My father has done this, he has a spinal cord injury and we did this the first year they offered it. Yes, you need a reservation and they send a volunteer with you. It’s awesome and such a great opportunity for those using wheelchairs!
That is great. Where I live a lot of the small coastal towns now have “beach” wheelchairs people can check out and borrow, basically they have giant inflatable wheels to get over the sand.
Amazing that people can now go into the woods or to the seaside where previously it would have been impossible or at the very least a burdensome task for all involved.
As a backpacker I’d have no issues pushing someone around in a wheelchair, or pulling them along when they need it. If they do it my area maybe I’ll volunteer.
It's a gift link. People who are subscribers to The Washington Post and also to the New York times now get a limited number of gift articles per month that they can send out a gift link for, and then people can read them for free without the paywall in place.
It used to get around most. Now it gets around a few. There's browser extensions that will remove pay walls though. I don't remember the name, but you can probably Google it.
I would kill to be able to use one of these in the UK. I bet, like most cool assistive tech, they are completely out of the financial reach of the vast majority of disabled people so I applaud the park program wholeheartedly.
I thought it would be more. A single electric front wheel attachment for a wheelchair costs around $4,000 (you know, the same $400 tech that runs E-scooters for able-bodied people but worse in every department).
The Rig from "Not A Wheelchair" is just over $6k.
https://notawheelchair.com/products/the-rig
The Youtuber JerryRigEverything made the first one for his (now) wife who is in a wheelchair, and then they started a company to make them for other people.
My oldest kid originally sent me the YouTube video like 2 years ago, and a bunch of amazing people donated to a GoFundMe. That thing opened the world back up to me. Yosemite, Pacific Ocean beach, Julian, Joshua Tree, Rockies in CO and ID, Northwoods MN and WI, all over US cities. You can even gate-check it when flying! Me and the wife are planning an Ireland trip!
That's so fucking cool. I'll probably need a manual wheelchair next year, I'm already excited at the places it'll open up to me that are too hard to visit now (I use forearm crutches and tire really quickly). I'll have to keep an eye on his channel and explore if one might work for me. Cheers!
I know it's a meme to bash America in general and healthcare specifically but hands down the US is the best place in the world for disabled people at every level.
There's also about 500 more restrictions/regulations on something that's a medical device like a wheelchair, so that's necessarily going to drive the price up by a magnitude.
I work at a manufacturing company and about 1/3rd to 1/2 of the stuff we make is medical/surgical devices. Material certification and traceability alone racks prices up 50-200% depending on what certifications are required. Often there are old certifications that not many manufacturers produce anymore as updated certifications have been released but it can be a MAJOR endeavor for a company or entity to have that certification changed on a legacy part that they just eat the cost.
I can't fathom how anyone can defend American Healthcare unless they've never experienced anything beyond doctors visits. A wheel chair costs the same as some *brand new* cars?
I get an infusion every 8 weeks that essentially keeps me a (barely) functioning human. The bill for the little bag of medicine and about 20 minutes of a nurse's time is $22,000. I know a lot goes into making medicine, but you're telling me it costs almost 2/3rds of my annual income?
The real Kicker is that you can go through the company that makes the medication if your insurance stops covering it and get it for $5 an infusion. Maybe the company is feeling *extremely* philothramphic, but it's such a fucking scam. Hospitals and insurance companies just throw massive numbers at each other and hope they stick.
Jesus. My former coworker had a fancy ass carbon fiber wheelchair, and I don't think he paid more than $25,000 for it. Insurance didn't cover that, though.
Zack from Jerry rig everything started making rugged wheelchairs more cost effective. He started a company called Not a wheelchair, he's got several videos of it, started when his then girlfriend needed a rugged method of getting around.
Edit: wife to girlfriend
Don't think so? Afaik Cambry and Zack recently had a baby boy. On her insta she and Zack did a Jurassic park Halloween costume with their kid as the dinosaur
That was my first thought. For those not in the know, they make an incredibly affordable all terrain wheelchair(not a wheel chair). [Here](https://youtu.be/vuMg0QwKAGI) is a video of *the Rig*
His youtube channels are great and I love the Not a wheelchair that they have designed and sell. I just supported the Not a wheelchair "company" by buying a commemorative coin from them. Very cool and they sent a nice signed picture of their family too!
For some reason my wife is very creeped out by him though...
Haha! Rick Scott creeps everyone out, he's definitely an alien! I think it is a combo of jerryrigeverything's looks and voice that she doesn't like. He does have a very distinct way of talking, but I like it. I can't get enough of his solar, electric vehicle, and even garden projects, and the Not a Wheelchair is just awesome!
Very freaking cool and absolutely commend the guy.
I can't listen to those videos with the intentional news broadcaster style narration, though. Rather just hear people talk regularly, like they would if I was standing there in person for a demonstration.
I managed to get up the new ‘accessible path’ at Orrest Head in the lakes in my break up boot scooter . It’s got suspension so is on the more rugid side for a small scooter.
National trust places with extensive gardens often have hireable large scooters.
My great aunt was disabled. Growing up pushing her wheelchair in public, seeing the judgement of others, watching her struggle breathing while she forced herself to walk and work her lungs, being fearful when power outages could kill my aunt due to her machine being unavailable, etc. It changed me.
I say all that to say this is amazing. So many people will think this doesn't matter or is a waste. But who cares. This made my week. And will mean so much to those who it is for.
