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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: Easy Bake Oven Post-Trip

Posted onJanuary 13, 2017January 4, 2018AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Hot cinnamon rolls or warm danish for post-trip enjoyment? Why yes. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagsfood, quick tip, winter

Quick Tip: Pre-packaged winter meals

Posted onDecember 12, 2016January 31, 2017AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

A quick way to make a meal for winter backpacking. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagsfood, quick tip, winter

Winter Backpacking – A fourth season delight

Posted onNovember 8, 2016December 8, 2025AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

An introductory overview to winter backpacking. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsgear list, winter, winter backpacking

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

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, 2016August 13, 2026AuthorPaul 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

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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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PMags Instagram

@ramblinghemlock and I had some company in town this weekend, along with some very muddy roads. A quick trip to a place just off the pavement proved perfect for our needs. Plenty of water-filled potholes, great views from the canyon rim, and a memorable sunset.
Snow in our local mountains yesterday and today. And, of course, flooding in the desert. Much-needed precip, but the wet, heavy New England-style snow caused quite a few blowdowns. Gonna be interesting...
"The mayor of Willcox in southern Arizona is optimistic that Chiricahua National Monument will soon be the country’s 64th National Park.
A few days on the Colorado Plateau. We saw new sites, revisited old favorites, and enjoyed a solo hike while @ramblinghemlock took a class at the nearby @crow_canyon
Bearing witness in a changed, post-fire landscape. Fire and flood shape the environment; some history passes away, while other traces remain untouched. The land eventually recovers: Some of it recently, some of it long after my lifetime.
On a rare group trip, we heard rain overnight and woke to this raging torrent. After the Babylon Fire, flooding was inevitable. The water carried a lot of ash.

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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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  • Home
  • Ramblings
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    • Videos
    • From The Web
    • 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
      • Georgia
      • Nebraska
      • New England
      • Nevada
      • North Carolina
      • Oregon
      • South Dakota
      • Texas
      • Wyoming
    • Photos
    • PMags News
    • Press
  • 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
      • Joan’s articles

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