It shows true dedication in an inventor to take their creation out into the field for testing. Constance Titterton and Jeremy Platt are going even one better as they field test their new modular all-terrain hiking scooter by taking a nearly two thousand mile hike through New Zealand’s South Island to work out the bugs and make improvements.

The WilderWheels Packscooter ($NA) looks a lot like a kid’s scooter but there all similarity ends. The modular body is made from pressure molded carbon with the various parts held together by carbon fiber and aluminum clamps. The thick-walled frame is impact resistant and supports a total 275 lb. (125 kg) rider and cargo. By disassembling the scooter, the parts can be reconfigured as a seat or table, a one-wheeled gear trolley, or a camera tripod. The frame poles can be used as trekking poles or by adding the seat/platform parts together for whitewater rafting paddles.

It may be another year before the WilderWheels Packscooter is ready for market as Platt has already discovered areas for improvement and more tools that can be assembled from this modular hiking scooter/multi-tool. [via]