PhotoMono123 Loc: Houston, Texas

Two or three years ago I acquired a cane to help with a few problems. I found that using my camera with a wrist strap was awkward with the cane, so I bought a Cotton Carrier camera harness. I dislike neck straps and found the harness to be perfect solution.

Alas, time has marched on, and now the cane is not always an adequate balancing tool. Also I find that I no longer want to carry my camera bag.

At first I looked at golf carts, Frisbee-golf carts, and some other somewhat strange alternatives. I even thought about making my own cart.

Then my wife, concerned about some balance problems I sometimes have (and with no concern whatsoever for my photography), suggested I get a walker. A walker! The very thought of one made me cringe.

But then I had an idea — a rollator! A rollator is that heavy duty walker with 4 wheels and a seat that you see some folks use. Visits to Amazon and Google quickly found that there are all-terrain rollators with pneumatic tires. A perfect solution.

So check this out. An all-terrain rollator with pneumatic tires (12" front and 10" rear), a seat, brakes, a carry bag, and the all-important beverage holder. My camera bag perfectly fits in place of the bag in the photo, and I have rigged up a method to carry my tripod. Get to where I am going; open the back of the car; unload the rollator and attach the camera bag and tripod. Then off I go.

I chose this one from a selection of 5 or 6. Of course it difficult to make a choice from Internet info with no hands-on opportunity. But this one looked very good. It arrived the other day. Doing the assembly, I was very pleased with it. It is well designed and built and nicely finished. Today I put it to a full walking test, including gravel paths and wet fields. Everything worked perfectly.

Now I can't wait to get out and about with my camera — it's been a while.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Looks good for walking.
What about longer distances, do you stick to a car or what?

Did you consider a street legal mobility scooter? I have one with three wheels, 2 passenger, 500lb load limit, 31.9mph as mine is set up or 18-25 mph (old and new version) with a range of 25 to as much as 50 miles on a full charge depending on weight of rider (I am 280), terrain and speed - I usually do the max so my batteries get low at 25.

(Download)

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Cool, Bob ❤️❤️❤️

Barre Loc: Fairfax Co, VA

Wanna drag? [8^)

Basil_O Loc: Minneapolis, MN

My wife and I have embraced the fact that some day, way down the road, we will probably need some assistance to get around. She it thinking about a hot pink walker with the wicker basket and bell from her bike mounted on it. I am leaning towards a big wheeled, off-road version with an integrated camera bag under the seat and a mount to steady a monopod. The design is in my head.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I'm old too. I live in a large retirement community ("CCRC"). There are lots of neighbors with a variety of mobility rigs. A good part of all this is that so many of the great parks suitable for photography have become ADA compliant.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Most parks around here, even the Santa Ana River Trail are paved, some hard pack graded dirt and gravel, so I anticipate lots of photo rides when this sciatica eases off. There is a mobility scooter repair guy in the county who can supposedly put a second set of lithium batteries inside the locking trunk to double my range. Ride around until the batteries get low, flip a switch and head back home on fresh batteries. And if I don't make it the wife will have to bring me my SUV with the wheel/scooter lift on the back, or I look real sheepish when AAA comes to get me.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

[quote=Barre]Wanna drag? [8^)[/quote]

A definite maybe. If you show up on a Harley Trike=NO! The delivery truck that dropped my scooter off had an 1100cc Harley Trike that seated 3 for his next stop. And way up in the front of his trailer I could see a couple of BIG Motorcycles with side-cars.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

California is big on ADA compliant, it wouldn't surprise me if the land fills are ADA.

PhotoMono123 Loc: Houston, Texas

I have "road-tested" this rollator both on- and off-road. The large (12" front and 10" rear) rubber tires work really well off the well-trod path. My camera bag fits in place of the bag shown in the picture. It hangs from a pair of carabiners and takes about 15 seconds to attach to the walker. I have 2 tripods — the smaller, travel tripod straps to the camera bag. The larger one fits horizontally on the back side attached with a couple of gear ties. It could easily be my monopod.

I still walk and usually use a cane for balance. But that's not practical when I need to carry my camera, etc. So this is a perfect solution. You just have to be confident enough in yourself that don't mind being seen using a walker.

Basil_O Loc: Minneapolis, MN

I worked in long term care for years. I saw firsthand how people who let pride stop them from using a cane or walker had some pretty nasty falls that confined them to a wheel chair. I don't really care what other people think about how I look. I have used hiking sticks and trekking poles for years. I used a walker after my knee replacement. People stared, but who cares? I use a jogging stroller to cart around my 600/4 beast of a lens and tripod. It works great. Draws second looks and stares, but again, it doesn't bother me at all. Whatever it takes to keep me outdoors and on the trails is fine by me.

djsteul

I am just about there. Starting to struggle on trails. Not sure what to do.

AnotherBob

My hat's off to each of you and your new found ways of adjusting to aging bodies. At 78, I am just the beginning of the baby boom generation, the results of a celebration that WWII had ended. I still ride my old BMW motorcycle, but....very little and close to home. Although my regular cameras are Nikon DSLRs and a Z6, I recently bought a Lumix micro 4/3 with a couple of prime lenses. I'm not ready to switch to the smaller kit yet, but I do find it much easier to carry for short woods walks. It more easily stays out of the way of my walking stick, too.

With an ever aging population, more accommodations will become available to assist us in our hobbies and the gear we purchase to support them.

mikec01 Loc: Georgia, USA

First: I am a hobbyist, not a professional. However, I am 76 yrs old and am starting to feel the effects of the years and was looking for an alternative to my camera bag. I only recently became aware of temu.com; I was suspicious of the site, but the reviews convinced my to risk it. I was able to get a camera gear backpack for the grand price of $27 including shipping. I am pleasantly surprised with the quality, but even if it only lasts a couple of years, I'm not out much. Photo attached.