# What about an exosuit?



## Phantastic79 (Apr 5, 2017)

In the context of access there is much concern about MTBs losing access to trails as a result of ebikes. 

I'd like to ask a similar hypothetical question and am curious what your thoughts are.

If a guy wearing an exosuit while riding a normal pedal bike on a trail do you think he should be treated the same as an ebike? Call him a class 1 user and restrict to applicable trails? In this example let's say it is a recreational user and not a disabled user. 

What about hikers using an Exosuit? Would "normal" hikers be opposed to it and want to ban them from trails? 

Exosuits exist and are still in the R&D phase but I think they could be feasible as a commercial product in the very near future.


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## watermonkey (Jun 21, 2011)

Its still lipstick on a pig, just a different pig. At the core, as stated in another thread, motorized travel is motorized travel, regardless of propulsion source.


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

watermonkey said:


> Its still lipstick on a pig, just a different pig. At the core, as stated in another thread, motorized travel is motorized travel, regardless of propulsion source.


So what is someone who is hiking in an exosuit? An eHiker?

I can't WAIT for hikers to get wadded up about this.


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## watermonkey (Jun 21, 2011)

Take the hypothetical one step further.

Say I finally get my hands on one of the telekinetic supermonkeys the Dept. of Defense has developed for incursion into North Korea to destroy their wmd capabilities (its real, trust me). I take said telekinetic supermonkey to the trailhead with me, have it climb a tree and stay there, yet it remotely provides a telekinetic boost to my ride. Legit on non-motorized trails? I'd say no, as there is still an external propulsive force applied to myself or my bike. Telekinetic supermonkey propulsion = motorized travel. 

And, if you do take your telekinetic supermonkey to the trailhead, please pick up its poo, and don't leave the bags lying around.


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## formula4speed (Mar 25, 2013)

watermonkey said:


> Take the hypothetical one step further.
> 
> Say I finally get my hands on one of the telekinetic supermonkeys the Dept. of Defense has developed for incursion into North Korea to destroy their wmd capabilities (its real, trust me). I take said telekinetic supermonkey to the trailhead with me, have it climb a tree and stay there, yet it remotely provides a telekinetic boost to my ride. Legit on non-motorized trails? I'd say no, as there is still an external propulsive force applied to myself or my bike. Telekinetic supermonkey propulsion = motorized travel.
> 
> And, if you do take your telekinetic supermonkey to the trailhead, please pick up its poo, and don't leave the bags lying around.


Your telekinetic supermonkey can't use telekinesis to take care of it's own poo? I'm waiting for next years model, or modding one with some sort of kit from the internet.


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## watermonkey (Jun 21, 2011)

We've deliberately trained them to not use telekinetic powers on their own poo. Normal monkeys fling poo already, you want to train a telekinetic supermonkey to super fling poo? You e-bikers just have to take everything one step too far.


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## Phantastic79 (Apr 5, 2017)

watermonkey said:


> we've deliberately trained them to not use telekinetic powers on their own poo. Normal monkeys fling poo already, you want to train a telekinetic supermonkey to super fling poo? You e-bikers just have to take everything one step too far.


"damn them all to hell!!!"


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## Phantastic79 (Apr 5, 2017)

honkinunit said:


> So what is someone who is hiking in an exosuit? An eHiker?
> 
> I can't WAIT for hikers to get wadded up about this.


I am really curious if we'll see "no ehikers" signs on trails in the future.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to watermonkey again.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Phantastic79 said:


> If a guy wearing an exosuit while riding a normal pedal bike on a trail do you think he should be treated the same as an ebike?












First off I am not stupid enough to even fire a brain cell thinking about this question if you want to go fast on two wheels without effort you'll ride a motorcycle, but I will say this...you are looking at the future of hiking and backpacking right here ^^^. Boom! 

Remember you saw this first here....okay you saw this first on Aliens, but come on nobody did any hiking in that movie in an Exo!


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## Phantastic79 (Apr 5, 2017)

vikb said:


> First off I am not stupid enough to even fire a brain cell thinking about this question if you want to go fast on two wheels without effort you'll ride a motorcycle, but I will say this...you are looking at the future of hiking and backpacking right here ^^^. Boom!
> 
> Remember you saw this first here....okay you saw this first on Aliens, but come on nobody did any hiking in that movie in an Exo!


https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...bot-suit-certified-for-disabled/#.WdbJ8Z9lDgA

I was thinking more along the lines of a refined version of this.

