Skip to content
Menu

Primary Menu

  • 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
Header Toggle
Facebook Twitter Feed Pinterest YouTube Instagram Reddit
PMags.com
Facebook Twitter Feed Pinterest YouTube Instagram Reddit
Home » Archive for  Quick Tips

Category: Quick Tips

Some quick tips and ideas to make outdoor pursuits a little more efficient.

Quick Tip – Kitty litter bucket for camping and river

Posted onNovember 17, 2025November 17, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A humble kitty litter bucket beats a $70 “utility bucket” any day—stronger, square, easier to pack, and endlessly useful on river and camp trips. Read More …

CategoriesQuick TipsTagsbudget gear, camping

Quick Tip – Arizona Tea one liter bottle

Posted onJuly 16, 2024July 18, 2024AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Gatorade bottle is early 2000s, get the full one liter goodness of Arizona iced tea. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsbudget gear, Joan West, quick tip, water containers

Dirt Bagger Winter Stove Platform

Posted onDecember 12, 2023April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

How to build an inexpensive  stove platform for winter backpacking. Bonus: doubles as a heat reflector.
Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsbackpacking, blue foam, budget gear, DIY, gear, heat reflector, myog, quick tip, stove base, stove platform, winter

Quick Tip – Laundry bag for traveling with gear

Posted onMay 10, 2022April 27, 2025AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Need an inexpensive and durable bag for traveling with gear? Get a laundry bag. Read More …

CategoriesQuick TipsTagsquick tip, traveling

Quick Tip : Ziploc for water gathering

Posted onMay 2, 2022May 3, 2022AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Bring a Ziploc, grab water at a shallow seep, and hydrate. Easy. Read More …

CategoriesQuick TipsTagsquick tip, utah-tip, water containers

Quick Tip – Tyvek envelope stuff sacks

Posted onApril 25, 2022April 25, 2022AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

Light, nearly free, and very useful – the Tyvek mailing envelope stuff sack. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Quick TipsTagsbudget gear, quick tip

Quick tip – Foam scraps for the camp chair

Posted onNovember 10, 2021November 10, 2021AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A simple tip to make sitting in your camp chair warmer – use scraps of closed cell foam. Read More …

CategoriesQuick TipsTagsblue foam, quick tip

Quick Tip – Get an emergency air compressor

Posted onJune 8, 2021AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

A must-have item for anyone traveling to trailheads away from mobile device coverage. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Quick TipsTagsdriving, electronics, quick tip

Quick Tip: Calibrate your phone GPS

Posted onSeptember 6, 2020February 7, 2024AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

You may need to calibrate the internal compass of your phone GPS on occasion to get accurate results with your navigation software. Read More …

CategoriesQuick TipsTagselectronics, GPS, navigation, quick tip

Quick Tip: Firearms oil for pole maintenance

Posted onNovember 28, 2019September 6, 2020AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

With oil used to lubricate and clean firearms and some simple scrub brushes, you’ll keep your hiking and ski poles in optimal condition. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsgear maintenance, poles, quick tip

Quick Tips: Finding archaeological sites on your own

Posted onOctober 24, 2019January 2, 2021AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

How to find arc sites on your own without GPX coordinates, map annotations, guidebooks, web sites, or social media. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagsAncestral Pueblo, quick tip, Rock Images, utah-tip

Quick Tip: Dishwashing gloves for rain

Posted onOctober 2, 2019April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

A budget item that is readily available for keeping your hands warm and dry in cold rain. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsbudget gear, gloves, quick tip, rain gear

Quick Tip: Read the National Park Service Jr Ranger books

Posted onSeptember 20, 2019November 20, 2019AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

The NPS Junior Ranger books are an excellent way to learn the biology, geology, and history of a national park unit quickly, accurately, and in a fun manner. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, Quick TipsTagsbooks, Junior Ranger, national park, quick tip

Quick Tip: Dollar store spice mixes for outdoor cooking

Posted onJune 18, 2019October 15, 2019AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

On a road trip or need to jazz up some backpacking meals easily? Get some spice mixes inexpensively. Read More …

CategoriesQuick TipsTagscar camping, food, quick tip

Quick Tip: Instagram for trail conditions

Posted onApril 18, 2019April 18, 2019AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

How to use Instagram for quick and dirty researching of trail conditions. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick Tips, Trip PlanningTagsquick tip

Quick tip: A drying rack – Get one!

