What is Trailkeep?
An overview of the Trailkeep platform and what it is built for.
Trailkeep is a planning and safety platform for multi-day hikers. It replaces the usual combination of spreadsheets, LighterPack, and WhatsApp group chats with a single system that covers the full trip lifecycle — from initial planning to safe return.
The problem it solves
Planning a demanding trail — a multi-day route in the Scottish Highlands, a week on the PCT, a Coast to Coast crossing — normally requires at least three or four separate tools:
- A gear tracking app (LighterPack, a spreadsheet)
- A route planner (Gaia GPS, Komoot, AllTrails)
- A way to share your plan with emergency contacts (text messages, email)
- Some kind of check-in system so people know you are okay
Trailkeep integrates all of these. Everything that touches your trip — gear, route, itinerary, safety contacts — lives in one place and connects together.
The three sections
Trip Planner
Build multi-day itineraries with daily breakdowns, waypoints, water sources, and resupply points. Upload a GPX file to overlay your planned route on an interactive map. Share a read-only link with anyone, or invite others to co-edit your trip in real time — no account required for collaborators.
Pack Planner
Maintain a gear vault of everything you own. Build gear lists for specific trips by pulling items from the vault. Track base weight, worn weight, and consumables, broken down by category. Import your existing gear from LighterPack with one click.
Safety system
Generate a personal Safety QR code — anyone who scans it can ask to be alerted if you go overdue. Set a return time and Trailkeep automatically sends an overdue alert to your emergency contacts if you do not check in. Every feature here is designed to work with intermittent cell coverage and without any app installed on the contacts' side.
Who it is for
- Multi-day backpackers who want professional-grade planning tools without the spreadsheet maintenance
- Thru-hikers on long routes (PCT, AT, CDT, Coast to Coast, Te Araroa) who need a safety network distributed across multiple people
- Group hikers coordinating plans and gear across the team
- Solo hikers who want an automated safety net without relying on a single person to remember to check in on them
What Trailkeep is not
Trailkeep is not a replacement for satellite communication devices in true wilderness. The auto-timer is a reliable check-in system for routes with intermittent cell coverage. If you are heading somewhere with zero connectivity for multiple days, bring a dedicated emergency device (inReach, PLB, SPOT) in addition to using Trailkeep.