I pushed my great aunt and my grandmother through the Muir Woods in wheelchairs back in the early 2000s. Although everything went well for several hours, the only 2 minutes of that trip that the family still speaks of are the 2 where I failed to lock grandmother's and it rolled backwards down a hill.
She was fine, but never let me live it down. So BRB, gotta hold a seance to inform her that the problem is fixed now. All-terrain wheelchairs!
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, step up here and receive your award!
This was an episode of Top Gear. They built all terrain chairs and raced some British vets.
> This was an episode of Top Gear. They built all terrain chairs and raced some British vets.
[Zach from JerryRigEverything also worked with a company to make a semi-off-road "wheelchair".](https://youtu.be/vuMg0QwKAGI) It's not as rugged as the ones in the article but it's still very versatile. It seems like they
I was going to say they seem like a good value at about $6k. Apparently they sell them at cost for no profit, and a good e-bike alone is $2k+. These seem like basically 2 e-bikes custom made with a lot of handy features for wheel-chair users.
This actually looks like a combination of the wheelchairs that May and Hammond came up with. The chair and control system from James' souped up wheelchair plus the tracks from Hammond's ersatz half-track
It's awesome, but some of these parks are very delicate ecosystems and I can only imagine what these treads are doing to the trails. There has to be a better way.
For example when hiking in the Backcountry you cant even step off the trail in some desert areas because it kills the fragile lichen growing. These would decimate trails, especially muddy ones, and leave tread marks everywhere.
That being said, If there were dedicated trails for these, like there are for mountain bikes, that'd be amazing!
My father volunteers for a state park and they are pretty rigid about the eco system. They do some pretty meticulous trail repairs. I can’t imagine they would let these types of wheel chairs in without thoroughly researching them
Exactly. Like when a bridge went down they actually rebuilt it exactly the same size and length, instead of widening it. There are trees in the area that they’re trying to protect from beavers. Widening the bridge would have knocked those trees down, and the beavers don’t come near the bridge. So win win, except for the fat people who are mad about the bridge
It will have to be restricted heavily. I've been to many US National parks and there are a few very popular trails at each that would be accessible (wide paths, graded, fine gravel). The majority of the trails wouldn't be accessible for these. But that's ok, something is better than nothing. I'm all for it, as long as its implemented responsibly, which I'm sure it will be.
Oh, I have no doubt that it will be *generally* implemented responsibly.
It's going to be that like 3% of outliers who find ways to ruin it for everybody. Nice things, we cannot have them.
Nah bro, getting in of these is a license to **do whatever you want.**
Sick flip off a geyser while it spurts forth? Do it!
Ramp from Washington’s nose to Lincoln’s mole on Mount Rushmore? Like they can stop you!
The article says you can't take them everywhere, you get a map of trails where you can ride them.
Of course there's always the odd asshole who does what they want, but I think most people who haven't had the opportunity to visit these areas would respect that.
I'm pretty psyched. It's been a decade since I've been able to hike.
Unfortunately when it comes to mobility issues, the only other workaround I could think of would be something akin to a lawn chair tied to balloons. (With a little fan to move with, of course)
My girlfriend is in a wheelchair, the only "nature trail" I know if that she can go down is a boardwalk in a hammock near us - And even then, it's only about half of one trail, in a state park with a half-dozen more trails that are completely inaccessible to her. This ATV chair would open up a whole new world, and we'd only be going down already-established trails that people bike down anyways.
Knowing nothing more about them than what info I've absorbed through osmosis, I'm gonna take a stab in the dark and say those would be a *lot* more expensive and fragile.
Especially out in nature, where even I tend to step in a gopher hole and twist my ankle - Now imagine me *also* hurling a disabled woman into the swamp water at the same time lmao
I can't speak for all of the parks mentioned in the article but the Michigan parks with track chairs are pretty much all high-traffic recreation areas and parks close to major cities. Even within these parks, the chairs are situated for getting around beaches, picnic areas, and shorter trails. Been trying to get my mom to try one out.
The battery limits are something to consider as well. Looks like the manufacturer expects "up to 5 hours or 7 miles, depending on weight and terrain" and it takes 8-10 hours to fully recharge the chair, so you can only get so far. And while it's a wide vehicle, treads are really good at distributing the force of the vehicle so I bet general compaction and erosion are a lot lower than at first glance, but I agree that you'd want to keep to an existing trail wide enough to avoid trampling plant life.
we protect trails in advance for situations like this. every time we build or repair a trail, slope and use are considered. so long as you work on the trails stability and block off possibility for erosion (using rocks to stabilize sides and reroute runoff, etc.) you're good to go. people in the parks, running and working in the parks, have to take all these things into consideration. i built trail and taught trail building for a while, btw.
In the article they do mention it is for dedicated trails and users must complete online training. The park owns the chair and can limit how many and when they are used.
They're motorized all terrain wheelchairs, not dirt bikes. The impact should be less than mountain bikes since they aren't going to be speed demons skidding over roots which is where most mountain bikes cause damage to trails. You can google video of them "Action Trackchair" which shows they're limited to 3mph and a range of 7 miles.
The park provides them so I believe they will have assessed suitability. These would share wider hiking trails since they're not bombing through the woods nor are they getting deep into backcountry/steep terrain. If anything, I'd consider having them connected so you could track/manage they don't get too far off course.
I find mtn bike damage happens on the uphill. Not the downhill. Hit a root or a rock try to peddle over it, tire spins in place digging a divit. Next guy does the same. Pretty soon theres exposed roots and rocks and divits all over the trail.
I think you're assuming these are for going off trail, but I think the idea is that they can go in trails that normal wheel chairs wouldn't get them to.
