Field Notes
See the pictures, read on for the stories.
The latest Instagram pictures rotate through, along with links to their quick stories. But there’s so much more to tell. Some from our own experiences, others that are shared. From young to old, from local to international, the AdvenChair is making the rounds!
“The wild requires that we learn the terrain, nod to all the plants and animals and birds, ford the streams and cross the ridges, and tell a good story when we get home.”
—Gary Snyder
And the stories we can tell!
We love to share our news and yours. Have an AdvenChair story to tell?
AdvenChair Tech: Introducing the new forward beam handle, “The Stinger”
The inspiration for the forward beam handle (FBH, aka “The Stinger”) design was spawned as a result of battle testing of the AdvenChair on the Grand AdvenChair backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail presented a vertical drop of more than 4,800 feet over ten miles, complicated by more than 3,000 water bars with protruding rebar, as well as countless natural rock obstacles, plus stretches of mud and sand. The return trip brought the same challenges in reverse. During the expedition, the river team that guided the chair developed a great method of teamwork to handle the chair over the very rough terrain. Team leaders had to maneuver the forward beam by “choking up” the towing straps very closely to it.
Kate Rodgers of the AdvenChair engineering development team steers Geoff Babb’s AdvenChair with the first version of the new forward beam handle, aka “The Stinger,” on a Tumalo Mountain hike in Central Oregon
Rigorous field testing brings innovation
The inspiration for the forward beam handle (FBH, aka “The Stinger”) design was spawned as a result of battle testing of the AdvenChair on the Grand AdvenChair backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail presented a vertical drop of more than 4,800 feet over ten miles, complicated by more than 3,000 water bars with protruding rebar, as well as countless natural rock obstacles, plus stretches of mud and sand. The return trip brought the same challenges in reverse.
During the expedition, the river team that guided the chair developed a great method of teamwork to handle the chair over the very rough terrain. Team leaders had to maneuver the forward beam by “choking up” the towing straps very closely to it. Here are a few scenes from the documentary DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair trailer of the team in action.
Once the hike was completed, the engineering team debriefed with the river team back at the base camp. At least two team members mentioned that it would be nice to have a rigid hold point on the forward beam. Once back at our AdvenChair headquarters, we got to work.
The initial forward beam handle prototype design: FBH-100-04
The current design features a single hand grip mounted to the front beam, intended to help guide the front wheel, particularly on rocky or uneven terrain.
During testing, we received several pieces of feedback that we aimed to incorporate into the new design.
Length: While some users preferred a longer handle for improved accessibility and comfort, others felt the current length was sufficient.
Dual guidance: A few testers recommended adding a second hand grip to allow for steering from both sides.
Detachable: We aimed to make the handle removable from the beam to improve storage and compactness.
The next forward beam handle iteration, detachable design: FBH-100-04.1
The main segment of the handle now includes two detent pins: one for removing the entire handle from the forward beam, and another for attaching various handle options. This handle is the same length as the first design.
Forward beam handle option 1: straight grip
For those who prefer the original design, this attachment features a single straight handle.
Forward beam handle option 2: dual grip 15°
When designing the dual grip, we weren’t certain which angle would provide the best ergonomics. We created three angled options to test and determine the most comfortable fit.
Forward beam handle option 3: dual grip 30°
Forward beam handle option 4: dual grip 45°
Adjustable length
FBH-100-04.1 design validation testing
Field testing on the AdvenChair for the improved forward beam handle began in October 2025 on a couple of local Central Oregon hikes, with fairly good design validation. A lot more data resulted from further testing when the AdvenChair traveled to China for an extended trip and was used in multiple environments.
The three rivets that join the handlebar clamp to the telescopic length adjustment interfered with each other during the initial assembly. Washers were required under the rivet heads.
The single clamp screw started to become loose after some time of usage. Continued use of the FBH with the loose screw caused the screw to break due to fatigue from bending.
The telescopic length adjustment was not used and left in the fully retracted position, as the main tube felt unstable
To date, only the 45° handlebar has been tested. More field testing on all angles is coming soon.
The detachability performed well
FBH-100-04.1 design failure
During the Great Wall trip, the new FBH-100-04.1 design failed. Apparently, the handlebar started to become loose, allowing it to rock back and forth. While the screw could have been retorqued, the handlebar continued to loosen and eventually broke the M6 socket head cap screw.
FBH-100-04.2 revised handlebar clamping
In studying the Great Wall videos of how the FBH was being used, it was revealed that when only using one side of the handle bar, we were applying a turning moment onto the single clamp screw. In our ongoing engineering improvements to the AdvenChair, new durability testing is underway to rebuild the forward handle beam with both 60° and 75° handlebar bend angles. Stay tuned!