An adjustable-length walking aid provides a hollow tubular body having a top and a bottom. A spring-biased gripper arm at the bottom is connected to a tension gripper actuator filament that is spooled around a flywheel spool. A lamp housed in the base of the body is connected to a power supply in the handle by a conductive filament that is also spooled around the flywheel. The tension on the gripper actuator and conductive filaments is maintained by the flywheel regardless of the length to which the cane is adjusted.