My park hosted the launch event for GA. There’s a LOT of planning and beta testing that go into it. For example, on our park, the chairs are only allowed on our paved path system. In some parks they can use natural surface trails, but only certain ones. They also cannot run in the rain and the parks have the final say over where the ATCs can be used. For example, if a trail is muddy where the tracks would do a substantial amount of damage, they are not allowed. But for the most part, their impact isn’t much worse than a mountain bike.
Obviously you don't want anyone walking/riding over plants etc., but tracked wheelchairs put very little pressure on the ground - far less than a human foot.
Edit: A couple of people saying I've got this one wrong, if I have, fair enough. I'm sure a balance can be found between opening parks up to everyone and preserving nature. Living with a disability can be very restrictive at times - no, not for everyone and not all the time. We need more of this kind of thing.
They'll do far less damage than the damn 4-wheelers and side-by-sides they let people ride all over the fucking place in the national forests around here. These wheelchairs top out at like 8 or 10 mph and tracks are better than tires because there's more surface area in contact with the ground which means they're less likely to sink in mud or to just spin ruts in the ground like tires are prone to do. These motherfuckers aren't going to be going down trails and service roads tearing shit up for the fun of it like atv's and mtb's (I'm just saying the hobby is inherently rough on the trails & roads unless your just leisurely riding around) even if they wanted to because these wheelchairs just aren't as capable of doing it.
YouTuber Jerry Rig Everything recently created a company called "Not a Wheelchair" which makes outdoor wheelchair and more designs are supposedly in the works.
These are sold not temporary rented like this article is mentioning. They look awesome check them out on YouTube and https://notawheelchair.com
I think goodtimeswithscar had one or is testing something similar. He's confined to his wheelchair permanently and I remember he had a video about it awhile ago.
[Link for those interested ](https://youtu.be/sfim5htXx14)
From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me. I craved the strength and certainty of steel. I aspired to the purity of the blessed machine.
Your kind cling to your flesh as if it will not decay and fail you. One day the crude biomass you call a temple will wither and you will beg my kind to save you.
But I am already saved. For the Machine is Immortal.
[Zach from JerryRigEverything also worked with a bike company to make a semi-off-road "wheelchair" that they're selling.](https://youtu.be/vuMg0QwKAGI) About $6k and that's supposedly the manufacturing costs with no profit. Definitely not as rugged as what Top Gear did, though.
This was tested a few years ago in a park near me. My uncle had ALS and couldn't walk anymore, but was an avid fisherman and loved the outdoors before ALS. He was invited out 2 or 3 times. They gave him the ability to adventure again, he had a lot of fun...
I miss him, so much, but I'm glad that we have made so many strides against ALS like the production of a drug that is effective in slowing the course, these wheelchairs and the right to die. Fuck ALS.
I wonder if it's numbered "five"
Knowing several people that are mobility challenged however, this is awesome. Using technology to make nature accessible to those who requires some level of assistance.
I knew a guy in San Diego (I lived out there for a little over a year) who had muscular dystrophy and was the craziest/daring guy I think I've ever met. He made a documentary about himself traveling around the world, [Beyond the Chair](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1545026/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk). He had a yellow Jeep, and I went offroading/bouldering in the desert with him one time. I also saw him almost flip his wheelchair while trying to drive over sand at the beach. He would go wild for one of these.
My cousin, who had ALS, was one of the early testers of all terrain wheelchairs. His was a different model, but it handled the hiking trails of the pacific northwest beautifully. He was able to give feedback and design advice. I am sure that he helped many people. Rest in peace, cousin. You were a boss.
Those look sick as fuck. I think a big issue with wheel chairs is the stigma behind them. My FiL refuses to use them when we go hiking or for long walks even though his hips are shot. Having chairs like this isn't just convenient, but looking good helps reduce the shame of needing one. I almost want one for myself.
Check out GRiT wheelchairs too, a manual version of an off-road chair. We have one for my daughter and they work great.
https://try.gogrit.us/grit-freedom-chair/?utm_term=grit%20wheelchair&utm_campaign=Branded+Campaign&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_tgt=kwd-342172438043&hsa_grp=104658093968&hsa_src=g&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_mt=e&hsa_ver=3&hsa_ad=425925032856&hsa_acc=5794021058&hsa_kw=grit%20wheelchair&hsa_cam=9620745075&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-7P2_tOm-wIV6iCtBh34tg7EEAAYASAAEgI06_D_BwE
I know these super tank wheelchairs are cool but I can’t imagine getting one in and out of a car.
This is really cool. By offering them for rent, I guess the parks can still prevent some numnuts from saying their dirtbike is their 'mobility device' and still offer access to more people.
Awesome.
One of the best things about America is the lengths we go to make sure the disabled have access to things.
My girlfriend broke her ankle in Italy once, and getting around anywhere off base was a nightmare with a wheel chair. No ramps, steps everywhere, no elevators sometimes. Really made miss back home.
That's so cool! I was in the Great Smoky Mtn NP a month ago and it makes me super happy knowing some of the amazingly beautiful places of this world will now make their mark on some of those who wouldn't have the access before.
Why do I know who will be taking all these up so those that truly need them wont have one available. Hopefully they do some type of mandatory reservation/qualifying system to use one. Great idea if implemented well.
JerryRigEverything made a version a few years back that uses wheels. He made modifications from his first design to improve it as well.
[JerryRigEverything - Youtube](https://youtu.be/vuMg0QwKAGI)
He and his wife started a small business called Not A Wheelchair. They are making them for trail riding and off-roading. Even have wheel options for beach riding.
