The future is definitely here, Arc’teryx and Skip have joined forces to create the world’s first electronic, motorised hiking pants. Robots, assemble! 

Adventuring isn’t exactly the most low-impact lifestyle (as my knees like to painfully remind me), which can leave some people less mobile than desired. 

Skip, a start-up originating from a Google X project, sought to create wearable robotics with the help of Arc’teryx, to help us have more easy, breezy, pain-free kneesies while hiking. 

After four years in the works, we now have MO/GO (short for ‘mountain goat’) e-hiking pants – designed for anyone with mobility issues due to fatigue, injury, or ageing. 

How does it work?

I definitely wasn’t a bug kid growing up, and that’s transitioned quite comfortably into adulthood – so I’ve never truly appreciated exoskeletons. Turns out technology has though! And for a while. Exoskeleton designs have existed as early as the 60s, to aid us humans with lifting heavy stuff.

And that’s exactly what the MO/GO is, a battery-powered exoskeleton to help lift knees. Which can definitely feel much heavier while hiking.

Skip has engineered a robotic motor weighing less than a kilo for each leg, that can be attached or detached from Arc’teryx’s Gamma pants. So you can choose if you want to be teched-out or acoustic.

 

 

While on, the adjustable carbon fibre motors hug the legs, providing a 40% increase in power for ascending, and absorbing impact on joints on the way down. They reckon you’ll feel 30 pounds or 13-ish kilograms lighter.

But that’s not all! These robots are empaths (aww). The computer module predicts and adjusts to the wearer’s movements to assist in the most natural way possible. You can opt for ‘less assist’ or ‘more assist’ while you’re hiking, with a simple three-button interface.

 

I’m Assuming This is Expensive…

Yeah… it’ll set you back $5,000 USD. But to be honest, I would’ve expected it to be waaay more, considering it is literally motorised Arc’teryx gear. However, the early bird does get the cheaper worm as preorders will grant you a $500 USD discount before they ship in late September 2025.

And if you happen to find yourself in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, or British Columbia, you can rent a MO/GO demo for $80 USD a day!

What do you think about the start of robotic hiking gear? Let’s discuss in the comments below. 

 

Images thanks to Arc’teryx

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