As silly as you may think it sounds I would bet you money that within the next few decades you're going to see tons of people walking around in exosuits. These will be the new version of a rascal that you see fat people in Walmart riding around in.

As much as people would like to see these banded when they become commonplace I think it will be harder than you may think. We already have people bringing dogs on to airplanes claiming they are emotional support animals. How many people do you think are going to get a note from the doctor saying they have a bum knee assigning them a handicap placard and they will be able to wear an exo-suit everywhere including hiking trails.

Now that I think about it if you had a sufficiently advanced enough exosuit to run up and down the mountain in you may not even want to use a bike. And then we can have another whole other class of users we can all argue about.


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## 786737 (Mar 13, 2015)

chazpat said:


> You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to watermonkey again.


Gotchyer back jack


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## Phantastic79 (Apr 5, 2017)

the one ring said:


> Gotchyer back jack


What does this message mean? Are you only allowed to reply to a certain user so many times?


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Phantastic79 said:


> Now that I think about it if you had a sufficiently advanced enough exosuit to run up and down the mountain in you may not even want to use a bike.


You really just figured that out?


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

Wtf is a exosuit?


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Gutch said:


> Wtf is a exosuit?


Look at image in post #10.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Phantastic79 said:


> What does this message mean? Are you only allowed to reply to a certain user so many times?


It means I gave rep to watermonkey somewhat recently and it won't let me give it to him again until I give it to enough other posters, not sure what that count is. So the one ring was kind enough to do it for me.

I was just agreeing with his post #4.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Phantastic79 said:


> Exosuits exist and are still in the R&D phase but I think they could be feasible as a commercial product in the very near future.


Yep, those and flying cars.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

I'm pretty *COD: Modern Warfare* involves teheuse exosuits.


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## Streetdoctor (Oct 14, 2011)

so much butt hurt.


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## Harryman (Jun 14, 2011)

Exosuits will save the suit industry


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## EricTheDood (Sep 22, 2017)

The suits are aimed at two different markets - (1) the disabled and (2) military/law enforcement/emergency personnel. 

Unlikely that a disabled person riding a bike with one of these suits is going to get hassled on the trail. 

Also unlikely that an able-bodied individual wearing one of these suits is going to be perceived as able-bodied. Most likely folks will assume he/she is disabled.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

This is, without a doubt, the most ridiculous thing I've read on MTBR today. And that's saying something...


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## Phantastic79 (Apr 5, 2017)

chazpat said:


> It means I gave rep to watermonkey somewhat recently and it won't let me give it to him again until I give it to enough other posters, not sure what that count is. So the one ring was kind enough to do it for me.
> 
> I was just agreeing with his post #4.


Thanks. I'm still kinda new to forum procedures.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

EricTheDood said:


> The suits are aimed at two different markets - (1) the disabled and (2) military/law enforcement/emergency personnel.
> 
> Unlikely that a disabled person riding a bike with one of these suits is going to get hassled on the trail.
> 
> Also unlikely that an able-bodied individual wearing one of these suits is going to be perceived as able-bodied. Most likely folks will assume he/she is disabled.


I saw recently that Lowes was testing them for use for workers doing heavy product stocking and that type of thing.


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## Streetdoctor (Oct 14, 2011)

Smithhammer said:


> This is, without a doubt, the most ridiculous thing I've read on MTBR today. And that's saying something...


Hey we agree on something!


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

Phantastic79 said:


> In the context of access there is much concern about MTBs losing access to trails as a result of ebikes.
> 
> I'd like to ask a similar hypothetical question and am curious what your thoughts are.
> 
> ...


ok now lets just make up fantasy stories while no one can get actual stories correct.

exosuit ? put down the weed, man.

there is no such thing coming in the next 20 years that you
will be able to strap on and ride a bike in the woods. or pavement for that matter.

holy friggin balls


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

Streetdoctor said:


> Hey we agree on something!


It was only a matter of time. And a ludicrous topic.


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## JACKL (Sep 18, 2011)

As long as it has a sticker that says 250 watts, and doesn't have a throttle, it's ok.


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## alexbn921 (Mar 31, 2009)




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## Bodhii (Nov 21, 2016)

I come from a professional climbing background and I am sure that within the next 3-5 years, we will see healthy people making extremely fast accents of Everest as well as the hallowed faces of Yosemite using these suits. For Everest we could see them completely climate controlled along with O2 supplies, and using battery packs that could allow the person to run up Everest and down in a day. The new changes coming to the world of recreation will probably make these current European standard eMTB's look very very docile indeed. Is it a big step to make a knee brace into a powered knee brace? I am not an advocate, but I do see these things coming.


