A Zipperless Sleeping Bag

 

ADAPTIVE PRODUCT ROUNDUP By Seth McBride May 27, 2026 - View in browser

Over the course of 25 years as a wheelchair user, I’ve spent hundreds of nights camping. I love the whole experience: campfires, hot coffee on cold mornings, even the sound of rain pattering on the fly.  But there are parts of camping that are more of a pain than they need to be. The prime offender is the sleeping bag. Trying to zip up one up around a spastic, paralyzed body with limited finger function? No thanks. I choose to shimmy into an already-zipped bag, but that takes a few minutes of wrestling, and then the hood is likely to be covering my face. If I have to wake up to cath, it’s two more wrestling matches. This is why I was intrigued by The North Face’s announcement of its Universal Collection of “inclusive outdoor gear, ” including the Universal One Sleeping Bag. With a unique double wing design, it looks way easier to get into and out of than a typical sleeping bag. The GIF showing how it opens is mesmerizing. Instead of zippers it has magnetic closures that should make getting opening or closing it a snap. Will it hold heat as well as typical zippered bag? No idea, but given the level of thought North Face put into the design, the chances seem good. Other items in the Universal Collection include the Universal Wawona 3 Tent, which has a lowered threshold to make it easier to roll your wheelchair into, a large vestibule to keep your chair out of the elements once you’ve transferred out of it, and a few features like an attached rainfly and easy-catch pole mounts designed to make setup easier. North Face also released the Universal Daypack with oversized zipper pull loops, a magnetic fastening top, a flat bottom designed to keep the pack standing while you load it and webbing straps made specifically to slide onto wheelchair backrest bars. Everything in the Universal Collection looks to have legitimately useful accessibility features. “This is the first time we’re seeing accessibility innovations starting with the adaptive community and flowing up to everyone else, rather than the other way around, says Maureen Beck, an adaptive rock climber on North Face’s athlete roster, who helped in the design process. “The Universal Collection is proving that designing for accessibility just makes better gear for everyone.” Amen to that. Now, to get our floppy fingers on some demos for testing… SPONSORED CONTENT Attention: Potential Hertz Renters Who Use Hand Controls A proposed settlement in a pending class action lawsuit may affect the rights of potential Hertz customers who have a disability and need hand controls to drive a rental vehicle. Read the class notice to understand the proposed settlement agreement’s terms and what rights class members have. New "Not a Wheelchair" Offerings In other outdoor product news, Not a Wheelchair, the mobility equipment manufacturer started by YouTubers Zack and Cambry Nelson, is about to release an update to its “The Rig” off road device. The Rig 2.0 has a variety of improvements over the previous models: an updated suspension system, a seat with built in dump that should hold you in place better and a fold down steering column that makes it easier to transfer into. The base model is two-wheel drive, starts at $5,999 and is now available for preorder. They have also released a four-wheel-drive Big Rig capable of handling much rougher terrain. Check out the video below for a comparison of the two new rigs, along with a preview of the upcoming “Giga Rig,” a super high torque model that can do things like climb a flight of stairs with three adults riding on it. Not as flashy, but equally helpful, Not a Wheelchair also offers manual wheelchair accessories that will work on most manufacturers' chairs and follow NAW's “solid quality at about half the price” business model. Wheelchair Armor ($29.99) is basically super durable, translucent vinyl stickers designed to interlock and follow the contours of your wheelchair frame to protect it from the dings and scratches of everyday life.  Not a Wheelchair’s wooden handrims feel nice on your hands and don’t transfer heat in cold weather like metal ones do. I tried a pair of Lignorim wooden handrims back in 2023 and loved them so much I’m still using them. But Lignorims start at $490 a pair and Not a Wheelchair sells theirs for $199. Similarly, Not A Wheelchair offers aluminum scissor wheel locks for $90 that look identical to the ones I paid $150 for just a year or two ago. A Bring-it-Yourself Aisel Chair Adaptive mountain bike company Bowhead has recently been expanding into everyday mobility products. Bowhead’s latest offering is the Nano Travel Chair. The Nano is compact enough to serve as a light-weight shower chair or an airplane aisle chair. It weighs less than 10lbs and quickly folds to fit underneath your seat or in an overhead bin. You propel yourself by pushing/pulling yourself on seats or other fixed objects. Because of the balance and strength needed to transfer into it and move yourself around, it’s likely better for paras or low quads with solid arm strength.  Like everything Bowhead, it’s a super functional design with high quality execution. The Nano is priced at $1,499 and Bowhead also sells a custom, shower-friendly cushion for $299, both of which are scheduled to start shipping in June. Stay tuned for our real-world review and video of the Nano. (Slightly) Updated TiLites and Easy-Adjust Brakes In March, Permobil announced its new versions of their flagship titanium manual wheelchairs, the ZR and the TR. The updates are around the edges, with aesthetic and component changes, including “redesigned machined caster bullets, slimmer fork caps, and streamlined CoG systems.” I use a TiLite TR myself, and I’ve never been one to worry over the girth of my fork caps, but I guess incremental improvements do add up. TiLite says there's a 13% weight reduction on the TR and a 6% weight reduction on the monotube ZR. Doug Garven, a manual wheelchair user and product manager for TiLite says that “When we were designing the new iteration of the TR and ZR, we were always thinking about ways to cut weight and make the geometry as compact as possible. I feel confident that we’ve achieved that.” Lastly, Hands on Concepts, the company that makes super-bespoke titanium wheelchairs, released “Quick-Turn Brakes.” The innovation is that you can quickly adjust the brake position with a turn of a knob. Anyone who switches between on- and off-road wheels — or just gets annoyed when you have mushy brakes because you’ve lost air pressure in your tires — knows how nice it would be to not have to reposition the whole mechanism with an Allen wrench.  They are available in Scissor or Push-to-Lock styles for $325 from the Hands on Concepts store, or you can buy just the posts for $175 and bolt on your existing aluminum wheel locks.

