I love throwing around a frisbee with friends and many years ago when I mistakenly thought running was fun I played a lot of Ultimate Frisbee. I thought Disc Golf would be easy because I’m pretty accurate with a Frisbee.
It banked hard to the right and hit the ground very quickly. Sam let me know the problem was I, “Throw like a girl.”
The Spanish Fork course was perfect for the X3 off-road wheelchair. This isn’t a nicely manicured course with rolling grass hills. We had to roll over rocks, gravel, dirt, logs, and through the weeds in order to make it from the tee to the goal.
It didn't get easier
I’d like to say that I got better as Sam and I wheeled our way around the course but I didn’t. Sam and I will need a lot more practice before we can compete at the professional level we aspire to.
While we didn’t have much luck playing disc golf we did have fun making this video and goofing around together. And that is what all this is really about.
2LIV4 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to enhance the emotional well-being of individuals who face physical or cognitive challenges, accompanying them on a path toward courage, motivation, opportunity, and the drive to find their something 2LIV4.
A chance encounter
Adam and I met 2LIV4’s founder and vice president Greg Cooley when we attended the Dallas Ability Expo. We were lucky enough to have a booth across the aisle from Greg and 2LIV4. We enjoyed chatting with them about their non-profit and learning about their mission.
We are often asked what it is like to take the Extreme Motusoff-road wheelchair on an airplane. Many of our customers want to travel with their X3 visit far off beaches as they check items off their bucket lists.
Air Travel with the X3
I currently know of 2 different Extreme Motus customers who have flown with their X3. Both flew from the Salt Lake City, Utah airport.
The Adams family flew on Delta Airlines to the East Coast to visit Maine. This customer used the X3 as their primary wheelchair. They entered the airport with the X3, went through the TSA security checkpoint, and all the way to the gate with the wheelchair.
Once at the gate he carried his daughter into the plane and the X3 was checked at the gate. They didn’t report any issues traveling through the airport with the X3 off-road wheelchair.
Aloha Extreme Motus
The Crowshaw family recently flew from Salt Lake City, Utah on Southwest Airlines to visit the island of Kauai with their X3.
They also used the X3 as their primary wheelchair and checked it at the gate.
“Everyone was very accommodating! They were worried about the weight of the chair but they managed.”
Something to think about when using the X3 as your primary wheelchair on a trip like this is the X3 is meant for the outdoors. It can fit through a standard 36″ door frame. But navigating a resort or fitting into an elevator can be tricky.
The X3 is about 6 feet long so making sharp turns in a tight hallway is tough. You may need to fold up the chair to navigate indoor areas like this.
Can I check the X3 as luggage?
I wish I had a better answer to this question. So far the 2 people who have flown with the X3 have gate-checked it.
If and when I have a report of one of our customers checking the X3 off-road wheelchair as luggage I will update this section of the article.
The Extreme Motus Off-road wheelchair is designed for people who need a caretaker to help them go exploring. The powerful disk brakes make hiking back down the mountain safe and easy.
Many of our customers purchase an X3 for their children who have grown too big to be transported in a backpack. These families want to continue exploring and enjoying the outdoors with the entire family and the X3 allows them to do just that.
The Advenchair (cool name!) is a rugged off-road manual wheelchair that is pushed or pulled by friends and family to allow wheelchair users to visit places they may have had a hard time getting to in a standard wheelchair.
One great feature of the Advenchair is its ability to transform from a long adventure wheelchair into a wheelchair that is a more “normal” size. After your hike, you can make your way inside a restaurant for a snack.
Brakes – One of the main advantages of the X3 is the brakes. Each wheel is equipped with independent disk brakes. Wheelchair hiking without brakes is dangerous.
Supportive Seat – The X3 uses a racecar seat which gives additional support on the sides. Wheelchair users who can’t push themselves often need this additional support to stay sitting up straight.
Frame – The anodized aluminum frame of the X3 has been torture tested by Ryan and Sam everywhere from Skate Parks to National Parks. They have taken it off jumps and done everything. This chair is bulletproof.
Brakes – Rear disk brakes will allow you to safely descend steep terrain.
Transformer – Being able to remove the front wheel to turn the all terrain wheelchair into a regular wheelchair is a cool feature.