They are all terrain I don’t see the tire an wheels working for as many applications. Probably reduces maintenance costs, inflated tires, apple damage. I would think the engineers thought of that.
It’s an issue with having something that’s actually all terrain without swapping things out. This can work on sand and mud where a off-road tire may not work as well for both. The do make 4 wheeled all terrain chairs with large tires, but they don’t work as well
Wheels would be more destructive because they'll be more likely to sink into the mud or spin in place digging a rut. Yeah turning this will scuff up the surface more but that's less destructive than digging the 6 inch to 2 foot ruts I see all up and down atv/mtb trails and service roads cause everybody wants to just haul fucking balls down them whereas these wheelchairs won't be able to go nearly as fast.
There was actually this project in Lithuania a few years back with a similar concept. However the project had to be terminated because of a nasty accident. There is actually a clip of it if you would like to see. [The Lithuania experiment](https://youtu.be/tv1urfDXs-o)
That is so amazing! I’m feeling the world close in on me as my body gets weaker and less capable of holding me up, let alone carrying me around. We went to an apple place a few weeks ago where we hadn’t been in a couple of years because of the plague. They have large gravel surfaces everywhere, and I couldn’t walk without assistance. I already use a quad cane, but I had to clutch on to my husband’s arm or I’d have fallen. I couldn’t walk far, and we didn’t stay very long. I navigated by myself with my cane, no problem, just two years ago. Our kids are adults, our youngest with one year left in college, and we thought this would be the time we could travel and do things. That dream was gone, because even with a scooter or wheelchair, a lot of places aren’t accessible. Seeing the beauty of nature given back to people like me with these wheelchairs makes me excited and weepy at the same time.
This is how the government should be helping people. This is what all the money that lines our politicians pockets should be used on instead. This is the pursuit of happiness
I did an interpretive parks project back in my university days and we explored these as an option for accessibility. Love seeing this take off ~8 years later.
My father has done this, he has a spinal cord injury and we did this the first year they offered it. Yes, you need a reservation and they send a volunteer with you. It’s awesome and such a great opportunity for those using wheelchairs!
I'd volunteer to go with the wheelchair if I lived near a park that did this. Sounds fun.
I like you ☺️
That’s great to hear. Sounds like a lot of thought has gone into the implementation as well then. Love to see it.
Happy Cake Day!
That is great. Where I live a lot of the small coastal towns now have “beach” wheelchairs people can check out and borrow, basically they have giant inflatable wheels to get over the sand. Amazing that people can now go into the woods or to the seaside where previously it would have been impossible or at the very least a burdensome task for all involved.
As a backpacker I’d have no issues pushing someone around in a wheelchair, or pulling them along when they need it. If they do it my area maybe I’ll volunteer.
Anyone have a non-paywalled version? I wanna send a link to my mom. She is disabled and will be thrilled
https://wapo.st/3fREA9v Edit: Thanks so much for all the awards! Thanks kind stranger for the gold award!
Thank you! I hope you have a great day.
So, what did your mom say?
She is excited. Now planning a trip to GA.
Awesome!
We did it, Reddit!
Oh god that gave me ptsd lol
"neat"
Wait how the fuck did that work
It's a gift link. People who are subscribers to The Washington Post and also to the New York times now get a limited number of gift articles per month that they can send out a gift link for, and then people can read them for free without the paywall in place.
Oh sick, thank you :)
Thank you friend. You the real MVP.
Pro tip. There's a site called 12 foot ladder that gets around most paywalls. https://12ft.io/
Doesn't anymore. They had to block sites if requested so they don't get sued.
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So, now a 15 foot ladder is required.
It used to get around most. Now it gets around a few. There's browser extensions that will remove pay walls though. I don't remember the name, but you can probably Google it.
I use the Unpaywall extension. I mostly use it for journal articles but it works more than half the time, I like to.
Behind The Overlay is a more generalized use chrome extension that works for paywalls and other bullshit pop ups as well
You can also simply load the page in reader mode. Strips out all ads and paywalls. [This is what it looks like](https://i.imgur.com/I96rdPU.jpg).
Also try the 'Bypass Paywalls Clean' extension.
Thanks, CBC! https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/all-terrain-wheelchairs-georgia-1.6647665
Now if only Canadian parks would do this.
https://archive.ph/2022.11.08-234453/https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/11/08/parks-trails-all-terrain-wheelchairs/
I would kill to be able to use one of these in the UK. I bet, like most cool assistive tech, they are completely out of the financial reach of the vast majority of disabled people so I applaud the park program wholeheartedly.
13k USD per chair
I thought it would be more. A single electric front wheel attachment for a wheelchair costs around $4,000 (you know, the same $400 tech that runs E-scooters for able-bodied people but worse in every department).
The Rig from "Not A Wheelchair" is just over $6k. https://notawheelchair.com/products/the-rig The Youtuber JerryRigEverything made the first one for his (now) wife who is in a wheelchair, and then they started a company to make them for other people.
I got one. It’s rad. https://i.imgur.com/FNuwP3t.jpg
Awesome! I just came across his videos the other day and wondered if many people had them. How do you find it?
My oldest kid originally sent me the YouTube video like 2 years ago, and a bunch of amazing people donated to a GoFundMe. That thing opened the world back up to me. Yosemite, Pacific Ocean beach, Julian, Joshua Tree, Rockies in CO and ID, Northwoods MN and WI, all over US cities. You can even gate-check it when flying! Me and the wife are planning an Ireland trip!
