Wallaby Catch-All

The delightfully-named Wallaby Catch-All is a sort of sling/pouch arrangement to be attached underneath a wheelchair to carry things in. The US suppliers, Advantage Bag:

http://www.advantagebag.com/wheelchair_underseat_catchalls.htm

describe it as follows:

“CATCH ALLS

“For use with Rigid and Folding Wheelchairs
Securely attaches with convenient Velcro hook and loop to bottom horizontal and rear vertical frame tubing.
Forms a net shelf under the Wheelchair seat.

“A great way to utilize wasted space.
When filled assists in keeping chair from tipping back.
Available in Black and four sizes.”

I bought one of these for my first wheelchair, and it was absolutely ideal. There is nothing equivalent available in the UK.

When I got my new wheelchair recently, I decided to transfer it over, but it was designed for a wheelchair with a lower frame as well as an upper one, and the new Quickie Helium has an extremely lightweight, minimalist frame which dispenses with the need for the lower frame; when I attached the Catch-All to this, it was too high, and was difficult to put things in, and also did not hold enough. I revisited the Advantage Bag site and was pleased to see that they had introduced further Catch-Alls into their range, but they were all still designed for wheelchairs with the double frame, which I found surprising in view of the number of chairs coming online these days with only the upper frame like mine.

I did not want to buy any other sort of bag because they don’t hold enough, so I decided to adapt the Catch-All that I had. I obtained some black hemp twine from Ebay and proceeded to crochet some sides for it. After I had done this, it was a simple matter to tie the Catch-All onto the frame of the wheelchair with black tape.

This has proved even more successful than I’d hoped. It looks good, and anything I put in it stays there. On my previous wheelchair, the sides were open, and on one occasion I lost something out of the side, but this can no longer happen.

I am intending to contact Advantage Bag and let them know what I have done, and recommend that they introduce a design along the same lines, which can be used with the new design of wheelchair frame, and which is secure at the sides.

My New Wheels – Christmas Bling and Other Add-Ons!

Before I take off the decorations (I know, I know – they’re supposed to be taken down on 6th January but I’ve been too tired and too busy!) I thought I’d photograph my new wheels with their Christmas bling. I didn’t go to town with the decs quite as much as last year because I didn’t feel well enough in the run-up to Christmas for anything very spectacular, but I felt a yen for purple this time. I put on my original black sparkly spoke guards:

Here’s the front frame, with purple and silver tinsel, and one set of LED lights. The battery and switch are concealed in the bag underneath the chair.

Finally the back frame, to which I have added some baubles and the other set of LED lights. Their switch is hidden in the nifty little pouch that Quickie so thoughtfully added to my posh new upholstery!

Following on from previous posts about my new wheels, you can see the power add-on installed, with the battery pack on the back, and its cable going to the LH wheel. The spoke guards cover up the wheels nicely – they have huge hubs containing the motors, which are not very attractive. They are still quick-release (in theory) but they are so heavy that I can’t manage to take them off myself, and my hubby has to do it, not that we do take them off very often, because we have a ramp in the back of the car so that the wheelchair does not need to be disassembled when we go out. Really the only time they have to come off is to change the spoke guards.

The bag underneath is the “Wallaby Catch-All” (lovely name!) that I got from Advantage Bag in the USA for my old Rolls Royce:
http://www.advantagebag.com/wheelchair_underseat_catchalls.htm
Unfortunately these are all designed to fit wheelchairs with a lower frame, but my new Helium doesn’t have this, so the bag is too high and doesn’t hold enough. I have plans to adapt it by adding sides to it, and moving the Velcro straps to the top of the sides. This will also help things not to fall out – a few months ago I bought something while out shopping, and when I got home, it had gone, having presumably fallen out of the side. I need to do this alteration soon, because there’s another craft show coming up, and we all know I’m going to be Stocking Up again!! I must have a rummage in my fabrics boxes in my ARTHaven and see if I’ve got any suitable strong black fabric.

There doesn’t seem to be any equivalent to the Catch-All available in the UK; there are plenty of bags which hang underneath, but these have limited capacity for an enthusiastic shopper like myself, and one who likes to carry her whole life in her handbag!! I also need to carry my fleece blanket in case I get cold, my camera and my water bottle and various other odds and ends.

I’ve got a great deal to catch up with since Christmas, so I don’t know when I shall get round to putting the new bling on my New Wheels. I’d like to have done it before the craft show at the end of the month, but I don’t see that happening. Anyway, watch this space…