Rugged – Solid design will allow it to take a beating as you and your friends explore your favorite trails
Cons
Cons
Care Taker Assist – The X3 is not designed to be self-propelled. A caretaker must push the rider in the chair. This may not be the best choice for a wheelchair user with good upper body strength.
Interchangeable Wheels – The X3 only has one option for wheels. The large low-pressure, tires give the rider a comfortable ride.
Supply Chain – The X3 is often on backorder during the summer months because of supply chain issues.
Price – With a price of $9,950 this the most expensive manual all terrain wheelchair we have reviewed.
Weight – This wheelchair tips the scale at 60 pounds which puts it on the heavier side of the chairs in this category. It weighs 55 pounds with the front wheel removed.
Suspension – Advenchair only has suspension on the front wheel. Without suspension under the rider it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Conclusion
The X3 from Extreme Motus is the ultimate hiking wheelchair. Its large low-pressure tires, powerful disc brakes, a super durable frame, and optional luggage systems make the X3 the perfect adventure chair. If you are looking for a wheelchair that will allow you and your family to adventure outdoors then the X3 is the right choice for you.
The Advenchair looks to be a solid piece of outdoor mobility equipment. This off-road wheelchair gives our own Extreme Motus X3 good competition and we always welcome more mobility devices that will help people enjoy the outdoors!
It is a little heavier than the X3 but comes with a transforming feature the X3 doesn’t have. It’s also a lot more expensive and you could buy 2.5 X3’s for the price of one Advenchair.
Do your research decide what features you need. Figure out your budget and buy the chair that is going to get you outside and enjoy all the nature has to offer!
The Perfect Wheelchair?
At Extreme Motus we want to help you find your perfect wheelchair. Be sure to check out the Off-road Wheelchair Research Center to help find the perfect outdoor mobility device for you.
Getting outside is important to our mental and physical health. Wheelchair users tend to spend more time inside than non-wheelchair users because they don’t have the right equipment to get out into nature.
Choose the right equipment and you’ll have one less excuse to sit inside and miss out on the beauty our planet is waiting to share with you.
The Extreme Motus Off-road wheelchair is designed for people who need a caretaker to help them go exploring. The powerful disk brakes make hiking back down the mountain safe and easy.
Many of our customers purchase an X3 for their children who have grown too big to be transported in a backpack. These families want to continue exploring and enjoying the outdoors with the entire family and the X3 allows them to do just that.
Rather than placing your hands on the wheels of the Grit Freedom chair and pushing, the operator uses levers that attach to a chain drive to propel themselves. Not only does this method of propulsion keep your hands clean during off-road adventures it’s also a more efficient way to push.
These levers are about twice as efficient as pushing directly on the wheels allowing you to conquer more difficult terrain. Depending on where you grip the levers you can maximize your effort for torque or high speed.
Brakes – One of the main advantages of the X3 is the brakes. Each wheel is equipped with independent disk brakes. Wheelchair hiking without brakes is dangerous.
Supportive Seat – The X3 uses a racecar seat which gives additional support on the sides. Wheelchair users who can’t push themselves often need this additional support to stay sitting up straight.
Frame – The anodized aluminum frame of the X3 has been torture tested by Ryan and Sam everywhere from Skate Parks to National Parks. They have taken it off jumps and done everything. This chair is bulletproof.
Cost – GRIT is less expensive than it’s direct competitors.
Independence – If you want to explore dirt roads and don’t want to be pushed by someone else this could be the right chair for you.
Storage – Can quickly be disassembled for storage or transportation.
Cons
Cons
Care Taker Assist – The X3 is not designed to be self-propelled. A caretaker must push the rider in the chair. This may not be the best choice for a wheelchair user with good upper body strength.
Interchangeable Wheels – The X3 only has one option for wheels. The large low-pressure, tires give the rider a comfortable ride.
Supply Chain – The X3 is often on backorder during the summer months because of supply chain issues.
Stability – According to some reviewers Grit Freedom Chair can be unstable at high speeds or over large bumps.
Strength – You need to have good upper body strength, and core strength to operate this chair.
Suspension – Lack of suspension will make for a bumpy ride.