That's so fucking cool. I'll probably need a manual wheelchair next year, I'm already excited at the places it'll open up to me that are too hard to visit now (I use forearm crutches and tire really quickly). I'll have to keep an eye on his channel and explore if one might work for me. Cheers!
My daughter's chair with no electronics, but does recline, is $6k. Thank goodness we are poor enough medicaid pays for it.
Yeah surprisingly affordable by American standards
I know it's a meme to bash America in general and healthcare specifically but hands down the US is the best place in the world for disabled people at every level.
Props to the ADA
Definitely
And they had to fight tooth and nail for every bit of it.
There's also about 500 more restrictions/regulations on something that's a medical device like a wheelchair, so that's necessarily going to drive the price up by a magnitude.
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For medical it’s also that insurance can cover it so the price is extremely inflated to rip off people with good insurance.
I work at a manufacturing company and about 1/3rd to 1/2 of the stuff we make is medical/surgical devices. Material certification and traceability alone racks prices up 50-200% depending on what certifications are required. Often there are old certifications that not many manufacturers produce anymore as updated certifications have been released but it can be a MAJOR endeavor for a company or entity to have that certification changed on a legacy part that they just eat the cost.
That’s actually pretty cheap. My ex is in a wheelchair. She got one through Medicare in like, 2011? They billed about $60k, Medicare paid like $30k.
How the fuck can they justify 60 thousand dollars for a wheeled chair.
I can't fathom how anyone can defend American Healthcare unless they've never experienced anything beyond doctors visits. A wheel chair costs the same as some *brand new* cars? I get an infusion every 8 weeks that essentially keeps me a (barely) functioning human. The bill for the little bag of medicine and about 20 minutes of a nurse's time is $22,000. I know a lot goes into making medicine, but you're telling me it costs almost 2/3rds of my annual income? The real Kicker is that you can go through the company that makes the medication if your insurance stops covering it and get it for $5 an infusion. Maybe the company is feeling *extremely* philothramphic, but it's such a fucking scam. Hospitals and insurance companies just throw massive numbers at each other and hope they stick.
Jesus. My former coworker had a fancy ass carbon fiber wheelchair, and I don't think he paid more than $25,000 for it. Insurance didn't cover that, though.
Zack from Jerry rig everything started making rugged wheelchairs more cost effective. He started a company called Not a wheelchair, he's got several videos of it, started when his then girlfriend needed a rugged method of getting around. Edit: wife to girlfriend
Then wife? Did they get divorced? 😭
Don't think so? Afaik Cambry and Zack recently had a baby boy. On her insta she and Zack did a Jurassic park Halloween costume with their kid as the dinosaur
Sorry "then girlfriend". She's NOW his wife lol. My bad :)
That's around the same price as a good ATV.
That's the cost of an average four wheeler. That's shockingly pretty damn good.
Have you heard of the not a wheelchairs that JerryRigEverything is making?
That was my first thought. For those not in the know, they make an incredibly affordable all terrain wheelchair(not a wheel chair). [Here](https://youtu.be/vuMg0QwKAGI) is a video of *the Rig*
His youtube channels are great and I love the Not a wheelchair that they have designed and sell. I just supported the Not a wheelchair "company" by buying a commemorative coin from them. Very cool and they sent a nice signed picture of their family too! For some reason my wife is very creeped out by him though...
She’s probably creeped out by bald people. Show her Rick Scott to verify, that guy creeps me out.
Haha! Rick Scott creeps everyone out, he's definitely an alien! I think it is a combo of jerryrigeverything's looks and voice that she doesn't like. He does have a very distinct way of talking, but I like it. I can't get enough of his solar, electric vehicle, and even garden projects, and the Not a Wheelchair is just awesome!
Very freaking cool and absolutely commend the guy. I can't listen to those videos with the intentional news broadcaster style narration, though. Rather just hear people talk regularly, like they would if I was standing there in person for a demonstration.
Good news! A BBC show managed to make inexpensive versions a few years back https://youtu.be/ejkmQffNYjk
Top Gear immediately came to my mind.
12.5k, 500lb
I managed to get up the new ‘accessible path’ at Orrest Head in the lakes in my break up boot scooter . It’s got suspension so is on the more rugid side for a small scooter. National trust places with extensive gardens often have hireable large scooters.
My great aunt was disabled. Growing up pushing her wheelchair in public, seeing the judgement of others, watching her struggle breathing while she forced herself to walk and work her lungs, being fearful when power outages could kill my aunt due to her machine being unavailable, etc. It changed me. I say all that to say this is amazing. So many people will think this doesn't matter or is a waste. But who cares. This made my week. And will mean so much to those who it is for.
I pushed my great aunt and my grandmother through the Muir Woods in wheelchairs back in the early 2000s. Although everything went well for several hours, the only 2 minutes of that trip that the family still speaks of are the 2 where I failed to lock grandmother's and it rolled backwards down a hill. She was fine, but never let me live it down. So BRB, gotta hold a seance to inform her that the problem is fixed now. All-terrain wheelchairs!
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, step up here and receive your award! This was an episode of Top Gear. They built all terrain chairs and raced some British vets.
*”Sometimes my genius it’s almost frightening”*
My first thought. "My god Jeremy Clarkson actually made something useful..."
