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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.

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

Quick Tip : Water bottles as ice packs

Posted onJune 3, 2015July 16, 2024AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Have a lot of water bottles accumulated? Use them as quick and dirty ice packs! Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagscamping, car camping, quick tip, water bottles, water containers

Whole bunch of knot-sense

Posted onMay 1, 2015March 24, 2016AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Some basic knots to know for hiking, backpacking or camping. Works well for daily use, too. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsbackpacking, camping, knots

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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!
  • REI: Outlet 50% off deals
  • REI: Official Coupons and Rebates page
  • REI: Used Gear Store

PMags Instagram

@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.
@ramblinghemlock and I are recovering from the flu, so we decided to keep things local this weekend.
Small, good things.
I wish my grandparents were still alive so I could ask how they kept their sanity and hope through times of turmoil.
We sang this song once a month at Mass when I attended Catholic school -
Classic hike to start the day with @ut_shpo in @archesnps

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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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