Posted onFebruary 1, 2019April 17, 2019AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Inexpensive, reliable, useful, and makes your clothing last longer. Read More …

CategoriesQuick TipsTagsclothing, gear maintenance, quick tip

Quick Tip: Newsprint for drying shoes

Posted onJanuary 23, 2019April 17, 2019AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

An effective, easy, and inexpensive way to dry out your shoes quicker. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsfootwear, quick tip

Quick Tip: Easy Cowboy-style Coffee

Posted onOctober 25, 2018October 25, 2018AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

An easy way to make Cowboy-style coffee without the muss and chewy grounds by using a coffee filter sachet. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, Quick TipsTagscoffee, food, quick tip

Post navigation

← Older posts

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

Day 2 in the volunteer office
A day in the (volunteer) office with @moabtrailmix
@ramblinghemlock and I had to do some “adulting” this past week with a new roof, and the contractors wrapped up late yesterday afternoon. We squeezed in a short hike yesterday and a longer one today. Both hikes were local and perfect for this time of year.
Ultralight Catechism: When a Toolkit Becomes Dogma
New gear we liked for 2025: Solid, reliable tools that kept @ramblinghemlock and me warm, fed, and comfortable from the desert to the mountains. A mix of DIY, cottage gear, higher-end pieces, and budget picks — just the things that worked for two people who try to get outdoors as much as they can.
Some time on the Oregon Coast with @ramblinghemlock and the family.

PMags Popular Posts

  • Popular
  • Comments
  • Latest
  • Today Week Month All
  • The Colorado Trail “End to End” Guide The Colorado Trail “End to End" Guide
  • Backpacking Loops – Mags Favorites Backpacking Loops – Mags Favorites
  • The Frugal Backpacker – The $300 Gear Challenge The Frugal Backpacker - The $300 Gear Challenge
  • A Quick and Dirty CDT Guide A Quick and Dirty CDT Guide
  • PCT trail marker A Quick and Dirty Guide to The Pacific Crest Trail
  • Stove Comparison – Real World Use Stove Comparison – Real World Use
  • Talus vs. Scree – What is the difference? Talus vs. Scree - What is the difference?
  • Ground Cloths : A quick overview Ground Cloths : A quick overview
  • Build a gear sled the dirt bagger way Build a gear sled the dirt bagger way
  • From GIS Sleepings Pads - A grounded view
  • “Adulting” and some hikes “Adulting” and some hikes
  • Stock photo of a digital scale How to get ultralight?
  • Ultralight Catechism: When a Toolkit Becomes Dogma Ultralight Catechism: When a Toolkit Becomes Dogma
  • The Quiver – Top Shelters of all time! The Quiver – Top Shelters of all time!
  • Thanksgiving by the Oregon Coast Thanksgiving by the Oregon Coast
  • Gear we liked for 2025 Gear we liked for 2025
  • Red Rocks, and then, the coast Red Rocks, and then, the coast
  • A trip to the Abajos this past year. Kind sorta looks like NH??? Outdoors after 50
  • One step at a time, differently – Long Distance hiking vs. Thru-hiking One step at a time, differently – Long Distance hiking vs. Thru-hiking
  • The Colorado Trail “End to End” Guide The Colorado Trail “End to End” Guide
  • Today Week Month All
  • Sorry. No data yet.
Ajax spinner

Archives

Recent Comments

  • Paul Mags on Gear overview – NortiV8 light duty hiking boots
  • Rich on Gear overview – NortiV8 light duty hiking boots
  • Paul Mags on A Structured Rambling: The Eight-Hour, One-Mile Day
  • HaggisAddict on A Structured Rambling: The Eight-Hour, One-Mile Day
  • Paul Mags on A Structured Rambling: The Eight-Hour, One-Mile Day

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.

 

© 2023 - PMags.com - All Rights Reserved -Privacy Policy
Scroll Up
  • 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

Subscribe to PMags.com

  • Receive an email notification of new posts direct to your inbox once a week.
  • Old school text email digest
  • It is easy!

ClickHereButton

×
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to the use of cookies. Please read the Privacy Policy for additional details.