beside, in front, or behind me. We carry four bottles in the car or truck, and just grab one when we get out for a hunt.

 

We live in the Blue Ridge Mountains, so the terrain can be rough some times. We just take it slow and enjoy the hunt, and spending time together.

 

"Mrs CND"

61028_400.jpg

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Among the majority of "biped" cachers, I am handicapped. In comparison to pyewacket and others, I am quite able. I have a deep admiration for your courage and determination. I have various back problems and nerve damage from a broken neck, and there are days I can't get out of bed. When I started caching, I was in constant pain, and had pretty much given up on doing anything. Thanks to a different doctor, and the inventor of oxycontin, I can now function at a near-normal state. So, there are varying degrees of being handicapped. I used to love hiking in the Rockies in Colorado, or the mountains around Tucson, or even just walking through the timber on my farm. Now I could never hike like I used to in the mountains, and even the small hills in the timber are a challenge. I am thankful for what I have, miss what I lost, but mostly cling to the mantra my grandad gave me, "Every day above ground is a good day."

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I've been thinking of the idea flask posted about, and it'll be tricky to implement. If you made a `path' which was sized, height-wise, to a sitting person, I think many two-legged folks would do it either on hands & knees or crawling on their belly. At least, that's what I'd prolly do as a two-legged person.

 

Another idea is to make part of the cache a web-cam section, where there would have to be video of a person actually butt-scuttling, and that involves some complex implementation issues too. Hmm. Let's keep on thinking about this!

 

../Mosaica

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fr many of us, crawling isn't all tha comforatble. if i have a choice between crawling or scuttling, i take scuttling. maybe belly crawl, but you don't need two legs for that. it's possible to arange the brush so that it's easier to navigate one way, which means you'd have to cut circular trail.

 

in any case, forcing the two legged to even crawl will be eye-opening for them. they'll get plenty of an idea about what makes a trail uncomfortable whether or not they scuttle properly.

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