New Mobility publishes member content for United Spinal Association, whose mission is to empower wheelchair users to achieve their highest quality of life. Join here.

Get the Right Wheelchair Seating Setup

 

NEW MOBILITY HEALTH & WELLNESS May 2026 - View in browser IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KALOGON — SEATING THAT WORKS AS HARD AS YOU DO —

THIS MONTH: THE RIGHT SEATING SETUP CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE Unless you use a wheelchair full-time, it’s almost impossible to understand how make or break the right seating and positioning setup be can for your health, wellbeing and functionality. A bad seating system means constantly swimming upstream, battle balance, spasms, blood pressure and any number of complications. Dialing in a good setup can be life changing. It means that you have more time, energy, independence and choice in how you go about your day. Finding the right setup typically involves finding the right components – think cushion and backrest – and the right wheelchair materials and measurements to work for you. SPONSORED CONTENT Does your seating system really support you? Kalogon's reimbursable seating system combines Orbiter Med, a custom wheelchair cushion, with Bondar, a 3D-printed adjustable back support. Together, they support posture, stability, and skin integrity. For more info, call 321.465.4504. A COMPONENT IS MORE THAN AN ACCESSORY In 2018, NM Editor-in-Chief, Ian Ruder, wrote about his conversion to a Ride Seating System for his power wheelchair. That system, by providing a blend of pressure relief and postural support that was unlike anything he’d experienced before, changed his life. But he acknowledged that the system doesn’t work for everyone. I tried a custom Ride cushion around the same time and wound up with increased edema in my lower legs, back pain and a lot more spasms. “There is no simple “one-fits-all solution” when it comes to the complicated needs of our community,” Ruder wrote. “But there are more good options now than there ever have been.” Eight years later, Ruder found that his latest seating system was no longer working for his body and he tried a setup with a Ride cushion and Kalogon’s new, super-adjustable Bondar backrest. He found that it got him back into his happy place: the freedom and mobility needed to work from and drive his chair, combined with the pressure relief and postural support to keep his skin and bones healthy. To find the products that work best for you, it pays to know the right people and to have some patience. First is finding out what other gimps are using. Peer support groups, your local United Spinal Chapter and adaptive sports events are great places to find wheelchair users with different levels of function. Don’t be afraid to pick their brains on what they like and don’t about their chairs and components — people love talking about their gear. Then, you need to assemble the right team. Bob Vogel’s “How to Get the Best Wheelchair Setup for Your Lifestyle” goes into the types of questions you should ask to improve your wheelchair setup and also what to look for in a therapist, ATP and DME vendor. You also need to do your research. Even if you are going through a DME vendor, spend some time perusing online mobility stores like DMEHub or Living Spinal  to see what options are currently available and what their features. I wrote the Gear Guide “How to Choose the Best Wheelchair Cushion for You” to explain the various types of wheelchair cushions and what you need to consider ­— from stability, to postural support, pressure relief, durability and more. Once you find the right product, it can be hard to imagine life without it. Jarom Hlebasko spent years battling pressure sores until he found the SofTech cushion from Aquila Corporation, which allowed his skin to heal and stay healthy even as he resumed his active life, working full-time, and raising three daughters. When the company’s owners retired and shut down the business, Hlebasko and his brother decided to buy the company. “From the beginning, what was important to us was that someone would continue to make this product so others can find relief just like I did,” he says. MEASUREMENTS AND MATERIALS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE My own life changing seating story came in a couple of acts. It started when I got my first everyday wheelchair with ergo seating. Ergo seating simply means that the frame rail of wheelchair extends horizontally for a few inches before angling up to create the seat dump. This creates a pocket that allows your pelvis to sit more naturally. As a C7 quad, having ergo seating was revelatory. For the first time I felt like I could really lean forward into my push like I do in a rugby wheelchair. For the first time I felt like I could sit without slouching and still stay upright. That seating system felt great, but the chair was made out of aluminum and rattled and wore out within a couple of years. It wasn’t until I got a titanium wheelchair with ergo seating in 2020 that I felt like I had something special. As I wrote in “My Quest to Find the Right Wheelchair” “It’s comfortable to sit in. I can push miles in the city without my shoulders or neck hurting, and the front casters float over grass and dirt when I’m out in the country. When I run errands, I can lift the frame into the car without my bicep feeling like it’s about to detach from my shoulder. Titanium and carbon fiber may seem like a luxury, but not when you’re trying to keep your body from imploding by the age of 40.” A big part of that story was how impossible it was to get insurance to pay for that chair. Things have only gotten worse since. That’s why United Spinal is fighting for a new bill that would require Medicare to create new codes that would allow suppliers to bill consumers for the cost of an upgrade to a titanium or carbon fiber wheelchair. Would it be better if insurance covered the true cost of ultralight wheelchairs? Absolutely. But this bill would at least let you get some titanium or carbon chairs without having to pay the full cost out of pocket. You should tell your Congress members to support it. If you can’t get a new wheelchair, check out “Getting a Good Setup with Bad Wheelchair Reimbursement” and “Dial in Your Seating Position without Changing Your Chair.”  Both go in depth on the tweaks — from front and rear seat height, to center of gravity and backrest angle — that can help you maximize the chair you do have. And when it comes to your seating setup, small changes can make a huge difference.