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

I don't have any climbing experience, but if I could wear one of these suits and run up and down Everest in a day, I'd do it in a heartbeat.


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## Bodhii (Nov 21, 2016)

Gutch said:


> I don't have any climbing experience, but if I could wear one of these suits and run up and down Everest in a day, I'd do it in a heartbeat.


At some point in the future there will be Everest guiding services that will offer it. I have spent a lot of time in Nepal, and am always torn as to the polluting toxic tourism that supports the ever-growing populations of Sherpa families around the Nepalese Himalaya. Its what humans do best!


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## Klurejr (Oct 13, 2006)

Bodhii said:


> I come from a professional climbing background and I am sure that within the next 3-5 years, we will see healthy people making extremely fast accents of Everest as well as the hallowed faces of Yosemite using these suits. For Everest we could see them completely climate controlled along with O2 supplies, and using battery packs that could allow the person to run up Everest and down in a day. The new changes coming to the world of recreation will probably make these current European standard eMTB's look very very docile indeed. Is it a big step to make a knee brace into a powered knee brace? I am not an advocate, but I do see these things coming.


Holy crap, that is a very very sad thing IMO. The entire idea of Everest is man vs mountain, the shear amount of energy and dedication to making that climb is hard to describe with words. To allow such a thing to happen seems so wrong on many levels.

I have a read a few books on Everest and K2 and seen a few documentaries and have major respect for anyone who can make it up and down without dying. And the guys who can do it without the use of supplemental O2 are serious machines.


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## Phantastic79 (Apr 5, 2017)

Bodhii said:


> I come from a professional climbing background and I am sure that within the next 3-5 years, we will see healthy people making extremely fast accents of Everest as well as the hallowed faces of Yosemite using these suits. For Everest we could see them completely climate controlled along with O2 supplies, and using battery packs that could allow the person to run up Everest and down in a day. The new changes coming to the world of recreation will probably make these current European standard eMTB's look very very docile indeed. Is it a big step to make a knee brace into a powered knee brace? I am not an advocate, but I do see these things coming.


Once these systems are developed i forsee most stakeholders with your mindset opposing it. However noone will oppose the use of this technology for rescue purposes. Making the consequence of death less likely allowing even more weekends warriors on the mountain. But at the end of the day we can finally remove all the bodies along the path and even clean up all the left over trash. So there are some good points no?


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

If you have the bucks you can pay sherpas to haul you most of the way up Everest. They'll have a tramway up there before mountaineering exosuits.


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

Gutch said:


> I don't have any climbing experience, but if I could wear one of these suits and run up and down Everest in a day, I'd do it in a heartbeat.


Id do it twice same day! HaHa.


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## Klurejr (Oct 13, 2006)

Phantastic79 said:


> Once these systems are developed i forsee most stakeholders with your mindset opposing it. However noone will oppose the use of this technology for rescue purposes. Making the consequence of death less likely allowing even more weekends warriors on the mountain. But at the end of the day we can finally remove all the bodies along the path and even clean up all the left over trash. So there are some good points no?


For rescues, seems like a good idea to me.

To increase the numbers of people who can get to the top in a day.... not a good idea to me.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

And once this happens, they'll have a McDonalds and Starbucks at the top along with the souvenir shops so you can celebrate your "accomplishment".


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

I think exosuits will be surpassed by crispr technology and the like, engineered superhumans. Forget exosuits, I want an exoskeleton.


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## Gutch (Dec 17, 2010)

chazpat said:


> And once this happens, they'll have a McDonalds and Starbucks at the top along with the souvenir shops so you can celebrate your "accomplishment".


Im hoping for a pub.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

Klurejr said:


> Holy crap, that is a very very sad thing IMO. The entire idea of Everest is man vs mountain, the shear amount of energy and dedication to making that climb is hard to describe with words. To allow such a thing to happen seems so wrong on many levels.
> 
> .


Which is what many of us say regarding e-bikes and hard efforts.


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## Phantastic79 (Apr 5, 2017)

Crankout said:


> Which is what many of us say regarding e-bikes and hard efforts.


Heres version 1.0

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.en...-almost-summits-with-quadriplegic-man-in-tow/


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