Has anyone got an off road jogger type wheelchair for an older child?

[FioFio]

LIke this Freedom Independence one?

I am looking at one for my daughter (13) so we can access a lot of public walkways, that don't have styles and kissing gates obviously as her wheelchair is useless on anything but shopping centres.

Thank you

http://www.specialneedspushchairs.co.uk/babyjogger_independence_max.htm actually it's this one in stock

gah! here

We have borrowed someone's Hippocampe here

It's great, very much an all-terrain vehicle, and has quick release wheels and handles. However, it is expensive - about £3k. A slight design fault - the handles are too close together which makes it harder to push with two hands (necessary if you are going uphill). If you have two people, it can pull it along with a pulley rope from in front. You can also get ski attachments and it appears to float in water...not sure if that is safe though!

We had the older version of the baby jogger one, fio (as in, a previous version. In fact I think we had the prototype! It was pretty much identical, anyway). It was great, the only issue we had was the recline if you have someone who prefers a more upright position. Not sure if there is an adjustable recline on it now?

We did mountain tracks, and woodland, and whatnot. I understand the hippocamp is better on sand, but beaches do require a level of organisation for a wc user...

Round here they use a trailrider which can go anywhere but you need a vigorous team of 6-8 volunteers if you are mountain climbing! We have a local chap going for a summit this summer with one of our volunteer teams. so, if you ever feel like heading to the Canadian Rockies and dd fancies getting to the top of a mountain, give me a shout...

We've got one Fio. It was given to us, so had had quite a bit of use, but it's still going strong. It feels very well made (I think they're made by Baby Jogger?).

madwomanintheattic, are you in canada then? I have relative in canada apparently :o

saintvera, I am going to have to pay for the chair myself so 3k is out of the question unfortunately :(

peggyblanket, that's great to here. I have woods at the back of our house which I walk in when she is at school but she loves it up there and it's just not accessible with a wheelchair, do you think this wotsit will do the job?

Yep, its pretty damn solid fio. We use it on very rough bridle paths and it copes fine. It's surprisingly light, but still very robust. Dd1 had grown out of the Mountain Buggy SN model, and I was dreading switching to another brand, but this has been great.

Have you looked at applying for a grant from Cerebra or BDF new life to help with the cost ?

I meant hear obv and not here :o

I haven't looked any grants. I find bcause she has severe and complex disabilities she never ticks anyone's criteria (including social services) and we tend to get passed from pillar to post :(

I know the feeling fio. IIRC correctly our dds are very similar (I used to post under a different name). I did manage to get a grant for a bed from BDF Newlife though. We're seeing a geneticist next week for the first time in 4 years. The irony is we don't want a dx for having future dcs (in the past 4 years we've had 2 dcs :)), but simply to get a label so we stop the excuses in providing services for dd1.

I hope your dd is doing well :).

Yep, in Canada now, but we had the baby jogger in the uk. I think I passed it on to an mner... But can't really remember!

We had an Advance mobility independence which was fabulous off road, and for running with if you're that was inclined! but in the end I found it difficult to get DS into it over the middle wheel as I had to lift him and he's long and heavy. They are really robust and comfy off road. We need something more compact for busy places that I can get him into easily otherwise we'd have just moved up to a freedom.
The lady I have bought all my baby joggers from (and we've had a few, ordinary ones and SN) now sells a 4 wheel version here
There was a Hippocampe 2nd hand on the fledgelings web site this week, don't know if it's still there.
Or go down the charity funding route and talk to hewerdine or the mobility aids centre here for funding ideas.

The 2nd hand hippocampe advertised at fledglings:

fledglings.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=187&Itemid=281

oh that 4 wheel one looks great, i wonderif we could stretch to that??

peggyblanket can i pm you?