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Home » Archive for  Getting Started (Page 5)

Category: Getting Started

Some articles if you are just starting in the outdoors. Or want to pick up some new ideas.

Quick Tip: Measuring distance with a lanyard

Posted onAugust 31, 2016September 1, 2019AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

A quick and dirty way of estimating map mileage using a compass lanyard or similar sized string. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagsmileage, navigation, quick tip

GPS mileage discrepancies

Posted onAugust 30, 2016November 17, 2023AuthorPaul Mags20 Comments

A map, guidebook or race course has one set of mileage listed. Your GPS device has more mileage listed or, rarely, less mileage. Why? Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagselectronics, favorite, GPS, mileage

Off-trail hiking vs. Bushwhacking

Posted onAugust 24, 2016November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Bushwhacking may be off-trail. But not all off-trail hiking is bushwhacking. Here’s what I think are the differences. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsbushwhacking, off trail

Dry Camping – A few simple tips

Posted onJuly 29, 2016November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

Some thoughts and tips for dry camping. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsdry camping, quick tip, utah-tip, water

Quick Tips: Backpacking rules of thumb

Posted onJuly 22, 2016April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

A grab bag of some quick answers to some common questions I’ve answered over the years. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagsquick tip

What not to dirtbag

Posted onJuly 5, 2016November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags15 Comments

I’m a big proponent of inexpensive backpacking gear and clothing when it makes sense. But there are some items where it is worth spending more money. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbudget gear

Macro vs Micro navigation

Posted onJuly 1, 2016March 22, 2017AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

The fine art of making adjustments in the field while navigating in the backcountry. Something learned through experience. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsnavigation

The fine art of the truck bivy

Posted onJune 22, 2016October 25, 2020AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

Maximize weekend time and camp near the trailhead. Do a truck bivy! Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagscamping, car camping, quick tip, time bank, truck bivy

There’s an app for that – Useful outdoor apps

Posted onJune 13, 2016December 18, 2019AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Smart devices can be a useful tool for the outdoors. Here are some apps I have found useful. These apps are not for connectivity, but for use in the field. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsapp, electronics, smart phones

Quick Tip: Ziplock bag map cover

Posted onJune 7, 2016November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

A simple and effective map cover to keep your printed maps protected while outdoors. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsmaps, quick tip

Pecorino Romano cheese – fantastic hiking food

Posted onMay 26, 2016November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags17 Comments

A tribute to an ancient food for traveling on foot that still works well today. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsfood, Italian-American, Roman

What is rotten snow?

Posted onApril 27, 2016November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

A brief explanation of what is “rotten snow”. And why it is best to not plan on extended travel in these conditions. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsColorado, colorado-tip, rotten snow, travel

Discovery vs Safety – The Balance

Posted onApril 19, 2016June 28, 2023AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

How to plan, have a measure of safety but still have a sense of discovery when outdoors? Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, MusingsTagsdiscovery, planning, safety

Quick Tip: Burning end of cord

Posted onApril 5, 2016April 26, 2022AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

A frayed piece of utility cordage? Here’s a very simple way to help prevent it from fraying further. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagscord, DIY, gear maintenance, guylines, quick tip

The first step: How to start backpacking

Posted onMarch 31, 2016August 16, 2023AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

The first steps for backpacking may be intimidating. Here’s how to get out there, learn and have fun. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsbackpacking, favorite, first steps, planning

Quick Tip: Pull tab guyline tensioner

Posted onMarch 22, 2016April 25, 2025AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Make a guyline tensioner out of pull tab from a can. Light, cheap and easy to use. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsbackpacking, budget gear, camping, DIY, guylines, quick tip, shelters, tarp

Naviagation for the long trails: An overview

Posted onMarch 14, 2016February 19, 2018AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

The Power Point presentation about navigation for the long trails. Covers basics that should be known. May be viewed online; no additional software needed. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Trip PlanningTagslong hikes, navigation, presentation

An outdoor library: Books to own

Posted onMarch 1, 2016January 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

Some suggested books for the outdoors person that are a wonderful addition to any personal library. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, Getting StartedTagsbooks, favorite, library, outdoors

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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 

                                                                    

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PMags Instagram

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.
@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.

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    • 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
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      • New England
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    • PMags News
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  • 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
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