Category: Helpful Products

The most comfortable and amazing travel shoes

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I was sitting next to an app developer on a flight from Chicago to Amsterdam and he had on these green, knit-looking shoes that looked really comfortable so I asked him about it. In his Dutch accent he said what I thought was, “Abbot’s.” Cut to me searching the internet for Abbot shoes that looked like his to no avail. But then I found them. They’re called Allbirds!

Allbirds

I had heard about Merino wool and since I don’t wear socks (too hard to put on), I figured the smell-resistant feature of the Merino Allbirds would be a huge plus. But the minute I put my foot in one, it was like the most comfortable slipper I’d ever worn.

I’ve had one pair now for a year and there are only slightly visible signs of wear. Of course as a wheelchair user, that’s expected but I don’t use footrests so they’re always banging up against my wheels. Sure they get some dirt on them but they wipe off clean and can be washed easily.

I highly recommend this shoe if you want to be comfortable on a flight.

Comfy Travel Blanket

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Super-soft and portable travel blanket makes flying more comfortable.

I hate airline blankets because they’re thin and small and feel like someone dyed potato sacks blue and folded them. Plus it’s hard for me to lift one up to cover my shoulders and chest. Thankfully I found this super soft blanket that you put over your head. Flight attendants are usually happy to help me put it on.

It covers your shoulders and doesn’t fall down. Best of all, it packs up into its own pocket, zips up, and you can attach it to your backpack or carry-on.

It’s a warm blanket that is easy to bring along. Sometimes I put other small items in the zippable pocket/bag that comes with it to reduce carry-on clutter.

Check out the blanket here.

These should be in every airport

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I wear suspenders now when I fly because there was a time once when I was being lifted from my plane seat onto the aisle chair and my pants got stuck on the armrest. The flight attendants sure got a show that day! Most of the time when I am lifted into or from my seat, the process goes fine if the lifters know what they are doing. But there are a times when either the people sent to help me can’t physically lift me or the people sent to do the job don’t know what they are doing. This can all be solved with the Eagle Lift.

I used this in Australia and it’s available at select airports (I’ll find out in a few weeks) like Minneapolis and LAX. I REALLY hope they are available because I happen to transfer through both of those airports on my next trip.

The unit uses a sling that easily straps under you and a person of any size can operate the unit. It actually lifts you out of your wheelchair and then when you’re on the plane it will drop you right in your seat! It’s great! If you get a chance to contact your local airport, do so and request that they get some of these.

How I get my socks and shoes on

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Socks and shoes have always been a battle for me. More recently, the ability to bend my legs enough to get socks on has resulted in too much time wasted with this simple task. I have mentioned in a previous post that my favorite shoes are actually slippers, which remains true. However, now that I’ve tracked down a solution for socks and shoes, I make life easier when I do actually have to wear them.

1. Get a sock aid

I bought the above sock aid and it took a few times to get used to but it works great for me. I found that I had to push against a wall with it a little to get my heel down into it because sometimes it sticks. However in combination with the long shoe horn described below, I actually have cut my sock time dramatically.

2. Get an extra long shoe horn.

Someone gave me the above shoe horn and it was extremely helpful with putting on dress shoes. I have also begun using it in combination with the sock aid if my heel gets stuck while putting socks on. It reduces the need to bend down so far that you can’t reach or can’t get back up.

I also find that wearing socks and shoes larger than my actual size is a big help too. This is, of course, because I no longer walk. It’s actually much more comfortable when fit doesn’t really matter and you can go big!

Heated clothing

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Heated Vest
Heated Vest by Gerbing's

I have been researching heated clothing for a while and finally decided to get a heated vest.

Why a vest? Well I hate when I have to wear warm clothing and the extra weight on my arms makes me feel l am carrying around lead weights. So with a vest, my arms are free to move about and I can wear a light, long sleeved shirt and still be a functioning human being. The trade-off is colder arms, but I can live with that.

So I picked up a heated vest by Gerbing’s and have been trying it out for the past week. I love it!

It comes with a small battery that fits in the pocket of the vest and has several power settings. Of course it lasts the longest (approx 6-8 hours) at the lowest setting, but for the most heat you’re going to want to crank it up to full power. At that setting it’ll go for at most 2 hours, but if you’re just going in and out of the car you can just turn it on/off as needed. One concern I had was that the battery would be heavy or inconveniently located, but once I got it and tried it out, there were no problems.

The next thing I might try is the heated pad they have that you can sit on. This would come in handy for those times when I plan on being outside for some time or if it gets REALLY cold out.

One of my friends and a reader of this blog, Gord, mentioned that there is a way to create “do it yourself” heated clothing and passed along this link as well. I haven’t tried that yet, but looks like a way to get your pants blazing hot for those cold days!

Here are some other tips I have for staying warm during the upcoming winter months!