Yosemite Sam, Part 2 — Your Chariot Awaits

I began to envision a rickshaw-like vehicle that Sam could sit in and I could pull along behind me. The design I had in mind would have a single wheel, kind of like a wheelbarrow if you pulled it instead of pushed it. A single wheel would make it more maneuverable and less likely to get hung up on rocks and roots, and would also mean that the rickshaw's width wouldn't be an issue on "single-track" trails. I figured the handles of the rickshaw could attach to me with a sturdy waist belt, like one used on an external-frame backpack, but I wasn't sure if that would make it stable enough.

I started searching the internet for a vehicle like the one I had in mind. At the same time, I also searched specifically for devices meant for transporting disabled people on trails. There are all kinds of contraptions made to improve the mobility of people with disabilities, so I figured there had to be something out there. It wasn't long before I found a few references to the TrailRider:

Click here to see an image of the "TrailRider" in a new window.

The TrailRider is a custom setup created by someone associated with The Disability Foundation and The British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society. It's clearly big enough for an adult passenger and thus requires two people, one on either end, to support it and keep it moving. It does have the single-wheel design that I had in mind though, so that made me think I was at least on the right track. Unfortunately, that was really the only vehicle I found in my searches that was specifically designed for the task of backcountry travel. (More about the TrailRider here and here.)

I began to think that I might have to either build something myself or talk to a jog stroller/bike trailer company about commissioning a prototype. At that point I came across a particular jog stroller with some unique features. Specifically, I found this:

Click here to see a picture of an intriguing contraption.

In short, it's a jog stroller/bike trailer type cart, but with a "Hiking Kit" attachment that looks like a shoulder harness attached to long rickshaw-like handles.

I investigated. The "stroller" with the optional hiking kit is made by Chariot Carriers. The more I read, the more the gearhead in me started to salivate. On paper, these things are nice. One Chariot transforms into multiple devices with the easy configuration of various attachments. It's a jog stroller, a bike trailer, and yes, a rickshaw for hiking or cross-county skiing. (Chariot Carriers makes a few different models. I considered the "Cougar" and the "CX". They both can use the same attachments, so I'll just refer to them generically as "Chariots".)

Click here for a small image of a Chariot with the hiking attachment in use.

Click here to browse the various Chariot attachments.

Besides the slick attachment system, the Chariots have other really nice features that are either not found on other "strollers" or are just done much better. Adjustable leaf-spring suspension. 20" wheels (with aero rims). Drum brakes. Nifty ventilation designs. The list goes on.

At this point, there was a disgusting puddle of drool on my keyboard, but I still had serious questions about whether a Chariot would really work for what I wanted to do. The problems I could foresee mostly resulted from the two-wheel design. It seemed pretty wide from the photos and specs, and there didn't seem to be much ground clearance. That didn't bode well for serious hikes. There was also the huge question of whether Sam would be comfortable in it.

In then end, I decided that the only way to know if it would work or not would be to try it. As expensive as the Chariots are, the cost of one would be much less than the cost of me trying to design and build one myself, and the ease of buying one online meant near-instant gratification. So, a few days and several hundred dollars later, I was the proud owner of a Chariot Carriers CX-1, complete with the jogging kit, the bike trailer attachment, and yes, the hiking kit.