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Home »Posts tagged  budget gear (Page 2)

Tag: budget gear

Ten plus year review – Nemesis Safety Glasses

Posted onNovember 27, 2023December 8, 2025AuthorPaul Mags8 Comments

A review of Nemesis Safety Glasses. Affordable, light, functional, comfortable and durable. And after over ten years of use, perhaps one my favorite pieces of budget gear by far.
Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, clothing, gear, gear review, Nemesis, sunglasses

Gear we liked for 2023

Posted onNovember 25, 2023January 27, 2026AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Our annual look at the pieces of gear and clothing we enjoyed over the past year. A mix of high-end, cottage, budget, and even surplus. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, gear we liked, Joan West, montbell, packrafting, surplus, winter

Gear Review – ALPS Mountaineering Chaos 3 tent

Posted onOctober 5, 2023April 27, 2025AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

After about 100 nights we find the $200 ALPS Mountaineering Chaos 3 an excellent car camping tent. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, gear, gear review, shelters

An overlook – N1-B Mukluks

Posted onApril 27, 2023April 28, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Budget footwear for cool to cold and dry conditions when in camp. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, footwear, gear review, surplus, winter

Gear review – Etsy double-knit fleece mittens

Posted onJanuary 11, 2023January 30, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Another effective budget gear option from Etsy worth taking a look at it. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, clothing, gear review, gloves, winter

Gear review – surprisingly good budget compact binocs

Posted onDecember 30, 2022January 3, 2023AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

For our arc site-focused trips, the $22 and sub-5oz Bushnell Powerview Compact Folding Roof Prism Binocular works surprisingly well. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbinocular, budget gear, gear review

Five year review – Silk weight surplus bottoms

Posted onDecember 5, 2022February 24, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

At $20 a pair, 4.75 oz, made with Polartec, the surplus thermals make an excellent bang for the buck for active use in cool weather. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, clothing, gear review, shirts, surplus, thermals

New gear we liked for 2022

Posted onNovember 30, 2022January 27, 2026AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

A look over the pieces of gear and clothing that served us well in 2022. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbiking, budget gear, gear we liked, Joan West, lightheart gear, Six Moon Designs, surplus

Budget gear – The popular picks

Posted onSeptember 22, 2022January 27, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A curated list of the budget items people seem to borrow or find intriguing over the years of hiking, camp, and hiking. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear

Jack of All Trades gear

Posted onJune 26, 2022April 27, 2025AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

Limited budget, space, or time? Here is a Jack of All Trades gear kit for general-purpose outdoor use that fits in one large duffle bag. Updated June 2022. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, camping, car camping, gear list, time bank

Review: Canola oil water bottle

Posted onJune 22, 2022June 22, 2022AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

My new dry-camping and water hauling bottle of choice: Light, wide mouth for easy filling, fits well in a pack front pocket of my pack, and is cheap! Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, gear review, water containers

Quick Tip – Tyvek envelope stuff sacks

Posted onApril 25, 2022April 25, 2022AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

Light, nearly free, and very useful – the Tyvek mailing envelope stuff sack. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Quick TipsTagsbudget gear, quick tip

Gear review – Bene Casa grease pot

Posted onMarch 21, 2022April 27, 2025AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

A $10 and 5 oz, one-quart cookpot makes an excellent solution when backpacking for two. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, cookware, gear review, stoves

Rain mitt #4 – Swiss Army vinyl rain mitts

Posted onFebruary 17, 2021April 25, 2021AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Another inexpensive and effective mitten option for cold and wet use that also allows easy layering. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, gear review, gloves, rain gear

Rain Mitt #3 – Biohazard mitts

Posted onFebruary 3, 2021January 27, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

These biohazard liner mittens are inexpensive, waterproof, and light at 1 oz a pair. I think they’ll work best for occasional three-season use. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, gear review, gloves, rain gear

Rain mitt #2 – Frogwear 8490MT

Posted onJanuary 26, 2021January 27, 2026AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

Continuing to look for the ideal pair of rain mitts for my use. The second option ends up as extremely weatherproof, warm, and only $18. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, gear review, gloves, rain gear

Rain mitt search #1 – Decathlon overglove

Posted onJanuary 25, 2021January 27, 2026AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

Looking for my ideal rain mitt. Here’s one option I’ve used – The $17 Decathlon Trek 500 Overglove (mitt). With an intro to the thoughts behind this series. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, gear review, gloves, rain gear

Gear review – Boonie Hat 2.0

Posted onSeptember 21, 2020February 10, 2023AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

I retired my beloved and well-worn boonie hat 6+ months ago. Here’s a look at version 2.0 – wider, lighter, and only $13. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsboonie hat, budget gear, clothing, gear review, hats, sun protection, surplus

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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                                                                                                      

  • REI: Shop Deal of the Day at REI Garage!
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  • REI: Official Coupons and Rebates page
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@ramblinghemlock and I changed our plans because our usual March haunts were already pushing 90°F. We headed higher to places we usually visit in May. The blooming paintbrush, greening plants, and the lack of snow on the 11,000+ foot peaks in the distance made me wonder what the coming fire season might bring.
@ramblinghemlock and I have had to do some adulting lately. A career transition and a 1956-era house will do that. It sometimes means skipping overnight trips.
We did some volunteer work for an organization we are active with on Saturday and Sunday, and made it into a local camping trip in between the assignments.
Some local hiking this weekend. I scouted a route for a possible packrafting trip later this month, and on Sunday, @ramblinghemlock and I meandered through a canyon we’ve been curious about for a while.
I can’t imagine this landscape with a wall.
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.

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Disclosure: This website may be compensated for linking to other sites or for sales of products to which I link. These sites include Amazon, REI, Moose Jaw, Gaia GPS, Six Moon Designs, Squak Mountain Co, and ULA Equipment. There is no additional fee for purchasing items through these links.

 

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