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Home »Posts tagged  gear review

Tag: gear review

Gear Review – Hywell Merino Wool Socks 2.0

Posted onJuly 5, 2026July 6, 2026AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

My review on an updated version of the Hywell merino wool socks. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsfootwear, gear review, socks

Budget overlook – 32 Degree Heat light puffy

Posted onMay 12, 2026May 13, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

An inexpensive, functional puffy jacket for outdoor work, go bags, day hikes, and starter backpacking kit. Not fancy, but useful. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget, clothing, gear review

Gear Review – Hywell Merino Wool Boot Socks

Posted onApril 19, 2026AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

An alternative sock to Darn Tough that does not quite work well for trail runners. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsclothing, gear, gear review, socks

One Year Review – OYGSieg Sun Hoodie

Posted onFebruary 23, 2026February 23, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A look at some effective sun hoodies for cool to cold weather use. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbackpacking, budget gear, clothing, gear, gear review, hiking, shirt, sun protection

Gear Review – Nalgene Ultralite Wide-Mouth Bottle

Posted onJanuary 8, 2026January 8, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A look at the Nalgene UL widemouthed bottle that has a place in our cold weather kit. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsgear, gear review, water containers, winter

The Quiver – Top Shelters of all time!

Posted onDecember 5, 2025December 6, 2025AuthorPaul Mags17 Comments

What began as a parody of “top ten” gear lists has grown into a reflection on how real shelter choices evolve with trips, partners, seasons, and the simple goal of sleeping well and walking on. Updated 2025. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagscar camping, gear review, shelters, tents, the quiver, winter

Gear Review – Gossamer Gear Mariposa 2025

Posted onAugust 28, 2025September 4, 2025AuthorJoanLeave a comment

Joan looks at 2025 Gossamer Gear Mariposa. It’s a pack she’s used for a while in both the 2014 and 2016 iterations and she compares and contrasts the various iterations. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsgear review, Gossamer Gear, Joan West, packs

Eight-year review – Stanley Adventure Cook set

Posted onAugust 8, 2025August 8, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

An eight year review of the Stanley Adventure Cook set. A humble piece of kit we probably have used hundreds of times at this point, Read More …

CategoriesGearTagscooking, gear review

Gear Review: UCO Utility Spork 3-in-1 Combo Spoon-Fork-Knife

Posted onJuly 12, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

The UCO Utility Spork 3-in-1 Combo Spoon-Fork-Knife from is a modest item that Joan and I use all the time since 2019. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagscooking, gear review, stoves

Gear Review – Gossamer Gear Loris 25 daypack

Posted onJuly 6, 2025December 3, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A look at the Gossamer Gear Loris 25 daypack that’s a worthy successor to the Type II utility packs we we wore out. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsgear review, Joan West, packs

First impressons – Gossamer Gear “The Two”

Posted onJune 30, 2025December 3, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

An initial overlook at The Gossamer Gear “The Two” that Joan and I have used the past couple of months. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsgear review, shelters

Gear Review – Squak Camp Dress

Posted onJune 27, 2025May 13, 2026AuthorJoanLeave a comment

Joan looks at her new favorite car camping staples these past few months – The Squak Camp Dress. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsclothing, fleece, gear review, Joan West

Long term review – 2010 ~50 liter Igloo cooler

Posted onJune 4, 2025June 4, 2025AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

A long tern review of the decidely un-hip Costco Igloo cooler from 2010. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsgear review, stoves

Two+ Year review – LightHeart Gear Fleece Hoodie

Posted onMarch 4, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A longer term review of the LightHeart Gear micogrid fleece hoodie. Made in the USA, readily avialable, warm and fuzzy, but best for people who run cold or static use. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsclothing, fleece, gear review, Joan West

An overlook -Alpha Squak V2

Posted onJanuary 24, 2025February 4, 2026AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

A look at the Alpha Squak V2. The TL;DR – I like the garment itself but I still find Alpha fleece a niche use for my needs. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsclothing, fleece, gear review

Gear review -Zengjo grid fleece hoodie

Posted onNovember 30, 2024December 1, 2024AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

A $20 grid fleece hoodie that’s not as well made as others ones, but a good price for a no-frills piece of kit. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget, clothing, fleece, gear, gear review

Gear review – Coghlan’s Map Compass

Posted onNovember 22, 2024November 22, 2024AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A basic compass at $8 from Coghlan’s but made for them by a navigation company with over 40 years experience. Good quality at a good price! Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, gear, gear review, tools

Gear review – Laek Adventure Towels

Posted onNovember 19, 2024June 21, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A look at the laek adventure towels – simple, sturdy, quick drying, and absorbent. Awesome for our extended camping trips and times in between backpacking. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagscar camping, clothing, gear 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                                                                                                      

  • REI: Shop Deal of the Day at REI Garage!
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Joan and I hosted some friends this past week. We gave them the classic tour, starting with an early morning visit to the Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park. While Joan attended a meeting, I played tour guide a bit for other parts of the park. That afternoon, we headed to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park to take in the sweeping views across the Colorado Plateau. Today? We escaped to our local mountains, looking down at the desert floor far below.
Not a good year for backpacking in the Abajos or the San Juans, but our local mountains still offer some good opportunities for camping and hiking. And only an hour away. With @ramblinghemlock
The once and future Bears Ears.
@ramblinghemlock and I went to some local(ish) mountains to avoid the fires and smoke in our usual places.
A hike to our local mountains did not go quite as planned. With an AQI of 176 in Moab due to the fires in our corner of the world, we sought refuge in the mountains.
"Effective today, June 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM, all Forest Service lands, roads, and trails within the Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest (San Juan County, Utah) are temporarily closed due to the Babylon Fire. "

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