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Home » Archive for  Getting Started (Page 8)

Category: Getting Started

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

Review – CleverHiker.com

Posted onJune 24, 2013February 7, 2017AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A review of the CleverHiker.com video series by Dave Collins Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, Gear, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, gear, introductory

Lightweight Backpacking 101

Posted onFebruary 3, 2013December 8, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

A quick and dirty overview for transitioning from a traditional backpacker to a lighter weight backpacker. Chart to compare and contrast weights and prices,too Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagslightweight backpacking, lightweight gear, stoves

Sleeping Bags : A Quick and Dirty Overview

Posted onJanuary 16, 2013December 8, 2025AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

An overview of sleeping bag types and a discussion of down vs. synthetic sleeping bags. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, camping, gear, sleeping bag

Build a gear sled the dirt bagger way

Posted onDecember 26, 2012November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags16 Comments

For flat or moderate terrain, a gear sled is a great way to haul in gear. Here’s how to build a simple gear sled without breaking the bank. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbudget gear, DIY, gear sled, inexpensive, popular, pulk, simple, skiing, snowshoeing, winter

Why Black and White Outdoor Photography?

Posted onNovember 11, 2012November 17, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Here’s some advocacy for black and white outdoor photography. Personally I think B&W photos  can be just as striking as the color photos often done by most outdoor enthusiasts.  

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, gear, hiking, outdoors, photography

Outdoor Photography – Point and Shoot or DSLR?

Posted onOctober 17, 2012November 17, 2023AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Taking photos when outdoors is a great way to capture memories of outdoor adventures. But which camera to bring? A Point Shoot (P&S) or a DSLR?  

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, gear, hiking, photography

Recycling Backpacking Fuel Canisters

Posted onAugust 13, 2012April 25, 2025AuthorPaul Mags15 Comments

The easy and safe way to recycle backpacking fuel canisters without needing to buy extra tools.
Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, fuel canisters, iso-butane, stoves

Review: The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide

Posted onJune 19, 2012November 25, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A review of  The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear  Guide by Andrew Skurka.  A guide that is aimed towards the backpacker that wishes to hike more and camp a bit less.  

CategoriesBooks and Media, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, books, gear, hiking, lightweight, review

New Insoles: Simple change with a big difference

Posted onMay 12, 2012April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Replacing the factory insoles with something new is a trick many experienced backpackers know about. But not everyone does. Here’s why it should be done. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsarch supports, feet, footwear, inserts, insoles, quick tip

Wilderness First Aid : A Minimalist View

Posted onApril 23, 2012November 19, 2019AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Wilderness First Aid is a basic certification for the assessing, treating and stabilizing of a person’s injuries in the backcountry.  But how does the (sometimes) gear and equipment focused backcountry medicine co-exist with a more minimalist view? Here is my Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, MusingsTagsgear, ultralite, wilderness firs aid

Backpacking: A Beginners Primer

Posted onApril 16, 2012December 8, 2025AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

A primer  I wrote for people new to backpacking. With a beginners backpacking gear list, too. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsbackpacking, Colorado, gear list, lightweight backpacking

Review: Rocky Mountain Wildflowers Pocket Guide

Posted onApril 11, 2012January 3, 2021AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A review of an excellent guide to the wildflowers found in the Colorado Rockies. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, Getting StartedTagsbooks, Colorado, colorado-tip, gear, wildflowers

Snowshoer

Introduction to Snowshoeing Basics

Posted onDecember 5, 2011April 25, 2025AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

An article on the introduction to snowshoeing basics for enjoying this wonderful winter past time! Covers clothing, gear, the layering principle, a snowshoeing gear checklist and wool vs. synthetics comparison. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsColorado, gear list, snowshoeing, winter

The Path to Enlightenment – Boulder Weekly

Posted onJune 30, 2011June 30, 2011AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Not my original title for this article..but so it goes. 🙂 The original title of this article was "Lighten the load; not the wallet" ; a quick crash course in how to dirt bag. Not tips new to anyone in Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, PressTagsbackpacking, gear, lightweight, lightweight backpacking

Dirt Bagging – A minimalist gear philsophy

Posted onNovember 5, 2010April 29, 2020AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

A version of this document has appeared in Yogi’s PCT Handbook and on various hiking boards. It  is also  in the current  edition of the Colorado Trail Guidebook.  My overview of lightweight backpacking.   One sunny, summer day in Maine, Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbudget gear, dirt bagging

Styrofoam Cup Water Bottle

Drop In The Bottle – Water Treament in the Backcountry

Posted onNovember 5, 2010April 25, 2025AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

An overview and comparison of ways to treat water in the backcountry for hiking, backpacking and camping. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagslightweight backpacking, lightweight gear, water treatment

Day Hiking in Colorado

Posted onOctober 10, 2010April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

So you wanna hike in Colorado? An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.  –Thoreau Welcome to Colorado!  During your visit, you will have an opportunity to explore the mountains of Colorado. Hiking in Colorado is a Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsbeginners, Colorado, colorado-tip, day hiking, gear list, hiking

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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 

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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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  • Ramblings
    • Musings
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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
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