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Home » Archive for  Getting Started (Page 6)

Category: Getting Started

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

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

Mountaineering – The Freedom of the Hills

Posted onFebruary 23, 2016April 13, 2020AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

A look at the classic text book on mountaineering. If there was ever a Gen. Ed. book for the outdoors, it is Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills ! Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, books, classics, Mountaineering

Pack Shakedowns

Posted onJanuary 29, 2016November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags22 Comments

A “pack shakedown” is popular be it online or in person. But the best way to shake down a pack is to go out and use it. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagspack shakedown

Quick Tip: Sun shield for winter camping

Posted onJanuary 27, 2016October 9, 2018AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

A simple trick for sleeping warmer at night. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsbudget gear, camping, quick tip, winter

Quick Tip: Green soda bottle for alcohol fuel

Posted onJanuary 21, 2016July 14, 2019AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

A simple, effective and safe way to carry denatured alcohol. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagsalcohol stove, camp stoves, quick tip

Puffies 101

Posted onJanuary 19, 2016April 25, 2025AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

A general overlook at puffy jackets. Which type is best for three-season use, general winter use or more extreme environments. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsclothing, coats, down, jackets, parkas, puffy winter

Quick Tip: Lithium batteries for cold weather

Posted onJanuary 5, 2016January 31, 2017AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

In the cold weather, bring some lithium batteries. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagscamping, quick tip, winter

Website of the week: Minimus.biz

Posted onDecember 30, 2015December 30, 2015AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A great website to buy small sized food items perfect for backpacking or camping. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsfood, Website of the week

Backpacking food – weekends or long hikes

Posted onDecember 22, 2015April 25, 2025AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

A general overview of backpacking food be it for weekend hikes, thru-hikes or something in between. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Trip PlanningTagsbackpacking, cooking, food

Quick Tip: Don’t burn your snow pot!

Posted onDecember 11, 2015January 31, 2017AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Winter backpacking? Don’t burn the snow pot! Here’s how to melt snow the right way. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagscamping, cooking, quick tip, winter

Website of the week: National Weather Service – NOAA

Posted onOctober 16, 2015AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A great website for forecasting weather in backcountry areas. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Trip PlanningTagsNOAA, weather, Website of the week

Review – Backcountry Navigator

Posted onSeptember 16, 2015December 18, 2019AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

A review of Backcountry Navigator and gps/mapping software in general. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, MusingsTagsapp, Backcountry Navigator, electronics, GPS, maps

Talus vs. Scree – What is the difference?

Posted onSeptember 15, 2015January 7, 2026AuthorPaul Mags22 Comments

A quick and dirty description of the difference between talus and scree. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsoff trail, popular, scree, talus

Classes of hiking – The Yosemite Decimal System

Posted onSeptember 11, 2015July 7, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

An explanation of the different classes of the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) esp as it applies to hiking. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsclimbing, hiking, scrambling, YDS, Yosemite Decimal System

Website of the week: CalTopo

Posted onSeptember 10, 2015April 9, 2017AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

A great website for that essential of backcountry navigation – maps! Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Trip PlanningTagsmaps, Website of the week

How to find a good campsite

Posted onJune 18, 2015November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

Some tips and ideas to find a campsite that is comfortable, away from the crowds and less critter prone. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Trip PlanningTagsbackpacking, camp sites

Bear and Critter Concerns : What to do?

Posted onJune 11, 2015April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags10 Comments

Concerns about bears or critters? Here are some suggestions to avoid conflict with them. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbagging, bears, canisters, colorado-tip, critters, prevention

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Virtual tip jar

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
    • Musings
    • Books and Media
    • 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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