Glossary
Definitions for Trailkeep-specific terms and common hiking concepts used throughout the docs.
A reference for terms used in Trailkeep and in these docs.
Account tiers
Free — The default account tier. Includes trip planning, gear management, Safety QR, and calendar-based overdue alerts (fires on the trip end date). No day-by-day safety timer.
Pioneer — Trailkeep's permanent beta-participant tier. Pioneers have lifetime Pro-equivalent features at no cost, including the safety timer, up to 50 trips and gear lists, and a visible Pioneer badge on shared content. Pioneer status is granted during the open beta and cannot be purchased. See Pioneer plan.
Pro — The paid subscription tier (planned for after beta). Includes all Pioneer features.
Pack Planner
Base weight — The total weight of your pack excluding consumables (food, water, fuel) and worn items (clothing, footwear). Base weight is the standard comparison metric in ultralight hiking communities.
Worn weight — Items you carry on your body rather than in your pack — clothing, boots, watch, trekking poles. Marked with the worn flag in Trailkeep. Excluded from base weight calculations.
Consumable weight — Items that get used up during the trip: food, water, fuel. Consumable weight decreases over the trip; separating it gives a more accurate base weight figure.
Gear Vault — A personal library of reusable gear items that can be dragged into any pack list. Items added to the Vault are independent copies — editing a Vault item does not affect existing lists that already used it. See Gear Vault.
Gear list (also: pack list) — A collection of gear items, organised into categories, attached to or shared independently of a trip. Trailkeep uses both terms interchangeably.
Trip Planner
Waypoint — A named point of interest on a trip day: campsite, water source, summit, resupply point, road crossing. Waypoints can be placed on a GPX route or off-route with a custom connector path. See Waypoints.
Water source — A waypoint flagged as a water source — a creek, spring, or water cache. Displayed with a blue water drop icon in the day view and in the shared trip page.
Resupply point — A waypoint flagged as a resupply point — typically a town, post office, or shop. Displayed with an amber basket icon. Also labelled "Food" in the mobile action menu.
Trail note — A free-text note attached to a specific trip day. Different from waypoints — notes are narrative (conditions, reminders, logistics) rather than geographic points. See Trail notes.
GPX file — A standard XML file format for storing GPS routes, tracks, and waypoints. Trailkeep supports GPX 1.0 and 1.1. Most mapping apps (Garmin, Gaia GPS, AllTrails, Komoot) can export GPX. See Uploading a GPX file.
Off-route path — A custom connector line drawn from the main GPX route to a waypoint that sits away from the trail. Off-route paths are included in the GPX export so your navigation device follows the exact path you planned. See Waypoints — Off Route.
Edit link — A unique URL that grants write access to a trip for collaborative planning. Collaborators do not need a Trailkeep account. The link is automatically invalidated when the trip becomes Active. See Collaborative editing.
Safety
Safety timer — A countdown timer (Pro/Pioneer only) that fires an overdue alert to emergency contacts if you do not check in each day. Functions as a dead man's switch — if something prevents you from checking in, the alert fires automatically. See Safety timer.
Safety QR — A permanent QR code linked to your Trailkeep account. When scanned, it shows your current trip status. In normal state it shows only a status check. In overdue state it redirects to your full trip page. See Safety QR.
Trail Companion — A person you meet on trail (not a pre-registered emergency contact) who scans your Safety QR and opts in with their email to receive one overdue alert notification. Their email is deleted automatically when your trip completes. See Trail Companion.
Overdue alert — An email sent to emergency contacts and Trail Companions when the safety timer fires or when a trip passes its end date without being marked complete. Contains trip details, last known GPS location, and emergency contact information.
Calendar alert (also: end-date alert) — The Free tier's safety mechanism. Fires an overdue alert when a trip passes its end date without being marked complete. Less granular than the safety timer but available to all accounts.
Check-in — On Pro/Pioneer accounts: completing a day in the Trip Planner, which resets the safety timer and optionally captures your GPS location. On Free accounts: no day-based check-in — the calendar alert triggers at the trip end date only.
Technical
Short ID — The 4-character code at the end of a shared link URL (e.g. /trip/ab12). Used to identify shared trips, gear lists, and edit links. A new code is generated if the share link is revoked and regenerated.
Pioneer badge — A gold badge-check icon displayed on all shared trips and gear lists owned by Pioneer-tier accounts. Visible to anyone viewing shared content, including non-users.