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Home »Posts tagged  electronics

Tag: electronics

Off-Piste: Keeping an Aging Laptop Useful

Posted onFebruary 17, 2026February 19, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

And now some geek talk but explained plainly – Turning my circa 2019 laptop in a usable workstation going forward. Read More …

CategoriesMusings, PMags NewsTagselectronics

Map, Compass, GPS: Not Either/Or, But All of the Above

Posted onJuly 12, 2025July 13, 2025AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

A collection of my Reddit posts. cleaned up and expanded, with thoughts on how maps, compasses, and GPS all work together in the field. It’s not about which tool is “better,” but how they complement each other. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagscompass, electronics, maps, navigation

Gear Review – The Tractive GPS Tracker

Posted onMarch 4, 2024March 11, 2024AuthorJosh Zapin1 Comment

My good friend Josh review the Tractive GPS ; a device that’ lets pet owners track their furry friend and combines a bit of Strava functionality, too. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagselectronics, gear, gear review

Influential Gear?

Posted onAugust 15, 2022February 4, 2026AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

What backpacking gear has become influential in the past few decades? Some thoughts. Read More …

CategoriesGear, MusingsTagsculture, electronics

A look at Avenza

Posted onSeptember 15, 2021January 27, 2026AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

Avenza allows small companies and non-profits to publish their maps. He’s a look at this somewhat obscure app. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsapp, electronics, gear review, maps, navigation

Quick Tip – Get an emergency air compressor

Posted onJune 8, 2021AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

A must-have item for anyone traveling to trailheads away from mobile device coverage. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Quick TipsTagsdriving, electronics, quick tip

There’s an app for that – 2021 edition

Posted onDecember 29, 2020December 29, 2020AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

The outdoor apps I use for my mobile device currently and plan on using in the coming year. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsapps, electronics

Gaia GPS map layers – Which ones I use

Posted onOctober 1, 2020AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

The various map layers I use for Gaia GPS. And some lesser-known overview map print options that complement any GPS use, too. Read More …

CategoriesVideosTagselectronics, maps, navigation, videos

Quick Tip: Calibrate your phone GPS

Posted onSeptember 6, 2020February 7, 2024AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

You may need to calibrate the internal compass of your phone GPS on occasion to get accurate results with your navigation software. Read More …

CategoriesQuick TipsTagselectronics, GPS, navigation, quick tip

Intro to Backpacking: Part 6 – Navigation Basics

Posted onMay 14, 2020May 14, 2020AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

The sixth chapter in our series – An introductory look at map, compass, and electronic navigation resources. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, VideosTagselectronics, navigation, videos

NOAA Weather app by Pandamonium Software

Posted onDecember 18, 2019December 19, 2019AuthorPaul Mags10 Comments

I love NOAA for weather information. I love useful apps. And I really love useful free apps. This NOAA app checks off all these boxes. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and MediaTagsapp, electronics, weather

Communication technology options: A vendor neutral view

Posted onNovember 18, 2019April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

An overlook at various options for communication technology in the backcountry for personal use, emergency, commercial, or search and rescue applications. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagscommunication, connectivity, electronics, wilderness first aid

GPS Essentials app

Posted onSeptember 25, 2019December 18, 2019AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Another free app that I find very useful. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and MediaTagsapp, electronics, GPS, navigation

Seek by iNaturalist

Posted onJune 13, 2019December 18, 2019AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

The “Seek” app is essentially Shazam for the natural world. Free, powerful, simple to use, and immensely useful – an app well worth getting. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and MediaTagsapp, electronics, guidebook

Gear considerations for Utah hiking

Posted onFebruary 13, 2019April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

Some considerations for gear, and technique, that I found useful for Utah. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsclothing, electronics, footwear, gear maintenance, packs, sun protection, utah, utah-tip, water containers

Gear Review – Atlas Guides GDT app

Posted onOctober 5, 2018January 3, 2020AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

A review of the Atlas Guides (Guthook) Great Divide Trail app for Android and iOS-based devices. More than just navigation, it works as a guidebook, too. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsapp, electronics, gear review, maps, navigation

Signs of the times

Posted onApril 12, 2018April 12, 2018AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Two signs of our current state of connectivity. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsconnectivity, electronics, Wildness

Gear Review – Gaia GPS app

Posted onNovember 21, 2017January 9, 2025AuthorPaul Mags20 Comments

A review of the Gaia GPS app for Android and iOS-based devices. A powerful, flexible, and easy to use navigation tool. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsapp, electronics, gear review, maps, navigation

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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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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.
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.

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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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      • Pacific Crest Trail
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      • Continental Divide Trail
      • Ring The Peak Trail (Pike’s Peak)
      • Benton Mackaye Trail
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