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Home » Archive for  Musings (Page 6)

Category: Musings

My views on life, the universe, and everything.

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

You get what you pay for?

Posted onFebruary 15, 2019February 16, 2019AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Looking a bit closer at this often stated trope. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagstropes

Italian-American Sunday Gravy recipe

Posted onFebruary 12, 2019February 13, 2019AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

I made a batch of Neapolitan Ragu this past weekend. Better known as tomato sauce. Or “Sunday Gravy.” Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfood, Italian-American

Bison – The American icon

Posted onJanuary 29, 2019February 23, 2021AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Bison, to me, is the most American of animals. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsbison, wildlife

What is a thru-hike?

Posted onJanuary 18, 2019November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

Some Friday evening musings of when a backpacking trip becomes a thru-hike. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagslifestyle, thru hiking

On this government shutdown

Posted onJanuary 3, 2019June 20, 2025AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

Some thoughts on the government shut down, its effects on public lands, and what it might mean for the future. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsNational Parks, Wildness

2018: A year on the road and a new home

Posted onDecember 19, 2018June 13, 2019AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

If I had to summarize 2018 succinctly? “One of the best years of my life.” Read More …

CategoriesMusings, PMags NewsTagsyear in review

The Real Backpackers of YouTube

Posted onDecember 13, 2018December 10, 2025AuthorPaul Mags10 Comments

Thoughts on the popularity of Reality Backpacking TV. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsreality tv, time bank

Gear Review: Let’s look at boxes!

Posted onDecember 5, 2018January 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

With all these unboxing videos coming out for the Holidays, you know what we need? A review of the boxes. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsboxes, favorite, humor

A hike in the museum

Posted onNovember 15, 2018January 2, 2021AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Try to not to make “museum displays” as those displays can destroy the archeological record. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, MusingsTagsAncestral Pueblo, Colorado Plateau, utah, utah-tip

Mise en Place and the outdoors

Posted onNovember 7, 2018January 3, 2021AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

“Everything in its place.” That culinary phrase, when applied to outdoor pursuits, helps maximize time in the outdoors and makes it more enjoyable. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagscar camping, favorite, food, organization, time bank

Industry Terms, Outdoor Gear, and Marketing Buzz

Posted onOctober 16, 2018April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

Some musings on how industry terms for outdoor gear become marketing buzz. And how people use buzzwords to purchase gear without thinking what the terms mean. Read More …

CategoriesGear, MusingsTagsindustry, outdoor gear

Yogi Berra – Outdoor Philosopher

Posted onSeptember 12, 2018September 13, 2018AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Yogi Berra may be a baseball Hall of Famer. But his Zen-like koans are perhaps his most lasting legacy. And many of these observations apply to the outdoors. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsphilosophy, quotes, Yogi Berra

Pumpkin Beer is the Delaware of craft beer

Posted onSeptember 11, 2018February 8, 2019AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

A few thoughts on Pumpkin Beer as I settle in my new home. ‘Tis the Season. With apologies to the fine people of Delaware. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsbeer, food, pumpkin

One year ago today

Posted onSeptember 5, 2018AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

One year ago today, my life became much different. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsgift of time

On my 1000th post

Posted onAugust 29, 2018August 29, 2018AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Damn. I wrote my 1000th post at some point in Canada. Some quick thoughts on this dubious milestone. 🙂 Read More …

CategoriesMusings, PMags NewsTagsblog, website

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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!
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PMags Instagram

Off the desert floor for a bit
Four days in the desert spring. Some backpacking, one night of camping, and one memorable trip.
Our original plan had to be modified due to the weather. Putting in long miles on a dirt road with thunderstorms rolling through would not have made for a good weekend.
A couple of days meandering near Moab.
Moody day in Moab
@ramblinghemlock and I spent one last day in Wisconsin. We visited Aztalan State Park, where ancestral mound builders established an outlier connected to Cahokia further downriver. A few hundred people lived here, shaping a piece of history I did not learn about until well into my 20s.

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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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