In this article, we are proud to share the story of Sedona Dave from Sedona, Arizona, USA, the inventor of the Awarewolf All Terrain Cane. Read and discover the origin of this amazing mobility aid as well as his journey, in his own words.
I am Sedona Dave, inventor of the All Terrain Cane and founder of AwareWolf Gear. I developed this super strong, lightweight blind mobility cane so that I can continue doing something I love doing – hiking. I know I am not alone in my pursuit of independence and outdoorsmanship. It is my dream to create a community of inspiration, motivation and encouragement for us all to remain active in what we love doing and “stay in the game!”
What inspired the idea
Life is an ever-evolving pathway with many twists and turns, and some of those turns are game changers. These moments are something we all will experience at one time or another; I believe this is life telling us it is time to forge a new path. Receiving my diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) was one of those moments in my life. At the time, I was very young, the tender age of 18, that time in life when most of us are in the full throws of trying to figure out who we are and who we are becoming.
I would like to share the genesis of the All Terrain Cane with you. I realize how important the story of the birth of this empowering tool is. I think this story, while demonstrating how I think about, and being in the world, shows how we can all innovate for our own needs and share our creative visions with the world to make the world a better place. I have always been an avid adventure seeker. A former pilot, SCUBA instructor and wildland firefighter, I lived my pre-vision loss days to the max. Being who I am- an inventor and problem solver at heart, I embraced the task and got to work in my workshop. I purchased a variety of traditional hiking poles, took them apart and re-engineered them.
The first attempt – the Mark One
It was cheap, carbon and light. It was a good stepping off place. I destroyed the ski-pole grip and added a 16” foam grip surface. It had the flip locks that I liked but I was not so thrilled with the telescoping nature of how it collapsed and, more importantly, how easy it was to separate and damage when replacing the sections.
I brought it out to the trails. It was frustrating as I had not yet addressed the tip. After testing many types of tips, I answered that issue with the rolling ball tip- it worked the best for what I needed. The Mark 1 was light, and it met my needs, but it could be better.
The Mark Two – important learnings
The Mark 2 was my next version: the body was aluminium, the lock between sections was an internal twisting lock. This was an improvement in strength and was successful enough. When I introduced this version to a group of blind hikers, I quickly became aware that it was not blind friendly. Telescoping canes are difficult for a blind person to extend. The sections are easily separated and are challenging to reconnect- the traditional mobility cane unfolds and effortlessly snaps into place. It didn’t look like a traditional red and white mobility cane- we needed to have a way of letting others see us and identify us as blind or low vision.
The group that came hiking with me taught me many things as we were all test driving the Mark 2. While it excelled at supporting everyone on the rocky terrain, I noticed those who were of smaller stature were struggling with the length of the cane. The twist locks were constantly slipping, making the hike more challenging than I liked to see. This is when I received the brilliant vision of the adjustable handle!
Combining all the lessons
I went back to the drawing board with all this new data and did a complete overhaul! I wanted this cane to be durable, sturdy and user friendly for all. I chose titanium for its lightweight strength; I added the adjustable foam grip handle and re-engineered the folding mechanism to accommodate the adjustable handle.
This prototype cane now feels as familiar as our tried-and-true mobility canes that we have become accustomed to with one startling difference: its ability to bear weight and support the user. I was happy with all the changes I made to the latest version, the Mark 3, and decided it was time to mass produce and get them into the hands of my community. We went through the process with the factory through trial and error and several iterations. We streamlined the folding mechanism and redesigned the joint using stainless steel for strength for lateral load bearing applications.
Awarewolf Gear’s All Terrain Cane is my dream come true for myself and my community who want to remain active, adventurous, empowered, confident and on the move!
- Sedona Dave
The Awarewolf All Terrain Cane is available at the Vision Store. The Vision Store team as well as our Orientation and Mobility Specialists are available to provide training and support on how to use your cane or electronic mobility aid. For an assessment, training or advice, please call Vision Australia on 1300 84 74 66.