New Mobility publishes member content for United Spinal Association, whose mission is to improve quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries and all wheelchair users. It's free to join United Spinal. Join here.

Save the Date for the Life with Brain Injury Annual Conference!

 

Registration Opens June 10! Whether you’re a survivor, caregiver, family member, or professional, this event offers practical tools and shared inspiration to help navigate life after brain injury.  Friday, July 24 R2i2 - Richland Two Institute of Innovation 763 Fashion Dr, Columbia, SC Learn More Brain Injury Fundamentals Training An essential certificate program designed for direct care staff, family members, and individual caregivers. The training course covers essential topics such as cognition, medical complications, and medication safety and management. Registration deadline June 12 Register Now! Leadership Training Program Partners in Policymaking® is a leadership training program that teaches adults with disabilities and the parents of young children with disabilities how to advocate for themselves and others in all settings. Participants attend five two-day sessions, one weekend per month, and will receive training and resources about local, state, and national issues affecting people with disabilities.   Sessions begin in October. Apply Now! Many veterans living with BI may also experience PTSD, depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. As part of BIASC’s commitment to creating a better future through brain injury prevention, research, education, and advocacy, Veteran Outreach Coordinator Mike Simmons will present to the SC Governor’s Challenge coalition on how BI and mental health conditions can intersect in veterans’ lives and why education and prevention matter. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can find support and resources through the National Center for PTSD. Living with brain injury (BI) doesn’t mean missing out on summer fun; it simply means planning ahead, pacing yourself, and paying attention to your body’s needs. With a few thoughtful adjustments, summer can still be a season filled with connection, relaxation, and enjoyable experiences. Learn tips for making the most of Summer.  Disability Rights SC needs you! Share your feedback to help shape their priorities and improve services for people with disabilities across South Carolina. Surveys are open through June 30. To request a paper copy or other accommodations, please contact info@disabilityrightssc.org Complete the English survey. Complete the Spanish survey.

BIASC Quick Links BI Survivor Resources Support Groups – Virtual and In-Person SC State Museum Accessibility Mornings 2026 Online BI Survivor Series Keep up with all the happenings on our calendar of events.

Community Sponsors enable BIASC to provide vital services and programs to individuals navigating life after brain injury. Find out how your organization can get involved.