These Tracked Rides Are All About Bringing Freedom Back Into Disabled and Challenged Lives

Ladies and gents, lovers of the outdoors and everything wild at heart, lend me your eyes for just a few moments so that you can taste the magic that Action Trackchair brings to the mobility table. Yes, they're tracked vehicles, and as you'd expect, they're about all-terrain adventures and the freedom to continue to conquer it all, no matter the landscape.

Now, this story begins back in 2008 in Minnesota with a model that was crafted out of a broken boat seat, electrical wiring, two tracks, and a frame, but built with a whole lot of love, from father to son. So much love that, 14 or so years later, Action Trackchair has grown to be a global presence, and according to their website, there are ten current models.

Two styles are available within those ten models: standing models and sit-down units. So, to give everyone an idea of how each lineup works and what it offers, we'll break them down into their respective categories.

Starting with the units that give the company its name, the Trackchairs. First up, and simply because it looks most like the original unit created back in 2008, it's the Trackchair ST. Here, we're looking at a completely electric track vehicle with your choice of Type 1 or Type 2 tracks, rear stability wheels in case things get a bit out of hand, and seat tilt, to name a few. Oh, it also weighs nearly 400 lbs (181 kg), so you'll need to help to load and unload this into a transport vehicle. Pricing for this behemoth starts at $13,775 (€12,700 at current exchange rates).

While there's no info on the manufacturer's website regarding the sort of motor or battery capacity in place, on a full charge, the ST is good for 7 miles (11 km) of traveling at a top speed of up to 3 mph (5 kph). It's not the fastest pace, but if you have someone in the family with mobility issues, you understand why this speed is set. Not to mention the fact that users will be crawling through mud, snow, riverbeds, sand, you name it, and that always takes a tad of attention.

As we move up the ranks, we start to see bigger, meaner, and even more capable Trackchairs, and the Eagle is one of them, an FDA-cleared vehicle with similar stats to the ST but priced starting at $18,825 (€17,400). The most expensive sit-down unit this crew offers can be considered the Axis 40, a $19,400 (€17,900) hunk of steel and wires with a higher level of comfort, faster cruising speed, and even vibration dampeners.

The next class of vehicles is the Trackstander, which are machines built around the same principle as the Trackchairs, but with one major difference: at a moment's notice, riders can press a button, and the Trackstander will reposition its rider into a standing posture. As the images in the gallery show us, this can be a very useful action for an array of activities.

But the extra movement is going to cost a tad more. For instance, the TR model starts off at $19,985 (€18,400) and as Action puts it, can do "everything the ST can do...but with the option to stand. Obviously, extra components like the front stability wheels are also necessary, in case riders lean forward.

All the extra components are also going to weigh a bit more, about an extra 90 lbs on top of the 400 lbs mentioned earlier, and the same speed and range limits are found here too; 3 mph for up to 7 miles. Oh, there's also a Trackstander for youth use too.

As for the most expensive tracked vehicle this crew manufactures, it's a Trackstander, the Falcon unit. Here, we're looking at a $27,585 (€25,400) hunk of off-roading goodness that comes in with that standing ability, but most importantly, it's FDA-cleared too, so you can tap into government-supported financing options.

By now you've realized that a Trackchair or Trackstander is a very different kind of vehicle, used for those of us who may be physically challenged or living with an array of ailments. That said, these babies have been tuned over the years to provide optimum comfort, durability, and above all, expanding horizons, and that's really a whole lot of what you're paying for.

If you or anyone you know is or has been limited in terms of movement for one reason or another, you can very well understand what it means to continue witnessing the magic of this life, no matter what it may have thrown at you along the way. I know this just by experiencing several broken bones over the course of my life, and to be able to keep on keeping on is just, well, human.