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Home »2020 »April

Month: April 2020

Another high desert weekend

Posted onApril 30, 2020April 30, 2020AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Enjoying the desert spring with near solitude. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Intro to Backpacking Pt 2- Shelter options

Posted onApril 29, 2020April 27, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

In this video, we’ll look at different shelter options available to backpackers ranging, why cowboy camping works so well, and some info on groundsheets. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, VideosTagsshelters, videos

Intro to Backpacking Pt 1- Backpacking vs Car Camping Gear

Posted onApril 27, 2020April 29, 2020AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Part One of a multi-part video series I’m doing on Intro to Backpacking. Looking at car camping and backpacking gear differences with some budget options. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, VideosTagsbudget gear, videos

Gear Review – Wrangler Nylon Pants

Posted onApril 24, 2020January 11, 2022AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

Inexpensive nylon travel and hiking pants with traditional “work pants” style aesthetics. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, clothing, gear review, pants

Backpacking on a plateau

Posted onApril 22, 2020April 22, 2020AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

We continue to enjoy the desert near our home. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

The Quiver – Packs

Posted onApril 20, 2020April 22, 2020AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

A look at some of the gear I regularly use. This installment of the series is about the packs. Updated April 2020. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsgear review, Gossamer Gear, packs, surplus, the quiver, ULA, winter

Snooze Alarm Weekend

Posted onApril 16, 2020April 16, 2020AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Another weekend where can spend time outdoors locally. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

The Quiver- Hydration options for backpacking

Posted onApril 15, 2020December 5, 2023AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

A look at the hydration options I use for hiking and backpacking. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, gear review, the quiver, utah-tip, water containers, winter

Coffee for backpacking and camping

Posted onApril 14, 2020April 14, 2020AuthorPaul Mags8 Comments

My methods for making coffee when backpacking or camping. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagscar camping, coffee, food

Gear Review: Generic coffee mug from Krogers

Posted onApril 13, 2020April 27, 2025AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

As light as “real” insulated backpacking mugs from REI, $10 or less, and found just about anywhere. And one I’ve had for ten years now. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, coffee, cooking, gear review, mug

Review: Highline

Posted onApril 9, 2020January 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

A look at a documentary on the “Uinta Highline Trail” by Outmersive Films. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and MediaTagsdocumentaries, review, Uinta Highline Trail, utah-tip

Physically Distancing around Moab

Posted onApril 7, 2020April 7, 2020AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

We enjoyed another weekend where we can go backpacking within an hour of our home. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsphysical distancing, utah

Tent of Wonder – Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 (2019)

Posted onApril 3, 2020April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Less of a gear review and more about thoughts about having the right gear for what we are doing and works well for us. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsBig Agnes, gear, gear review, review, shelters, tents

Eight miles away – Backpacking near home

Posted onApril 2, 2020April 3, 2020AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

The trailhead’s three-miles away, we slept eight miles from where I’m typing, another local backpack. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsbackpacking, keeping it local, utah

Gear Review: Altra Zero Hoof Drop Shoes

Posted onApril 1, 2020April 2, 2020AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Altra came out with some shoes perfect for off-trail jaunts on the Colorado Plateau. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsApril Fools, footwear, gear, gear review, humor, review

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A Quick Guide to Moab

The Squak – A readily available, $60, active-focused grid fleece hoodie from a Utah-based company. Read the review.

Women’s | Men’s | Children’s   

The Squak Camp Dress 

One of Joan’s favorites!

The Squak Alpha Fleece 

                                                                    

– 15% off coupon = PMAGS-SQUAK                                                                                                      

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Two years inside the Park Service, trying to balance trade and calling. I left in fall 2025, and I’m still making sense of it - part grief, part gratitude, and part closure.
With a brief but noticeable bit of winter this past week, we opted not to travel the muddy, snowy roads into more remote areas. Instead, we tackled some home projects on Saturday and spent Sunday revisiting a place we hadn’t seen in a while. Red rock, canyon wrens, images, and late winter desert light accompanied the day.
@ramblinghemlock and I pivoted from an original trip after much-needed rain on Friday. On Saturday, we avoided muddy roads that would have derailed our original plan and spent two nights poking around a place we could reach only because of temporary, water-filled potholes and a handy Ziploc bag that made it possible. We also revisited sights we hadn’t seen in a while. Red rock, grand views, and old images marked the unofficial long weekend kickoff of spring around Moab.
@ramblinghemlock and I finally felt better and took a long-overdue trip into the backcountry. We slept outside and enjoyed the peace of the wild places. Canyon wrens filled the canyon with song during the day, and owl calls echoed off the walls at night. We returned to places we had not seen in a while and saw places new to us. The land endures.
@ramblinghemlock and I are recovering from the flu, so we decided to keep things local this weekend.
Small, good things.

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  • Home
  • Ramblings
    • Musings
    • Books and Media
    • Videos
    • From The Web
    • Thru Hikes, Long Walks, or Routes
      • My Alphabet Soup summary
      • Vermont’s Long Trail
      • Appalachian Trail
      • Pacific Crest Trail
      • Colorado Trail
      • Continental Divide Trail
      • Ring The Peak Trail (Pike’s Peak)
      • Benton Mackaye Trail
      • Tahoe Rim Trail
      • Uinta Highline Trail
      • Collegiate Loop
      • A Walk Across Southern Utah
      • Great Divide Trail (Canada)
      • The Northern New Mexico Loop
      • Grand – Moab Route
      • SEUG Circuit
      • A Walk Across New England
    • Other Outdoor Jaunts
      • Utah
      • Colorado
      • New Mexico
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Nebraska
      • New England
      • Nevada
      • North Carolina
      • Oregon
      • South Dakota
      • Texas
      • Wyoming
    • Photos
    • PMags News
    • Press
  • Nuts and Bolts
    • New to the outdoors? Start here!
    • Getting Started
    • Quick Tips
    • Trip Planning
    • Quick and Dirty Guides
    • Food
    • Gear
      • All Gear Posts
      • Gear Reviews
      • Gear Quivers
      • Gear Lists
      • Budget Gear
      • What I’m Wearing
      • Clothing and related
      • Footwear
      • Packs
      • Shelters and related
      • Sleeping bags, quilts, and pads
      • Stoves, cooking, and related
      • Tools
      • Water containers
    • Road trip and car camping – gear and techniques
    • Winter trip reports, gear overviews, tips, and techniques
  • Subscribe by email
  • Write Me
  • About PMags.com
    • Who is Paul Mags?
    • About Joan West
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