Conclusion
The X3 from Extreme Motus is the ultimate hiking wheelchair. Its large low-pressure tires, powerful disc brakes, a super durable frame, and optional luggage systems make the X3 the perfect adventure chair. If you are looking for a wheelchair that will allow you and your family to adventure outdoors then the X3 is the right choice for you.
The Grit Freedom chair is a fantastic piece of mobility equipment for people with good upper body strength who want to explore off-road trails without being pushed, or maybe with a little help. Grit is a well engineered piece of equipment and I find myself recommending it to customers when I find out they have don’t have a disability that affects their upper body strength.
The Perfect Wheelchair?
At Extreme Motus we want to help you find your perfect wheelchair. Be sure to check out the Off-road Wheelchair Research Center to help find the perfect outdoor mobility device for you.
Getting outside is important to our mental and physical health. Wheelchair users tend to spend more time inside than non-wheelchair users because they don’t have the right equipment to get out into nature.
Choose the right equipment and you’ll have one less excuse to sit inside and miss out on the beauty our planet is waiting to share with you.
Rehabmart.com recently published an article called The 5 Best Wheelchairs for the Outdoors. The article lists the best outdoor wheelchair in 5 different categories. All terrain wheelchairs, Beach wheelchairs, Pool wheelchairs, Sports wheelchairs, and Skiing wheelchairs.
With some tough competition out there we were pleased to learn that our very own Emma X3 was listed as the the #1 all terrain wheelchair on the market today.
The Extreme Motus Emma X3 all terrain wheelchair ships fully assembled in a large box and it’s ready for adventure as soon as it arrives. When you are unboxing your X3 there are a few things you can do to make it ready for longer adventures, and more comfortable for the person pushing, and the person riding in the chair.
The easiest way to get your new X3 out of the box is to lay the box down on its side with the wheelchair on its back. This way you can grab the handlebars and roll it straight out of the box.
Once out of the box you can fold the front wheel down, insert the pins to hold in place and it will be ready for it’s first test ride.
Accessories
After the initial oohs and ahhs you will be ready to install the accessories that come with every all terrain wheelchair we sell. We decided to include the luggage, tow strap, and spare parts after looking at competitors chairs and finding the ordering process could become a little confusing. Extreme Motus opted to just make one solid off road wheelchair with all the bells and whistles included.
Handlebar Bag
The handlebar bag is great for smaller items that you may need quick access to. When I’m pushing Sam on an adventure I use it to store my mobile device, GoPro, maybe a few snacks, and a small stack of business cards because we’re often stopped along the trail and asked questions about the chair.
Attaching with 3 Velcro straps this bag is very easy to install, and should only take you a few minutes.
Seat Bag
The bag that hangs on the back of the seat is large enough to carry a picnic lunch, camera gear, a spare jacket, etc. It’s a water resistant roll top bag, but it isn’t waterproof. So I suggest removing it if you’re going into deep water.
Once the roll top is closed there is some Velcro that keeps it closed, as well as a buckle strap that can be cinched down to keep your gear in place. This buckle is easy to forget about because of the angle at which the bag sits the buckle swings down out of the way. But make sure to remember to buckle it before you start moving again. I’ve stepped on the hanging strap before and it’s almost tripped me a few times.
To mount the Seat bag slide the plastic hooks on the bag onto the metal rods that stick out from the spine of the seat until you hear them click into place. Then wrap the included bungie cord around the axle of the chair and hook it to the D ring on the back side of the bag. This will keep the bag from swinging around too much as you are hiking.
Tow Strap/Safety Leash
Also included with your X3 is the tow strap you may have seen us using in some of our other videos. We use this to help lighten the load for the person pushing on more difficult hikes. It’s also safer to have an extra set of hands on the wheelchair when off-roading or tacking steep terrain.
This strap can be attached to the chair using the loops tied on either end of the strap. So you don’t need to worry about tying a knot, and having to fight with it later when you need to remove the strap.
What goes up must come down, and this strap also makes for an extra safety measure when you are on your way back down the trail. Simply remove it from the front of the chair, and wrap it around the handlebar stem and put the loop around your wrist. Now the tow strap has become a safety leash and should the person pushing the chair trip and fall they will still be able to keep the chair from rolling away from them.
Spare Parts
The X3 all terrain wheelchair ships with a few spare parts that we tended to disappear for some of our customers.
