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Home » Archive for  Musings (Page 5)

Category: Musings

My views on life, the universe, and everything.

Outdoor participation down – Some thoughts

Posted onFebruary 7, 2020December 12, 2020AuthorPaul Mags10 Comments

Less than half of all Americans recreate outdoors, with only one-third recreation ten days or more a year, including day-use activities — some thoughts. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfree time, time bank

Thoughts on hiking solo

Posted onJanuary 24, 2020April 26, 2025AuthorJoan17 Comments

Joan shares some thoughts on her solo hiking experience. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, MusingsTagsJoan West, solo

Musings on backpacking consumerism

Posted onJanuary 10, 2020November 6, 2024AuthorPaul Mags24 Comments

Just some thoughts on gear and clothing as the outdoor equivalent of a fashion item. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsconsuermism, favorite

A Decade of Hiking

Posted onDecember 31, 2019November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

I am looking over ten years of outdoor activities that defined a part of my outdoor experience. Read More …

CategoriesMusings, Other Outdoor Jaunts

Looking back at 2019

Posted onDecember 26, 2019January 1, 2020AuthorPaul Mags

2019 proved to be an excellent year in continuing to make Moab my home. Read More …

CategoriesMusings, PMags NewsTagsyear in review

LNT, cyber-shaming, and slacktivism: Public Lands Hate You

Posted onDecember 12, 2019October 8, 2020AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

Musings on a popular Instagram account, the recent Outside Magazine article about it, and thoughts around click-button activism. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsactivism, social media, Wilderness Ethics, Wildness

Wilderness First Responder course – Overall impressions

Posted onNovember 15, 2019April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Some thoughts and impressions on my experience of taking the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course through NOLS. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, MusingsTagsWFA, WFR, wilderness first aid

Website of the Week – TrailGroove Magazine Premium

Posted onSeptember 24, 2019March 8, 2021AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

I’ve looked at TrailGroove Magazine before. Here are some benefits of getting a premium subscription. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, MusingsTagsWebsite of the week

My three rules for guiding

Posted onJuly 20, 2019July 20, 2019AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

The three rules I try to adhere to for guiding. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsguiding

Thoughts on being wealthy

Posted onJuly 4, 2019January 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

Our wealth is our free time. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfavorite, gift of time

A sorta history of modern ultralight backpacking

Posted onJune 6, 2019May 3, 2023AuthorPaul Mags25 Comments

Lightweight or even “ultra-lightweight” backpacking is nothing new of course. But when did the term as we now know it come about? Read More …

CategoriesGear, MusingsTagsfavorite, history, ultralight

Thoughts on safety

Posted onMay 14, 2019May 14, 2019AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

A horrific event happened on the Appalachian Trail. But it does dissuade how I approach the wilderness. Read More …

CategoriesMusings

Thoughts on National Parks Week

Posted onApril 19, 2019May 2, 2019AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Musing on the future of national parks since it is National Parks Week. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsNational Parks

Old school cooking – Lentils and Sausage

Posted onApril 10, 2019April 26, 2019AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

Part recipe, part food history. A dish I haven’t had in a long time with roots pre-Roman Empire. All with a 21st-century twist; made with a rice cooker. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfood, Italian-American, Roman

Long Hikes: Romance vs. Reality

Posted onApril 5, 2019September 16, 2020AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

“Reality often astonishes theory.” Some thoughts on romance trumping reality and how to make these dreams comes true. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsdreams, reality, thru hiking

More thoughts on “Be Prepared”

Posted onMarch 20, 2019August 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

Some additional thoughts on the Boy Scouts Motto of “Be Prepared.” A motto often misinterpreted to be gear focused. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsboy scouts, favorite, gift of time, organization, time bank

Better to have it and not need it?

Posted onMarch 13, 2019May 27, 2020AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Thoughts on a widely used trope. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagslifestyle, organization

Thoughts on “Bearanoia”

Posted onFebruary 27, 2019March 15, 2019AuthorPaul Mags14 Comments

Thoughts on why people are not just “bear aware”, but “bearanoid”. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsbear canisters, bears

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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!

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PMags Instagram

We spent a weekend camping, seeing post-Pueblo Revolt structures, and images in the "Land of Enchantment" with @hollywoulddream and @danielgarey
@ramblinghemlock and I changed our plans because our usual March haunts were already pushing 90°F. We headed higher to places we usually visit in May. The blooming paintbrush, greening plants, and the lack of snow on the 11,000+ foot peaks in the distance made me wonder what the coming fire season might bring.
@ramblinghemlock and I have had to do some adulting lately. A career transition and a 1956-era house will do that. It sometimes means skipping overnight trips.
We did some volunteer work for an organization we are active with on Saturday and Sunday, and made it into a local camping trip in between the assignments.
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.

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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
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  • About PMags.com
    • Who is Paul Mags?
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