Incredible ‘Trackchair’ Helps Wheelchair-Bound Go Off-Roading
- Posted on March 8, 2012 at 11:55pm by
Liz Klimas
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A motorized wheelchair is nothing new, but even with increased speed and mobility some confined to a wheelchair were still limited to where they could go. Enter the “Action Trackchair”.
(Photo: Action Trackchair)
Action Manufacturing, based in Marshall, Minn., has designed a chair with caterpillar tracks instead of wheels: a trackchair. With the Action Trackchair, the manufacturer touts, “you‘ll go places you didn’t think possible”, which includes the woods, the beach, in mud, on snow, etc.
Watch how the chair works:
The chair runs up to 5 miles per hour and cost starts at $8,800. The chair has optional accessories, such as a gun rack and a rod holder, for those interested in these outdoor sports.
(Photo: Action Trackchair)
(Photo: Action Trackchair)
According to user testimonials, those with the Action Trackchair have said they feel liberated and able to do things they used to before an accident or had never been able to do before. Jeff Holdahl of Woodland, Wash., said:
The track chair has allowed me to get back on the sand next to the Columbia River, my favorite local destination. I used to have at least two people carry me and my wheelchair across the soft sand. The track chair has allowed me to be independent in the places I love. I get to help carry stuff out the beach instead of the other way around. I don’t feel so disabled when using my off road electric wheelchair. Once again I can join my wife and kids for a stroll down the beach, without being pushed in my wheelchair! ps: I get to “stomp” in the mud puddles with my boys.
(Photo: Action Trackchair)
The Daily Mail reports Tim Swenson as saying he decided to invent the all-terrain chair after his son was in an accident that left him wheelchair bound:
He said: “Looking at Jeff and the challenges of being in a wheelchair, and of course me being in the motorsports business, I started putting two and two together. How can we put tracks on a wheelchair? How can we make something go where Jeff would like to go?”
And coming up with the name was straightforward.
“It’s a chair, it’s got tracks on it. And we always like action,” said Mr Swenson.
“The Action Trackchair is by far the biggest change in my life since my accident 11 years ago,” Jeff Swenson, the creator’s son said in a user testimonial. “It has enabled me to be able to go hiking, camping, gardening, and hunting! This off-road wheelchair has definitely been life changing. I have not had so much mobility and freedom in a long time.”
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kayo1957
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 6:21pmAwesome to see what we can do when the Government gets out of the way!
Report Post »http://oneshotsmackdown.com/
Ialmostforgot
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 3:22pmMy new back yard project!
Report Post »The Sergeant Major
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 3:08pmThis is a great application for our Wounded Warriors! Freedom Hunters is a nonprofit that takes Wounded Warriors big game, waterfowl and bird hunting. This chair would open the door for so many of our Wounded Warriors. Think about how many of our vets that would benefit from this.
Freedomhunters.org
Pray for our Wounded Warriors!
Report Post »this1can
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 1:19pmI got shot when I was 15 yrs old and became a paraplegic I’m now 57 I live in the country and love to go out in the woods and hunt I have been found several times laying upside down in my chair because of going out hunting and shooting. this is great chair. wish I could afford one maybe some day. God willing
Report Post »BACKUPOFFMYLIBERTY
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 11:30amThis is awesome.
Report Post »SpaceRaider
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 11:09amOh my goodness!! Wish I could afford this for those days when I really want to get outside but can barely make it out of bed. No, I am not lazy. Just have a few problems that at times severely limits my mobility and causes varying degrees of pain 24/7. No, this doesn’t really bother me, everything happens for a reason.
Report Post »Thank you for inventing this machine! I’m going to be informing others about this thing.
THX-1138
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:53amBrilliant. And about dang time. Props.
Report Post »pdw
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:34amThat is a great idea for many who are immobilize. My first replacement leg cost over $15,000 and the second over $18,000. Titanium is an expensive strong light metal but even then they are warrantied for 2 years. I love to garden and there are many gardeners who would love to have one of these, but not many can afford $8,800 just to enjoy the pleasure of gardening unless they have a greater need for added uses. They have to find runners that can be removed to prevent damage to their lawn. Many use raised beds so they can still enjoy the pleasures of those little pleasures of life. It is a blessing to see people care so much for their children that they invent a produce that will be a great blessing to many lives. I expect to see many changes and improvements as the demands for this invention grows. Once it goes into mass production the price may come down.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:19amI have longed to get back out into the wilderness, but even some parks are to far for me to walk to falls and streams without many periods of rest, this is fantastic. I re-read the story and decided, I am going to have one.
Report Post »piper60
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 7:53am$8,800 is a lot of money, but if my husband, who uses a manual wheelchair, ever needs an electric model, I’d have to consider this one. Who’da thought? What a concept. Wheelchair bound people being able to not only “cling to their guns” but to actually go out into the woods, and use them.
Report Post »grannyrecipe
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 6:43amWhat a true blessing! If I were a venture capitalist I’d be knocking down their doors!
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:17amExactly 8,800 seems a little steep but what it gives handicap people is priceless.
Report Post »patspeak
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 5:14amGod Bless Mr. Swenson. What a marvelous invention.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 8:14amI was just thinking the same thing. As I get older I may need one and it will be exactly what I would choose so I can still be outside doing what I want to.
Report Post »delnobel
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 3:05amWow! I don’t believe it. They have actually made wheelchairs look cool. I hope I never NEED one but I wouldn’t mind having one of those. Fantastic!
Report Post »antiobamabvrco
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 1:27amThis is wonderful! My girlfriend has been in a chair 13yrs and has done so much since. she has graduated college with a masters and is working full time, this chair would give her so much more freedom and the cost is more reasonable then her normal electric chair hers cost us $26,000 about 6 yrs ago. If I can ever afford get her another electric chair it will be one like this!
Report Post »Winedude
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 1:14amThis is one VERY cool invention. I sincerely hope that folks that have been wheel-chair bound all their lives can at least have some sort of temporary access to one of these wonderful devices. While I don’t do a lot of hiking in wilderness areas any longer, I have always supported keeping any sort of motorized transportation banned from them. However, I do believe an exception should be made to allow for the use of these “Track-chairs” so more people can see the beauty of this country when you get away from the bright lights and big cities. It’s just a lot nicer in the wilderness to not have ANY interaction with cars, dirt bikes, etc.
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on March 9, 2012 at 12:21amI would rather my extra cash go to these fine people than to the lazy welfare queens/kings in my home state of NJ……’Buy the ticket, take the ride’…NEVER GIVE UP..look into this Blazers, it is a good cause.
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