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Home »2023 »December

Month: December 2023

2023 in review

Posted onDecember 27, 2023January 1, 2024AuthorPaul Mags10 Comments

A look over 2023 with some photos and a few thoughts. Read More …

CategoriesMusings, PMags NewsTagsyear in review

December Fog

Posted onDecember 21, 2023AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Some camping and hiking in the cold and dense fog.
Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Camping with Steve

Posted onDecember 19, 2023December 19, 2023AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

“Camping with Steve” is calming and strangely addicting. Well worth giving it a watch. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and MediaTagsYouTube

Another December overnight

Posted onDecember 17, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Another December weekend backpacking in canyon country. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Dirt Bagger Winter Stove Platform

Posted onDecember 12, 2023April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

How to build an inexpensive  stove platform for winter backpacking. Bonus: doubles as a heat reflector.
Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsbackpacking, blue foam, budget gear, DIY, gear, heat reflector, myog, quick tip, stove base, stove platform, winter

An overnight in December

Posted onDecember 10, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Joan and I enjoy going to certain places at specific times of the year. We enjoy going to the more well-known places in winter because we see fewer people, and the winter light and the red rock mixed in with Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Gear pick of the year 2023 – The Gift of Time

Posted onDecember 8, 2023January 20, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

The gear pick of the year for 2023? The best gift for any outdoors person – The Gift of Time. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsgear pick of the year, gift of time

20+ years Gear Review – Military Surplus Wool Liner Gloves

Posted onDecember 6, 2023December 6, 2023AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

As winter approaches, I am reminded of one of the items we use all year around: Surplus wool liner gloves. A long-time favorite for twenty years now and a favorite budget pick for both Joan and I.
Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, clothing, gear, gear review, gloves, surplus, winter

Budget day hiking kit

Posted onDecember 5, 2023April 27, 2025AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

A budget-minded gear list for day hikes in three-season alpine conditions. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, gear list

Solo camping cook kit

Posted onDecember 3, 2023January 9, 2025AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

A more in-depth look at the solo camping cook kit we put together for some trips Joan did this past year that seemed to sparked some interest. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, camping, gear, gear list, Joan West, stoves

Thanksgiving 2023 – In the desert

Posted onDecember 1, 2023December 4, 2023AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Thanksgiving in the desert with friends means camping, hiking, and some turkey dinner cooked in a Dutch oven. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Virtual tip jar

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
      • Joan’s articles

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