I have lived for a while in the Midwestern part of the USA. I like it here. It is not as exciting as a large city and one day I plan to move to where palm trees are common but I like it here. It snows here a lot in winter, although not anywhere as much as other parts of the USA and the world, no doubt. I don’t mind the snow that much really although it has been a challenge getting through it many times. What I hate is getting my pants wet when it melts and there is slush on the ground. It can be gross, dirty and disgusting! When I get inside my home I have to clean my wheelchair but then, too, often I found I had to change my pants and even had to shower because my body got wet through my soaked pants.

One time I was pushing home from work, approximately two miles away. It started raining and I thought it would be fun to beat the rain, and I did – barely. I found it exhilarating, the kind of thing that add excitement to life and make it fun to be alive. A day or two later I was in the same situation and I though I could beat the rain again but this time I failed miserably. Being outdoors often I carry a rain jacket with me in my backpack and my upper body was safe but everything else got soaked. I even had to get new shoes and wallet.

I’ve gone to a few outdoor music festivals and often go to other outdoor activities. I don’t mind a little rain or snow, upper body is easily covered with a jacket or rain jacket but I do dislike getting my pants wet very much. I know there are “side guards” available that I could get but the stiff ones interfere with how I can push on my wheels and the soft ones didn’t fit with my seat setup with my low back.

The Troncho is something I made because no one else does and is something that I wish I had all along. For a long time I carried a garbage bag with me and put over my legs. It was good to keep my pants dry when I wasn’t staying in the rain very long but if it was an outdoor activity my pants would still get wet from the bottom.

I studied science at university so I understand some things. I was able to make a Troncho to how I wanted one first from a garbage bag and then from a poncho I used at a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre when it was cold, windy and it rained. The poncho might have kept me dry but it was very awkward to move around and I was constantly afraid it would get caught in my wheels. All along I thought Velcro was the thing to use to hold it closed but I could not get the industrial strength Velcro to stay attached.

I asked a couple of people at a rainy outdoor activity if they would be interested in such a product, one said “No” because she didn’t spend much time outdoors but two fellows said they would love such a product. Rather than just get the Velcro sewn on it I decided to market to others whose quality of life it could improve.

I wear gloves all the time when I go out, different ones in warm weather than in cold, wet weather. I have used many different ones through the years but none in any of the web stores are what I really want. I plan to design and market gloves later after I finish getting the Troncho off the ground. I am also prepared to make design changes after getting feedback from customers.

It has been a long, learning experience getting this far. I received lots of encouragement from friends and family. I also encountered many obstacles along the way. One of my friends and business partner, due to family emergencies, was unable to help me so I had to learn WordPress. I like it very much. It shows that the people involved love doing it as I don’t think it would be as great without lots of love, hard work alone wouldn’t do it.

Stay tuned for frequent updates!