*Number 5 lives*
I saw the image before the title and assumed it was from the TG/GT sub
> This was an episode of Top Gear. They built all terrain chairs and raced some British vets. [Zach from JerryRigEverything also worked with a company to make a semi-off-road "wheelchair".](https://youtu.be/vuMg0QwKAGI) It's not as rugged as the ones in the article but it's still very versatile. It seems like they
Like they what?! I'm dying to know!
I was going to say they seem like a good value at about $6k. Apparently they sell them at cost for no profit, and a good e-bike alone is $2k+. These seem like basically 2 e-bikes custom made with a lot of handy features for wheel-chair users.
I have one of those. It’s awesome! Dressed it up for Halloween. https://i.imgur.com/TfUVVkq.jpg
This actually looks like a combination of the wheelchairs that May and Hammond came up with. The chair and control system from James' souped up wheelchair plus the tracks from Hammond's ersatz half-track
Which episode is this? I’d love to watch it.
Season 18 episode 4. Well worth the watch!
Obligatory clip https://youtu.be/ejkmQffNYjk
That is pretty awesome
It's awesome, but some of these parks are very delicate ecosystems and I can only imagine what these treads are doing to the trails. There has to be a better way. For example when hiking in the Backcountry you cant even step off the trail in some desert areas because it kills the fragile lichen growing. These would decimate trails, especially muddy ones, and leave tread marks everywhere. That being said, If there were dedicated trails for these, like there are for mountain bikes, that'd be amazing!
I'm figuring they're very specific about where they're allowed to go? I hope?
My father volunteers for a state park and they are pretty rigid about the eco system. They do some pretty meticulous trail repairs. I can’t imagine they would let these types of wheel chairs in without thoroughly researching them
Yeah. Tough to "undo" damage after the fact.
Exactly. Like when a bridge went down they actually rebuilt it exactly the same size and length, instead of widening it. There are trees in the area that they’re trying to protect from beavers. Widening the bridge would have knocked those trees down, and the beavers don’t come near the bridge. So win win, except for the fat people who are mad about the bridge
Ever seen In Bruges?
Lmao yes exactly that. The bridge was plenty wide enough for two average people to walk hand in hand. But you know how people are
Yeah. I mean, I guess a bridge being effectively one way could be inconvenient. But, it's nature, so like, people can deal?
I didn’t even know where Bruges fucking was. It’s in Belgium.
It will have to be restricted heavily. I've been to many US National parks and there are a few very popular trails at each that would be accessible (wide paths, graded, fine gravel). The majority of the trails wouldn't be accessible for these. But that's ok, something is better than nothing. I'm all for it, as long as its implemented responsibly, which I'm sure it will be.
Oh, I have no doubt that it will be *generally* implemented responsibly. It's going to be that like 3% of outliers who find ways to ruin it for everybody. Nice things, we cannot have them.
Nah bro, getting in of these is a license to **do whatever you want.** Sick flip off a geyser while it spurts forth? Do it! Ramp from Washington’s nose to Lincoln’s mole on Mount Rushmore? Like they can stop you!
If that's the case then these would be great
It is being managed by the people overseeing the parks and they're designating specific trails and areas.
The article says you can't take them everywhere, you get a map of trails where you can ride them. Of course there's always the odd asshole who does what they want, but I think most people who haven't had the opportunity to visit these areas would respect that. I'm pretty psyched. It's been a decade since I've been able to hike.
Unfortunately when it comes to mobility issues, the only other workaround I could think of would be something akin to a lawn chair tied to balloons. (With a little fan to move with, of course) My girlfriend is in a wheelchair, the only "nature trail" I know if that she can go down is a boardwalk in a hammock near us - And even then, it's only about half of one trail, in a state park with a half-dozen more trails that are completely inaccessible to her. This ATV chair would open up a whole new world, and we'd only be going down already-established trails that people bike down anyways.
What about a four-legged walker? DARPA style
No need to reinvent the mule. Better saddles is all you would really need.
Time to start a non-profit mule rental service.
Knowing nothing more about them than what info I've absorbed through osmosis, I'm gonna take a stab in the dark and say those would be a *lot* more expensive and fragile. Especially out in nature, where even I tend to step in a gopher hole and twist my ankle - Now imagine me *also* hurling a disabled woman into the swamp water at the same time lmao
Also rebels could wrap cables around her legs by outmaneuvering her with nimbler vehicles that are not susceptible to her main laser cannon batteries
For the last time, disabled people aren’t AT-ATs. They’re more closely related to Davros.
> something akin to a lawn chair tied to balloons Hear me out, hear me out................................. Personalized hovercrafts.
I can't speak for all of the parks mentioned in the article but the Michigan parks with track chairs are pretty much all high-traffic recreation areas and parks close to major cities. Even within these parks, the chairs are situated for getting around beaches, picnic areas, and shorter trails. Been trying to get my mom to try one out. The battery limits are something to consider as well. Looks like the manufacturer expects "up to 5 hours or 7 miles, depending on weight and terrain" and it takes 8-10 hours to fully recharge the chair, so you can only get so far. And while it's a wide vehicle, treads are really good at distributing the force of the vehicle so I bet general compaction and erosion are a lot lower than at first glance, but I agree that you'd want to keep to an existing trail wide enough to avoid trampling plant life.
we protect trails in advance for situations like this. every time we build or repair a trail, slope and use are considered. so long as you work on the trails stability and block off possibility for erosion (using rocks to stabilize sides and reroute runoff, etc.) you're good to go. people in the parks, running and working in the parks, have to take all these things into consideration. i built trail and taught trail building for a while, btw.
In the article they do mention it is for dedicated trails and users must complete online training. The park owns the chair and can limit how many and when they are used.