You will receive an extra pin and spacer ring for the rear wheels. Depending on how you are transporting the X3 you may need to remove the rear wheels, which means removing the pin and spacer that hold them in place. These pins and spacers have been known to fall into the quantum realm once removed, so keep the spares in your luggage just in case.
There are 2 pins that keep the front wheel locked in place. These 2 pins have strings that keep them attached to the frame of the wheelchair, so they are hard to lose, but it has happened so we also send you a spare one of these.
Should you manage to loose the originals and the spares we send, open up google and type in, “Tractor Supply” they will have what you need.
Handlebar Adjustment
The height of the handlebar of the X3 can be adjusted with the included mulitool. Give the chair a quick test drive and decide if it needs to be adjusted up or down. Loosen up a few allen head bolts, move it to your happy place, and tighten everything back down.
Ergonomics
As the front wheel of the chair swings into place you will notice 2 different holes in the frame of the chair. This gives you the option to have the seat more reclined or slightly less reclined. Some people may be more comfortable in one position over the other, so be sure and play with this to find out which is best for you.
More reclined, and more of an angle on the foot rest.
More upright seat position, and footrest is flatter leaving the seat are.
Keep The Box
Extreme Motus has a 30 day money back guarantee. So hang on to the box you chair arrived in. Should you decide the X3 isn’t everything you hoped it would be you will have the original box to send it back to us.
Keep the box for at least 30 days just encase you need to return your wheelchair.
The National Ability Center in Park City, Utah invited us to visit their yurt in the Uinta’s. The hike is just under one mile and required us to wear snowshoes.
Deep Powder Ahead
Stepping off the trail with snowshoes I sank to my knee. Without them I sank to my waist so staying on the trail was important. The trail had been used by many people before we got there, but wasn’t wide enough for the Emma X3 in some spots.
Half of our group went ahead and used their snowshoes to widen the trail. They also recruited other hikers they passed along the way. They told them about the wheelchair that was on it’s way up and asked if they could walk along the edges of the trail to help.
Pushing in the Snow
Pushing in the snow is a challenge. Our trick of attaching ropes to the front of the chair didn’t work well in the snow. The person up front was always turning the front of the chair and making the rear wheels slide off the beaten path.
Because the tires are smooth they tend to slide sideways easily. If the trail was angled to the one side or the other the chair would slip into the powder and have to be muscled back onto the trail. Luckily between Sam weighing 90 pounds, and the chair weighing 49 that wasn’t too difficult.
Slow and Steady
We didn’t set any speed records on this adventure, but we did make slow and steady progress to the yurt. On a trip like this it doesn’t make a lot of sense to rush through such beautiful country.
We stopped and said hello to other hikers. Sam even got a kiss… from a curious and friendly golden retriever along the way.
National Ability Center Yurt
Nestled in the woods is the National Ability Center’s Yurt. They had chairs inside, but it wasn’t too cold and we decided it would be easier to keep Sam in the X3 out front. We brought the folding chairs outside, sunk them in the snow and enjoyed some hot chocolate.
The yurt is available for overnight trips. Inside there are 3 bunk beds. I think it would be a lot of fun to take a group there and stay the weekend.
After a much deserved rest at the yurt we packed everything away, strapped our snow shoes on and headed back down the mountain.
National Ability Center Guides
Three members of the National Ability Center accompanied us on our trip. They all did an outstanding job.
Ruth was the leader of our group. She stuck with Roger and I and helped us push Sam up the hill. She made up for her small size with loads of energy and a great attitude. Ruth did more than her fair share of pushing Sam up the trail to the yurt.
Ruth is from Florida and deep down misses the beach. She kept mixing up the word snow with sand. She fell in the powder once and jumped up saying, “I’ve got SAND in my pants!”
Berin was the photographer/videographer for the trip. He was the only one in our group who wasn’t wearing snowshoes. Instead he had special skis that allowed him to move around the group in the deep snow. He could leave the trail without sinking and get different shots as we traveled.
Brandon went ahead of the wheelchair to blaze the trail, and unlock the yurt. He grew up in the area and was happy to see all the visitors in “his” mountains, but also misses the solitude they brought in his youth. Brandon did most of the pushing on the way back to the parking lot.
