The Ma + Pa Handbook

04. Handcart Instructions

1. Treat handcarts with care; pull or push them by hand.
2. The back rails and side rails of the handcarts are fragile. You can push on them, but please don’t pull back, lean, sit, or stand on them.
3. Do not sit or stand on the shaft when it is resting on the ground.
4. Do not pull handcarts behind vehicles.
5. No one should ride in the cart, EVER.
6. Do not run with the handcart. Trek participants easily trip and get run over by the wheels.
7. When stopping the handcart, slowly lower the shaft until it rests on the ground. Never drop the shaft. Always set it onto the ground gently.
8. Carefully watch the handle clearance when going through gates and other narrow places.
9. Stay away from the wheels. Some clothing, especially dresses, can get caught in the wheels.
10. You may attach a 20-25 foot rope during cart use. The rope allows more people to pull at once.
11. When going down steep hills, always keep the handcart under control. You may attach rope to the back of the handcart and have everyone help to slow down the cart or turn the handcart around and take it down the hill backwards.
12. When stopping on a hill, place a rock or some other object behind the wheels so that the handcart does not roll.
13. Do not pull a loaded handcart sideways on a steep incline (where one wheel is consistently lower than the other). If all the weight of the handcart is shifted to one wheel, it can break.
14. Do not deface any surface of the handcart (writing, carving, painting, etc.)
15. Do not leave handcarts on the trails or in campsites. You are responsible for them while they are assigned to your group. If you break them on the trail, you must bring them in. (Duct tape is an effective temporary fix.)