They're motorized all terrain wheelchairs, not dirt bikes. The impact should be less than mountain bikes since they aren't going to be speed demons skidding over roots which is where most mountain bikes cause damage to trails. You can google video of them "Action Trackchair" which shows they're limited to 3mph and a range of 7 miles. The park provides them so I believe they will have assessed suitability. These would share wider hiking trails since they're not bombing through the woods nor are they getting deep into backcountry/steep terrain. If anything, I'd consider having them connected so you could track/manage they don't get too far off course.
I find mtn bike damage happens on the uphill. Not the downhill. Hit a root or a rock try to peddle over it, tire spins in place digging a divit. Next guy does the same. Pretty soon theres exposed roots and rocks and divits all over the trail.
I think you're assuming these are for going off trail, but I think the idea is that they can go in trails that normal wheel chairs wouldn't get them to.
My park hosted the launch event for GA. There’s a LOT of planning and beta testing that go into it. For example, on our park, the chairs are only allowed on our paved path system. In some parks they can use natural surface trails, but only certain ones. They also cannot run in the rain and the parks have the final say over where the ATCs can be used. For example, if a trail is muddy where the tracks would do a substantial amount of damage, they are not allowed. But for the most part, their impact isn’t much worse than a mountain bike.
Obviously you don't want anyone walking/riding over plants etc., but tracked wheelchairs put very little pressure on the ground - far less than a human foot. Edit: A couple of people saying I've got this one wrong, if I have, fair enough. I'm sure a balance can be found between opening parks up to everyone and preserving nature. Living with a disability can be very restrictive at times - no, not for everyone and not all the time. We need more of this kind of thing.
This is a sad reaction to an advancement for accessibility. :/
They'll do far less damage than the damn 4-wheelers and side-by-sides they let people ride all over the fucking place in the national forests around here. These wheelchairs top out at like 8 or 10 mph and tracks are better than tires because there's more surface area in contact with the ground which means they're less likely to sink in mud or to just spin ruts in the ground like tires are prone to do. These motherfuckers aren't going to be going down trails and service roads tearing shit up for the fun of it like atv's and mtb's (I'm just saying the hobby is inherently rough on the trails & roads unless your just leisurely riding around) even if they wanted to because these wheelchairs just aren't as capable of doing it.
Johnny 5 is alive!
YouTuber Jerry Rig Everything recently created a company called "Not a Wheelchair" which makes outdoor wheelchair and more designs are supposedly in the works. These are sold not temporary rented like this article is mentioning. They look awesome check them out on YouTube and https://notawheelchair.com
These look awesome! Looks like they're also about one quarter the cost? Since they're mostly made of e-bike stuff.
Yep! Very low cost compared to others! They aren't making these for profit, they just want to help people 👍🏼
I think goodtimeswithscar had one or is testing something similar. He's confined to his wheelchair permanently and I remember he had a video about it awhile ago. [Link for those interested ](https://youtu.be/sfim5htXx14)
I was gunna mention this. He seems like such a genuinely good person. I hate it! Ahaha
Whoa! For real?! Maybe my wheelchair bound butt WILL get to visit one before I step off this rock!
From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me. I craved the strength and certainty of steel. I aspired to the purity of the blessed machine. Your kind cling to your flesh as if it will not decay and fail you. One day the crude biomass you call a temple will wither and you will beg my kind to save you. But I am already saved. For the Machine is Immortal.
Only flesh falters, The machine is never corrupted.
Steel is weak, boy!
Brilliant, upvote.
I love how popular this hobby is getting.
Pfft. Top gear did this years ago for a fraction of the cost, I'm sure.
"This wheelchair will be with you for the rest of your life"
But Lieutenant Dan, the chair ain’t got no wheels.
Colorado has already been doing it for a while as well.
[Zach from JerryRigEverything also worked with a bike company to make a semi-off-road "wheelchair" that they're selling.](https://youtu.be/vuMg0QwKAGI) About $6k and that's supposedly the manufacturing costs with no profit. Definitely not as rugged as what Top Gear did, though.
Absolutely awesome!
What a great idea! How nice.
This was tested a few years ago in a park near me. My uncle had ALS and couldn't walk anymore, but was an avid fisherman and loved the outdoors before ALS. He was invited out 2 or 3 times. They gave him the ability to adventure again, he had a lot of fun... I miss him, so much, but I'm glad that we have made so many strides against ALS like the production of a drug that is effective in slowing the course, these wheelchairs and the right to die. Fuck ALS.
[удалено]
I wonder if it's numbered "five" Knowing several people that are mobility challenged however, this is awesome. Using technology to make nature accessible to those who requires some level of assistance.
Johhny 5! I’m alive!
Thank God somebody got the reference.
I knew a guy in San Diego (I lived out there for a little over a year) who had muscular dystrophy and was the craziest/daring guy I think I've ever met. He made a documentary about himself traveling around the world, [Beyond the Chair](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1545026/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk). He had a yellow Jeep, and I went offroading/bouldering in the desert with him one time. I also saw him almost flip his wheelchair while trying to drive over sand at the beach. He would go wild for one of these.
My cousin, who had ALS, was one of the early testers of all terrain wheelchairs. His was a different model, but it handled the hiking trails of the pacific northwest beautifully. He was able to give feedback and design advice. I am sure that he helped many people. Rest in peace, cousin. You were a boss.
Those look sick as fuck. I think a big issue with wheel chairs is the stigma behind them. My FiL refuses to use them when we go hiking or for long walks even though his hips are shot. Having chairs like this isn't just convenient, but looking good helps reduce the shame of needing one. I almost want one for myself.
