Set up your safety network
A step-by-step guide to adding emergency contacts, configuring your safety timer, and verifying the QR flow before your trip.
Trailkeep's safety system has three layers: your emergency contacts (who get alerted if you go overdue), the safety timer (which triggers the alert automatically), and the Safety QR (which gives rescuers a direct link to your trip status). This guide walks you through setting up all three before you head out.
Completing this setup takes about 10 minutes. Do it before your trip — not on the trailhead.
What you'll need
- A Trailkeep account
- At least one emergency contact's email address
- A planned trip with a start date and end date set
- A phone or printer for the Safety QR card
Add your emergency contacts
Go to Dashboard → Settings (⚙) → Emergency → Contacts.
Add the email addresses of the people who should be notified if you go overdue. These are typically family members, a close friend, or a trip coordinator — people who know your planned route and can coordinate a response.
Recommendations:
- Add at least two contacts in case one email bounces or is missed
- Tell your contacts in advance that they may receive an alert from
alerts@trailkeep.com— ask them to add it to their contacts now so it doesn't land in spam - Include a phone number for each contact under Emergency → Personal so rescuers have an additional way to reach them
Add your personal emergency information
Go to Dashboard → Settings → Emergency → Personal.
Fill in the details that emergency contacts and rescuers may need: blood type, medical conditions, medications, next of kin, and any other information relevant for SAR.
This data is visible on your shared trip page when the trip is in an overdue/SOS state — it is private otherwise.
Create your trip and set the dates
The safety timer requires a trip end date to be set. If no end date is set, no alert fires.
Create your trip in Trip Planner → New trip, and set:
- A start date — the day you leave the trailhead
- An end date — the day you plan to return
Be realistic with the end date. An alert fires when the end date passes and the trip has not been marked complete — if you set the end date too early, your contacts will receive a false alarm.
Configure the safety timer
Open the Check-in Timer popover on any active trip (the timer button in the trip header) and choose your check-in window.
Set the check-in window — how many hours between your daily check-ins before an alert fires. The default is 36 hours. Recommended values:
| Terrain | Suggested window |
|---|---|
| Well-maintained trail, regular phone signal | 24 hours |
| Remote trail, intermittent signal | 36 hours |
What "check-in" means: tapping Check in on a day in the Trip Planner resets the timer. The timer resets from the moment of check-in — not midnight. If you check in on Day 1 at 7 PM, the 24-hour window runs until 7 PM the following day.
The timer only starts when you start the trip (tap Start in the control panel). It does not run during planning.
Download or print your Safety QR
Click the QR icon in the planner toolbar (visible when the Trip tab is active) — this opens Account Settings → Emergency tab where your Safety QR is displayed.
The Safety QR is a permanent code linked to your account — it always reflects your current trip status. You only need one, but you can share it multiple ways:
- Print the A5 card — the print format includes the QR, the URL, the Trailkeep logo, and a short explanation of how to use it. Leave a printed copy with your emergency contacts before you leave.
- Save to your phone — screenshot the QR and save it as a lock screen widget or in your photos.
- Share the link — the URL under the QR can be bookmarked or sent by text. Anyone with the link can see your trip status.
The Safety QR does not include your name. If you leave a physical card with someone, write your name on the back in pen so they know whose it is.
Start your trip
When you are ready to depart, tap Start in the Trip Planner control panel.
This activates:
- The safety timer countdown
- The shared trip link (anyone with the link can now see your active trip)
- Trip chat
The Start button is only available once an end date is set.
Check in each day on trail
At the end of each day, tap Check in in the Trip Planner. This:
- Marks the day as done
- Resets the safety timer countdown
- Automatically captures your current GPS location if signal is available
GPS capture happens automatically when you complete a day — no extra tap needed. If GPS is unavailable (no signal), the day still completes and the timer still resets; your contacts will see the updated check-in time.
GPS coordinates are saved at the moment of day completion. If you are in a dead zone, complete the day anyway — the timer reset is what matters for your safety network.
Finish the trip when you return
When you are safely back, tap Finish trip in the control panel. This:
- Marks the trip as completed
- Stops all timer alerts
- Removes Trail Companions from the notification list (their emails are deleted)
- Updates the shared trip page to show "completed" status
Do this as soon as you are back — your emergency contacts will see the status update immediately on the shared page.
Before you leave: a quick checklist
- Emergency contacts added with correct email addresses
- Contacts know to expect emails from
alerts@trailkeep.com - Personal emergency information filled in (blood type, medications, next of kin)
- Trip has a start date and end date
- Safety timer interval configured
- Safety QR card printed or saved — left with at least one contact
- Test: scan the QR yourself and confirm the link loads correctly
If something goes wrong on trail
If you cannot check in on time — a twisted ankle, navigational delay, bad weather — and you can still reach a signal:
- Tap Check in on the day in Trailkeep (resets the timer)
- Or tap Extend on the timer (adds 2 hours to the current countdown)
- Send a message in trip chat to let contacts know you are delayed
If the timer fires and your contacts receive an alert, they can check the shared trip page for your last known GPS location and your planned route. The page does not auto-update — they may need to reload to see the latest status.