WWT found the following equipment essential:

Mobile hoist and 2 slings – a net sling for showers and swimming pools and another to keep dry. This was essential medical equipment so was not excess baggage on flights. It was important to label it clearly as Essential Medical Equipment and Fragile. We had to make sure that it was well protected in its case as it could be damaged easily in transit. We had extra labels with us along with duct tape.

International plug adaptors and extension lead to enable recharging of hoist batteries, mobile phones, cameras, laptop.

Portable commode. Also had to be wrapped up securely and labelled for transit.

Frio bags: a friend told us about these magic little bags that keep medicines cool where there is no refrigeration.

Large sheet/curtain. This was often used to create privacy e.g. where we had to take a toilet door off to allow a wheelchair in. We had drawing pins and string to secure it.

Screwdriver/Allen key and other small tools. See above needed for removing doors/fixing wheelchairs and making things accessible.

Small airbeds and pump to enable a carer to share a room.

We bought an 8 person Khayam tent  and had one of the sleeping compartments adapted so that the zip reached ground level and wheelchairs could go in without damaging the tent fabric. This tent is quite old now but we can still lend it to friends.

We also bought a Khayam Shelter Tent which we used as toilet/washroom because very few campsites had good accessible facilities (in 2003/4)

We carried many things that all travellers need e.g. First Aid kit, emergency contacts and so on.

One of the most important things to take is a problem solving attitude and a willingness to ask for help.  For example in one hotel we discovered that the beds were divan beds and so close to the floor that the hoist could not go underneath. A member of the hotel staff found us 4 bricks to put under the bed – problem solved!

Let us know what you have found to useful on your travels… we would like to share it with other travellers.

Look on the LInks page to see some equipment suppliers.