On the first night of a kayaking trip of the Rio Grande river in Texas, Taylor Burk’s friend realized he had forgotten his tent poles.
“He kind of had to use objects around, like our kayaks and other things, to try to pin his tent up to lay under in case it rained. It was a pretty funny situation,” said Burk, a Victoria-based professional photographer who specializes in adventure travel work.
He’s heard stories of others on ski touring trips who have forgotten their climbing skins, which attach to the bottom of skis and splitboards to allow backcountry skiers to hike uphill without sliding backward, preventing them from going on their planned trip. Others have forgotten sunscreen on a hot day, getting burnt throughout their trip. Burk once forgot an SD card for his camera, preventing him from saving any images.
It’s all these mishaps that inspired Burk and two friends, Mack Carson and Tony Mamo, to create an app aimed at helping outdoor enthusiasts prepare and plan for their trips to ensure they never forget an important item again.
Their app, packup, allows users to organize their trips in one location and generate packing lists based on the activity, whether it’s hiking, kayaking, skiing, bikepacking, climbing or another adventure. Users can share packing lists to ensure everyone knows who is bringing a communal item, like a tent or stove. They can also input their specific gear to the app’s “gear closet” to create custom packing lists.
Even with a decade of outdoor adventuring under his belt, Burk said he sometimes forgets his water filter or first aid kit. He packs for trips on his own and then uses the app to check that he has everything he needs.
“It covers from people who are just starting out to seasoned pros who just want to have everything streamlined and all in one place,” Burk said.
The app was initially web-based and could be used on a browser on a phone or computer. It launched last week on the Apple app store and Google Play for androids.
Burk said the team intends to keep the app free, but might create a premium paid version later on with extra features.
“For us, the big aspect is ultimately making sure people know what they need to bring,” Burk said.
Sandra Riches, executive director for B.C. AdventureSmart, a national prevention program focused on reaching people participating in outdoor recreational activities, said she couldn’t comment specifically on the app, but that she is happy when outdoor enthusiasts plan for their trips at any level.
“Any form of planning is encouraged and supported,” she said.
B.C. AdventureSmart offers a free Trip Plan app designed to help people create and share trip plans with family and friends that can be provided to search and rescue in case of an emergency.
For more information on the packup app, visit the website at getpackup.com.
More information on trip planning, training and essential packing items is available at adventuresmart.ca/the-three-ts/.
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