The name is Paul Magnanti. Paul Mags, PMags, or just Mags for short.
“Mags” is a family nickname that goes back at least to my grandfather. Having an unusual Italian last name leaves many English speakers stumped, so “Mags” became easier than repeated pronunciation lessons.
In Italian, the name is pronounced Mon-nyan-tee, like lasagna. Americanized, we pronounce it Mag-nan-tee. Rhymes with bag-fan-tea.
Depending on the setting, I answer to a few versions of the same person. Paul Magnanti is the name on the paperwork. PMags is the outdoor writer and backpacking guy many people know from this site. Paul Mags is the closer to the day-to-day version.
And Pawlie Mags? That’s the Rhode Island kid who still comes out when tired, caffeinated, or mildly annoyed.
I am a Rhode Island native, which left me with a fondness for Del’s Lemonade, Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee, some very-bad-for-you-but-oh-so-good wieners, clam cakes, and “chowda.” I also insist Disney World exists in a state called Flah-ra-dah.
One year to the day after finishing my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I moved to Colorado.
For nearly twenty years, I called Boulder, CO home. Nearly one-million coffee shops, mountain access, and escapes into the Rockies suited me fine until it didn’t.
In the fall of 2018, I moved to Moab, UT. Not a move I planned, but opportunity knocked and canyon country called.
These days, I share life with my partner Joan, who is smarter than I am. Together we spend a lot of time wandering around the Colorado Plateau, usually by foot, sometimes by vehicle, and occasionally floating through it all by packraft.
The outdoors remains my passion. Hiking and backpacking were my first outdoor loves and still sit at the center of it all. I love the simplicity, the journey on foot, the challenge, and how a long day outside makes everything seem more vivid.
Though I have hiked the Triple Crown of hiking (AT, PCT, CDT), and some other longer trails, my real goal has never been collecting miles or checking boxes. I simply want to spend as much time outside as possible.
These days that often means mixing things up. Backpacking remains a constant, but packrafting became another way to connect landscapes. Rivers and canyons do not feel separate to me; they are part of the same territory. I also discovered that car camping is not about comfort so much as buying more time outside. Different tools for different jobs.
I still ski occasionally, but after moving to Utah I traded many winter ski days for desert wandering, canyon meanderings, and shoulder-season jaunts.
In addition to my personal outdoor pursuits, I used to co-host a popular podcast called The Trail Show (we discussed beer, trails, and nonsense), guided previously, served as a volunteer board member for the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, and try to do other volunteer work when I can. In the fall of 2019, Rock Ridge Press published my first print book.
Though I will very occasionally get some free schwag for review, I am not affiliated with any gear company. My favorite manufacturer of gear tends to be military surplus or similar.
I’ve often worked in the technical world to fund the outdoor one. Occasionally the two collide in useful ways.
Life is good. I’ve had some great adventures, met excellent people, and somehow ended up exactly where I need to be with an amazing person to share it all with here in Moab. What more can a guy ask for?
ps. Due to having this domain for many years, I am very familiar with the other use of PMags. Nothing against the product, but please read this article. My last name and the family nickname have been around longer than polymer mags!
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