All three guides loved the X3 and made the trip so fun and we felt like old friends by the time we returned to the parking lot.
Book your own trip
If you would like to learn more about the National Ability Center Yurt or any of the other great things they do for the community head on over to https://discovernac.org/facilities/uinta-yurt/
On Saturday January 11th I had the chance to go pheasant hunting with the Chairbound Sportsman of Utah. Many hunters and volunteers gathered in Mosida on the west side of Utah Lake.
Assistive Devices
The hunters moved around with a variety of assistive devices. There were several Action Tracker chairs, side by side UTV’s, some 4 wheelers with custom chairs built on the front, and one Emma X3 off-road wheelchair.
Mud was the favorite curse word of the day. As we made our way through the fields it bogged down everything. The mud may have slowed us down but we still made our way through the fields following the dogs as they sniffed out the pheasants.
The hunters spread out across the field and made ready for a bird to fly across their zone. We split into 2 groups and all of the hunters in my group were able to shoot a bird, one guy got 4.
The dogs were well trained and did a great job of pointing and finding the birds. I had never been to a pheasant hunt before and was amazed at how well the birds were able to camouflage themselves.
Pushing the Emma X3 off-road wheelchair through those muddy fields was exhausting. To make things worse towards the end of the day we managed to pick up some bailing twine in the rear axle and it felt like we were pushing in the mud with the brakes on.
I had some great helpers which allowed me to work on taking videos and photos of the event. Thanks to the Chairbound Sportsman for inviting me to such a fun event.
Sam Durst has Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair, but that didn’t stop him from completing a 5k Dirty Dash mud run last summer in Solder Hollow, UT. I was there to video Sam and his parents Roger and Christine as they tackled each obstacle.
Roger and Christine had participated in the Dirty Dash before. Sam was there too. He sat in his wheelchair near the bleachers with a caretaker and watched all the athletes pass by. This time was different. Sam was sitting in an off-road wheelchair at the starting line ready to run in the race just like everyone else.
We had no idea if we would make it
The Dursts and I had used this wheelchair only once before the Dirty Dash. It was at a park with rolling grassy hills. This was a whole different ball game and we all felt like we were in over our heads.
When the horn sounded for our heat to begin we made our way up a hill to our first mud filled obstacle. It was a long hole in the ground filled with mud and water. To enter the pit there was a steep 3 foot drop into the water.
The Emma X3 floats through a mud obstacle.
Roger said, “There’s no way we can do that.” He wanted to skip the very first obstacle. It did feel dangerous for the 3 of us to try and lower Sam and his chair into the pit. “Why are we doing this if we’re just going to skip all the muddy parts? I asked. I stopped some fellow racers who were about to jump in the water and asked, “Can you guys help us get this wheelchair though?”
Helping Hands
Happy to help they paused their race and ensured we made it safely to the other side. One person held my camera and the other helped to lower the chair to me in the pit.
At every major obstacle in the course we found people were happy to help. I noticed that being able to help Sam was making the race more memorable for the strangers stopping to lend a hand.
In fact on every adventure I have been on with Sam we always find people who want to help. When we hiked Delicate Arch there were helpers. When we went sledding strangers jumped into help push us up the hill.
As we plan future adventures and wonder, will we be strong enough to get Sam and his wheelchair through all this? We know that if we aren’t we will meet someone eager to help.
Surprised at how much fun I had
In the Army we did obstacle courses like this as part of our training. Most Army training doubles as punishment so when Dirty Dashes and Tough Mudder’s became popular I was little confused why people were paying money for punishment.
Having done one now I can say, I get it. Our little group had so much fun. A big part of it was seeing Sam go bananas with excitement each time we celebrated after clearing another hurdle on the way to the finish line.
Sam was able to have so many new experiences that day and he was on cloud 9 the entire day. Later when I was editing the video I came across a shot of Sam laughing like a mad scientist and saying “I’m having the time of my life!” I couldn’t help but tear up a little seeing how much joy this event had brought to him and everyone who helped him get through that course.
Future Races
Sam and I joined Extreme Motus towards the end of summer 2019. Many of the fun events like this had already happened and now we are stuck enjoying snow adventures. But when the snow melts we will be back out there making the most of every opportunity and exploring new places.