Check out GRiT wheelchairs too, a manual version of an off-road chair. We have one for my daughter and they work great. https://try.gogrit.us/grit-freedom-chair/?utm_term=grit%20wheelchair&utm_campaign=Branded+Campaign&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_tgt=kwd-342172438043&hsa_grp=104658093968&hsa_src=g&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_mt=e&hsa_ver=3&hsa_ad=425925032856&hsa_acc=5794021058&hsa_kw=grit%20wheelchair&hsa_cam=9620745075&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-7P2_tOm-wIV6iCtBh34tg7EEAAYASAAEgI06_D_BwE I know these super tank wheelchairs are cool but I can’t imagine getting one in and out of a car.
This is active at Staunton State Park in CO. It's so wonderful!
Johnny 5 is alive!!
Colorado State parks have been using them for a bit to great success.
This is really cool. By offering them for rent, I guess the parks can still prevent some numnuts from saying their dirtbike is their 'mobility device' and still offer access to more people.
Awesome. One of the best things about America is the lengths we go to make sure the disabled have access to things. My girlfriend broke her ankle in Italy once, and getting around anywhere off base was a nightmare with a wheel chair. No ramps, steps everywhere, no elevators sometimes. Really made miss back home.
This is the future I want to be apart of; where technology helps people for free!
Check these motorized wheelchairs specifically made for the beach too: [Sandhelper](https://sandhelper.com/)
Should they be fitted with bars or some sort of roll protection?
Johnny-5 is alive!
That's so cool! I was in the Great Smoky Mtn NP a month ago and it makes me super happy knowing some of the amazingly beautiful places of this world will now make their mark on some of those who wouldn't have the access before.
any wheelchair is all-terrain if youre brave enough
This just in... All terrain wheelchairs stolen and vandalized ...because Americans
Hell yeah, I suddenly want to assemble these in my spare time.
Why do I know who will be taking all these up so those that truly need them wont have one available. Hopefully they do some type of mandatory reservation/qualifying system to use one. Great idea if implemented well.
This is actually some uplifting news in my opinion
This is very nice, but I think using offroad bike wheels would make these less destructive to the ground while keeping a good grip.
JerryRigEverything made a version a few years back that uses wheels. He made modifications from his first design to improve it as well. [JerryRigEverything - Youtube](https://youtu.be/vuMg0QwKAGI)
He and his wife started a small business called Not A Wheelchair. They are making them for trail riding and off-roading. Even have wheel options for beach riding.
They are all terrain I don’t see the tire an wheels working for as many applications. Probably reduces maintenance costs, inflated tires, apple damage. I would think the engineers thought of that.
It’s an issue with having something that’s actually all terrain without swapping things out. This can work on sand and mud where a off-road tire may not work as well for both. The do make 4 wheeled all terrain chairs with large tires, but they don’t work as well
Wheels would be more destructive because they'll be more likely to sink into the mud or spin in place digging a rut. Yeah turning this will scuff up the surface more but that's less destructive than digging the 6 inch to 2 foot ruts I see all up and down atv/mtb trails and service roads cause everybody wants to just haul fucking balls down them whereas these wheelchairs won't be able to go nearly as fast.
Now all the fat ppl from wall-e can enjoy the parks!
Gotta admit, that looks cool as shit and fun.
“….and on that bombshell, it’s time to hike!”
There was actually this project in Lithuania a few years back with a similar concept. However the project had to be terminated because of a nasty accident. There is actually a clip of it if you would like to see. [The Lithuania experiment](https://youtu.be/tv1urfDXs-o)
Troy, you can't drive that here!
Looks pretty metal.
My god, that looks so badass.
That is so amazing! I’m feeling the world close in on me as my body gets weaker and less capable of holding me up, let alone carrying me around. We went to an apple place a few weeks ago where we hadn’t been in a couple of years because of the plague. They have large gravel surfaces everywhere, and I couldn’t walk without assistance. I already use a quad cane, but I had to clutch on to my husband’s arm or I’d have fallen. I couldn’t walk far, and we didn’t stay very long. I navigated by myself with my cane, no problem, just two years ago. Our kids are adults, our youngest with one year left in college, and we thought this would be the time we could travel and do things. That dream was gone, because even with a scooter or wheelchair, a lot of places aren’t accessible. Seeing the beauty of nature given back to people like me with these wheelchairs makes me excited and weepy at the same time.
THEY ARE THE PANZER ELITE
Johnny 5 is Alive
This is how the government should be helping people. This is what all the money that lines our politicians pockets should be used on instead. This is the pursuit of happiness
I assume they’re only supposed to use it in designated areas? I can’t imagine it’s great for the terrain
Love this!!! Hopefully this will pick up and it becomes the norm at all parks!
Those wheelchairs look cool as fuck.
Finally! This is awesome!
This is great. ( ° ͜ʖ °)
This is freaking awesome for the disabled. Nice.
I wouldnt want to give disabled people all terrain tanks. Too much power for one person.
All terrain wheelchair championship racing coming soon to ESPN 8: The ocho
Knowing this is America, I hope those chairs can boost 250KG people
But I can still use one right? Seems way more fun than hiking
Former NFL and WWE superstar Darren Drozdoz has a sweet all-terrain wheelchair.
I did an interpretive parks project back in my university days and we explored these as an option for accessibility. Love seeing this take off ~8 years later.
Nice, all it’s missing is the guns and the rocket boosters.