[pct-l] Raingear: Parcho Questions

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, Ken,

Greetings from the normally-rainy Pacific Northwest.  I regret the slow
response to your Parcho question, but just as I was formulating a response
we experienced a significant heavy, wet, snow event that caused my area to
lose electrical power for most of a day.

Here’s probably more than you want to know about my Bilgy Parcho:
Traditionally
there’s a gear raffle at the annual American Long Distance Hiking
Association – West (ALDHA-W) Gathering.  http://www.aldhawest.org/  Anyone
can donate items for the raffle – members, vendors, etc. – and it’s a good
opportunity for Gathering participants to buy tickets and score some good
stuff.  The raffle rules may vary, but for several of the Gatherings the
holder of the first ticket to be drawn got first choice of anything on the
prize tables, with the second ticket choosing second, etc.  One year Bill
Gurwell, AKA “Bigly”, a Triple-Crowner and gear innovator, very generously
donated a Parcho to the raffle.  I spotted it right away, and kept my
fingers crossed.  Fortunately, I had an early ticket selected so I
immediately snapped it up.

The Parcho that Bigly had at the Gathering was like a “floor sample” -- not
the correct size for me -- so he measured my chassis while I was wearing an
ultralite pack borrowed from one of the vendors to emulate my GoLite Breeze.
I totally relied upon his experience to provide the correct size, and a few
weeks later my custom-built model arrived in the mail.  My only involvement
in the project was after-the-fact application of seam sealer.  I couldn’t be
happier.  If/when this one ever goes belly-up for some reason I will make or
buy a replacement.

There are some sizing attributes of the Parcho that contribute to its
usefulness.  A good feature of the Parcho is the looseness that provides
ventilation.   It is somewhere between poorly-ventilating fitted rain gear
tops/bottoms, and a well-ventilated – but very floppy – poncho.  Contributing
to this ventilation is the fact that the bottom side of the sleeve “arm
pits” hang down approximately to wrist level.

Specific to your posted question, my arms can freely move sideways and
forward as far as I can reach while the “points” of the sleeve-ends continue
to cover my gloved hands.  I can raise my arms sideways to about 5 degrees
below horizontal with the slack in the sleeves, after which continued
lifting of the arms easily raises the lower hem of the body a few inches
without binding.

Perhaps even more important to this sleeve configuration is the ease with
which I may withdraw my arms from the sleeves and into the body of the
Paracho.  This is every bit as easy as withdrawing arms inside a common
poncho, but something not possible when wearing fitted rain gear
tops/bottoms.  Adjacent to the Parcho’s front zipper are two very large –
and valuable -- interior breast pockets; well protected from rain.  Once my
hands/arms are inside the Parcho there is very easy – and dry – access to
these pockets, as well as access to the small waist packet that contains my
camera.  Items carried in the interior breast pockets are gloves,
handkerchief, snacks, maps, etc.

Another sizing-related feature is the space inside the body of the Parcho
that allows me to be totally covered while sit on the ground, or on a rock
or a stump, with my horizontal thighs or with my legs crossed.

There are two features of the Parcho that I may not replicate if/when I make
a replacement:  One is the adjusting Velcro taps on the back and sides of
the hood.  They seem to work fine, but I’ve never found a need to use them.
Another feature is the small, lite, sewed-in stuff sack attached to the
inside of the Parcho adjacent to the left-hand breast pocket.  It works
fine, but in practice I just stuff the Parcho into one of the breast pockets
instead.  This makes a larger, but more compliant and more easily packed,
module.

Stay dry,

Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Mon, Feb 28, 2011 at 4:35 PM, Ken Marlow <pcthiker at cox.net> wrote:

> About a week ago, someone from the rainy Pacific NW mentioned he was using
> a Bill/Gurwell/Quest Outfitters Bilgy Parcho. If you happen to catch this
> msg. a few questions:
> Do you find the cut of the arms restricting (looks like one can only lift
> them halfway up to straight-out)?
>
> Quest offers patterns & fabric for 'with' and 'without pack', but Bilgy's
> site as this dizzying size determination for 'lightweight pack' and 'large
> pack'. Did you get yours from Quest (it appears the only place to buy the
> kit). And was their patterns for both sizes and all the in-between
> dimensions that Bilgy lists?
>
> What do you do with all those height, width, pack projection sizes that
> Bilgy mentions. Do the provided instructions tell you, along with marks on
> the patterns?
>
> What size did you settle-on and did you get an idea of finished weight?
>
> Yea...I'd consider my ULA Circuit a lightweight pack, until the possible
> added height of carrying a bear canister.... what to do, what to do (tried
> emailing Bill a couple weeks ago, no response).
>
>
> Thanks a bunch in advance,
>
>    -Ken Marlow
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
>