Hands free travelling! How to travel safely and enjoy your trip
If you are not carrying your bag in your hands, they are free to do important things - like handle tickets, use a walking stick, hold the hands of children or aged relatives, steer a wheelchair or take photos.
There’s basically only a backpack that will really work in this case (whilst wheelie cases are popular, they mean one of your hands is always in use) unless you’ve got a walking device or a wheelchair you can attach your wheelie case to.
Travelling with a walking stick, crutches or a walker?
If you need your hands to hold a mobility device, you can’t be worrying about holding a bag or wheeling a suitcase when you’re on the move, but if you are using a wheelchair there are some clever ways to roll your luggage along with you.
How to travel hands free - three rules for an easy trip
One bag backpack for a work trip on the mighty night train!
The first rule is to pack light and compact. Travelling light will make your luggage easier to manage - whether you’re carrying it yourself or are accompanied by someone else (who will have their own stuff to manage too) and whether you’re in a car, on a train or taking a plane. Bulky luggage and several items create a logistics problem, and every little move becomes stressful. The less you have to lift and lug, the fewer actual bags you have to remember, the easier and less stressful your trip will be.
The second rule is to use hands free luggage. Bags you can carry on your shoulders or waist - backpacks, waist bags and totes - leave you able to use your hands to help you actually move. This is where it’s really important to pack light. An alternative solution, if you’re using a mobility device, is to clip your luggage to it so that you don’t have to carry it separately. There are lots of smaller bags available for rollator type walkers. This is where a really tight ‘one bag’ packing regime is a must.
There are more robust (and bigger) solutions if you’re using a wheelchair - and some excellent people demonstrating just how to do this.
Check out this video of a wheelchair towing bracket for wheelie cases.
You can see more clever wheelchair hacks on Instagram and Facebook - links below
You can see more clever wheelchair hacks on Instagram and Facebook - links below
The third rule is to absolutely definitely use a hands free bag for your essentials - money, passport, medications etc. Even if you have a larger bag that you can’t carry yourself, have a secure bag with a cross body or waist strap for the key things you need. Keep access to the bag at the front of you so you can get into it (and other people can’t).
Bonus links
Wheelchair hacks? You can see more clever hacks on Instagram and Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/reels/CcwgAwsA0iE/
