camping without legs

The only advice I would have is possibly putting him in touch with Paul DeGelder. He is an amazing human being with such incredible inner strength and positive outlook on life. He lost a leg and a most of his arm in a shark attack in the prime of his life. I have met him and also heard him speak on several occasions and it is so inspiring to hear someone who has lost so much but yet looks forward to what is available for his future!! - POSITIVE.
Google him and you will find him. He may be able to help or even if your friend reads his book, that may be also be worthwhile?

G'day Doc,
Firstly there are support groups out there that may help and yes camping solo would offer some challenges but not insurmountable.

We camped next to a bloke at Weipa some years back who stepped on a Claymore and lost both legs. His wife drove their 4WD truck with a hydraulically operated wheelchair lift that lowered the chair to ground level.

Great couple and both taught me a lot.
They innovated, adapted and were doing ok.

85% of dealing with anything in life is between the ears.
Give my best to your mate and tell him he has a good friend

Cheers

dad

http://www.amputee-coalition.org/support-groups-peer-support/how-to-find-support/
http://www.limbs4life.org.au/
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Amputees/support-group
If these are not within your friends area, I'm sure they could point in the right direction.
Cheers.
I rode group enduro a few years back, one of the members was a amputee. The human species are great adapters, its all in the mind. We set our own limits.
All the best.

This may help him feel less useless, an amazing bloke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ3XzmeUmx8

It may help him if you can contact organisations in his area that assist those with disabilities, in NSW we have The House with No Steps which assists those with physical disabilities. There will be some in his area, the local council usually has a list of social assistance groups.

I would also encourage him to join the local 4by club, quite often there are other single blokes who would be happy to have some company on a camping trip.

I don't have full computer access now but there is a contributor to this site in similar circumstances who kitted out his Troopy and is currently driving it around in an overseas country.
Paul

Double amputee beats Everest.
I met this guy in Fiji a few years ago.
He was totally independent and spent a lot of time snorkelling.
He lost both legs below the knee after becoming trapped in a blizzard on Mount Cook in New Zealand.

He subsequently became the first double amputee to climb Everest and started 'Limbs4all' to provide prosthesis to disabled people in third world countries.
He was "inspiration personified".

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

Mark Inglis web site.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

Camping & travelling without legs is exactly what these guys did. See The Ride. We met them when they were touring and showing the film in WA and we did some publicity via ExplorOz for them. I see that you can buy the DVD from that link so maybe you could give it as a gift and watch it with him?

Doc

I had some first hand experience with this back in the late 1960s. I met a man who had lost the use of both legs in the polio epidemic in the 1950s. On three occasions before the Armed Forces moved me to the other side of the country, we traveled from Sydney to Lake Eucumbene in the Snowy Mts. for two week long trout fishing holidays. We camped in a tent at the caravan park at Old Adaminaby. He had a car and a 16' boat and drove the car easily with hand controls.

I had no prior experience in assisting anyone in this condition but it turned out to be easy. Even getting him in and out of the boat was not a problem.

With all the support groups and equipment available today, your friend should have no trouble getting out and enjoying himself.

Thanks guys for your suggestions. Some of those links were certainly inspirational. I think my friend is going to have to join some group for support and assistance to get him started. Problem is going to be getting his mind out of the (understandable) deep rut it is in.
Doc.