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Home » Archive for  Getting Started (Page 7)

Category: Getting Started

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

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

Quick Tip: Duct tape for easy splinter removal

Posted onFebruary 20, 2015June 19, 2017AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Duct tape can be a quick and dirty way of removing multiple splinters. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsduct tape, quick tip, splinters

Why guided trips?

Posted onJanuary 6, 2015November 25, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

As one internet sage stated “It’s just walking”. So why go on a guided trip? Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, MusingsTagsbackpacking, hiking, time bank

Rustic Luxury- Pack for a 10th Mountain Hut

Posted onDecember 23, 2014November 25, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A trip to a 10th Mountain Hut can be an enjoyable and memorable experience. But what are the logistics for a trip to a 10th Mountain Hut? Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Trip PlanningTags10th Mountain Division hut, Colorado, colorado-tip, hut trip, skiing, snowshoeing, winter

Allen & Mike’s Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book

Posted onDecember 22, 2014November 25, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A great book not just for backcountry touring but also for winter camping.

Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, Getting StartedTagsbooks, skiing, winter, winter backpacking

CORSAR card confusion

Posted onSeptember 24, 2014November 19, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Despite what people write on forums, the CORSAR card is *not* insurance. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, MusingsTagsColorado, colorado-tip, CORSAR, Search and Rescue

Quick Tip: Easy declination on a compass

Posted onSeptember 12, 2014April 15, 2018AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Don’t have a compass that where declination can be adjusted? Here’s a quick and dirty way to pre-set it!

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagscompass, hiking, navigation, quick tip

Quick Tip: Tent stakes in hard ground

Posted onAugust 26, 2014April 25, 2025AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

The easy way to get stakes in the hard ground often found at “improved” campsites. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsbackpacking, camping, car camping, quick tip, tent stakes, utah-tip

Backcountry ski repair kit

Posted onFebruary 27, 2014November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

A simple, functional utilitarian kit for backcountry ski repair. For snowshoeing, too. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbackcountry, gear list, gear maintenance, skiing, snowshoes, winter

Quick Tip: Key chain ring for gaiters

Posted onFebruary 11, 2014November 17, 2023AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

A quick, inexpensive and simple way to keep long gaiters on winter boots. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagshiking, quick tip, skiing, winter

Under Cover: Which Hat to Wear

Posted onJanuary 31, 2014November 25, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Which hat to wear outdoors? It all depends on the conditions, time of the year and personal preference. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsclothing, gear, hats, winter

Quick Tip: Rehabbing wool layers

Posted onJanuary 5, 2014April 25, 2025AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

How to make your wool socks, thermals, hats etc. good as new Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsbase layers, clothing, gear maintenance, lanolin, winter, wool

Free Outdoor Books

Posted onDecember 20, 2013January 31, 2017AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

How to get free e-books that are all about the outdoors.

Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, books, free, hiking

Ski Touring: Wax or Waxless skis?

Posted onDecember 19, 2013February 4, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

What’s better for Nordic touring? Wax or Waxless skis? The usual answer: It all depends! Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, gear, skiing, winter

The Thermos – Best Winter Gear Ever?

Posted onDecember 11, 2013April 25, 2025AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

A look at why I take a thermos on winter outings Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, MusingsTagsgear, thermos, winter

Wool vs Synthetics – What to wear?

Posted onDecember 10, 2013September 4, 2025AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

It is now winter. Should trusty wool be used or synthetics? Read on to find out more.

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, clothing, gear, hiking, winter

More gear on the cheap

Posted onNovember 26, 2013September 26, 2019AuthorPaul Mags8 Comments

Outdoor stores are expensive. Places that aren’t outdoor stores but sell outdoor gear aren’t. Here’s some surprising places to buy outdoor gear. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbudget gear, dirtbagging

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

PMags Instagram

@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. "
"So far this year, 35,247 fires have burned more than 2.9 million acres nationwide. " -National Interagency Fire Center
The CDT forms the backbone of the continent. The Long Trail makes a classic East Coast walk. Brett Tucker's routes require some advanced skills. My DIY routes don't even have schwag.
A couple of days at the edge of the San Juans. Storms moving in had us trading backpacks for a car camping trip, but we still wandered to the edge of treeline. We also settled in with hot drinks while wearing puffies, a welcome contrast to the sweltering heat in Moab earlier in the week.

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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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