THE LOWLY REACHER

By Ross Bryan

The lowly reacher is not considered much in these days of high tech gadgets. It doesn't have any external power source except human input. It doesn't contain any electronic chips and none of its functions are measured in mega-hertz.

But in the land of "unable-to-reach-that-far" it is king. Yes, for those who are bed-ridden, those in wheelchairs, or those who have great difficulty leaving a seated position it can be worth its weight in gold.

All it is is a stick with pincers on one end and a trigger mechanism on the other. It usually is about 2 or 3 feet in length, light, compact, and, with a little practice, it can pick up the smallest pieces of paper or hefty cans of soup.

It's hard to believe but with just a 3 foot long reacher the average person can reach about 10 times the volume they can with just their arms, roughly 700 cubic feet versus 66 cubic feet.

There are a number of different designs. Some are constructed with suction-cup looking ends for molding around the item to be picked up. Others have extensions that run up the arm to give support to those without extensive wrist control or strength. Many are also manufactured with a small magnet on the end to pickup pins, paper clips or small coins.

Yes, when it comes to retrieving that TV Guide that fell off the bed table, or pulling on a sock after hip surgery, or reaching for that can of soup above the sink from a wheelchair, you can't beat the versatility of a reacher.

Oh, and another good thing about them is that they're inexpensive. You can expect to pay between CAN$15 and CAN$30.

Ross Bryan is the owner/manager of Tranquil Lane Products Inc.  Articles