Traveling with a disability has challenges, but I’ve learned to meet them
When I was 13, I was diagnosed with a form of cancer called osteosarcoma, or bone cancer. A week later, I chose to have my left leg amputated a few inches above my left knee. Fast forward about 30 years, I’m not only an amputee who uses a prosthetic leg to get around. I travel the world full time with my husband and our two kids. What to pack as an amputee is critical to my quality of life.
Yes, I travel as an amputee and a prosthetic leg user
As an amputee, I’ve visited incredible ancient cities such as Monte Alban in Mexico, Italica in Spain, and Angkor in Cambodia. I’ve wandered the thousand-year-old medina of Fes, Morocco, the colorful and delicious markets of Thailand, and incredible caves in Washington State, Idaho, and Vietnam.
Over the years and throughout our travels to over a dozen countries, experience has taught me many things about making my traveling life easier. What to pack as an amputee? I’m going to share some of what I do and pack to help make things easier, along with one cannot-leave-at-home essential.
“There’s no sugarcoating this: Traveling as an amputee is challenging. The world is not inherently accessible to people who have disabilities.”
What to pack as an amputee: Travel gear and more
9 things I pack as an amputee that make my traveling life easier and more fun
As an amputee who travels and uses a prosthetic leg, I face challenges, but I’m also very grateful to live in a time where I have easy access to things that make my life and travels easier. For what to pack as an amputee, here are 9 helpful items that I always have on hand, whether we’re in Virginia or Vietnam.
Folding crutches
When I need mobility but I’m not wearing my prosthetic leg, I use crutches to get around. Regular crutches aren’t compact though. I now travel with a pair of folding crutches. They’re lightweight, easy to pack, and best of all, were available in my favorite color: purple!
Extra prosthetic liner
I travel with 2 silicone prosthetic liners, which I get through my prosthetist. Each is trimmed and sized to my body. I alternate which one I’m wearing each day, and the silicone washes up easily so my liners stay clean.
Replacement tips for crutches
Whether around our accommodation or getting down to the waves at the beach, it is not uncommon to find me on my crutches. That also means I can quickly wear through a pair of rubbery crutch tips. My amputee gear bag always has a few extra pairs of crutch tips.
I’m especially partial to these tips that have a peace sign imprint. If you see peace signs in the sand at a beach, they just might have been left by my crutch tips!
Hard massage ball
About the size of a tennis ball but much harder, this massage ball is my best frenemy. It can get into sore spots in my foot or back, and goes a long way toward soothing sore or tight muscles.
Duffel bag
On our travel days, a long, slender, rugged duffel bag holds all my prosthetic and mobility supplies, including my folding crutches. From a roll of electrical tape to an extra silicone liner, this bag makes it much easier to keep all my supplies in one place.
Plus, it’s small enough that we can easily carry it on board a bus, train, or plane.
2 collapsible trekking poles
Walking aids augment my mobility and help me get so much more out of my energy and walking. Plus, when we are on uneven terrain (such as steps at ancient ruins, or grassy parks), it helps to have something to support me if I slip, stumble, or just need a little more stability in my step.
I usually have one pole kept in reserve, as a backup at our accommodation. I walk day-to-day with one pole, and I occasionally swap them out. My trekking poles are collapsible too. That makes them much easier to pack, or simply to break it down to tuck it out of the way, say under a chair when we’re at a restaurant.
Replacement tips for my collapsible trekking poles
As we write this, I just replaced the tip on my everyday trekking pole. I last replaced it a couple of months ago. These rubbery tips often last me longer, but we’re in Japan, and I’m walking even more than usual.
Since the rubbery tips have good traction and cover a steel tip, I like to make sure I always have a backup tip. Traveling with a small pack of replacement tips means I never have to worry about my trekking pole losing traction.
The right footwear
Footwear is highly personal, and the right fit always depends on your body and mobility. Over the years, I’ve been a fan of Chaco sandals and KEEN footwear. But my needs and preferences change too. My current go-to shoe brand is Skechers.
Water bottle
Getting around can take a lot of energy for my body. We also travel in lots of hot or muggy climates. Staying hydrated is key to my health as a traveler and an amputee. When we’re out and about, Anthony and I each have 24-oz (about 3/4 liter) stainless steel water bottles. We fill them with tap (straight or filtered, depending on the country), and can easily stay hydrated.
Find these and more at our Amazon shop
Pursuing travel means accepting that the world is not inherently accessible
There’s no sugarcoating this: Traveling as an amputee is challenging. The world is not inherently accessible to people who have disabilities. There are many places in the world I will never visit.
But you know what? Even if I had two biological legs, there would still be so many places in the world that I will never visit.
No one can visit everywhere they want to go. When I go somewhere, I finish that visit content with what we experienced. I also leave inspired and a little sad that now I have so many more ideas for things we might do and places we might go. Sometimes we do… but I know that often we won’t.
I also have days that are simply harder than others. There are mornings where I slept in a weird position, and my neck and shoulder hurt like hell. Sometimes a big day of walking leaves my hip sore.
Other times, my phantom pain kicks in. That’s where my brain still has a map of my nervous system that includes a left leg that no longer physically exists. Phantom limb can make me feel, at best, like I’m twitching. Sometimes it feels like I’m being poked—or even stabbed. It’s not fun.
The most important thing I pack is my attitude
Other challenges come up too. A sidewalk might be slick from rain, or sloped in a way that makes it really hard to walk. There might be lots of stairs or inclines. The culture we’re in might assume that I’m not capable or even competent.
If challenges are hitting me hard, Anthony and I talk through what can help me, or what we might take a pass on.
That’s why the most important thing I pack is my attitude. I know that I will accomplish the goals that matter to us, and my family and I will always make sure I get what I need.
More useful travel gear at our Amazon shop
Traveling isn’t easy, but traveling with any sort of disability can be extra challenging. As an amputee, prosthetic leg user, and world traveler, I feel very fortunate that I’m able to find what I need to make my travels and day-to-day life easier. For what to pack as an amputee, I hope these suggestions help you have better travels too!
