HikeLoad
HikeLog
Hiking Project
Hiking with Geeks
TrailLink
tripFiles
CommitCat
HikeLoad is a free web-based hiking planner for backpackers and day hikers. Plan multi-day routes with day-by-day schedules, upload GPX files, track gear weight and manage your trail food with calorie counts - all in one place. No ads, no premium tier.
HikeLoadHikeLoad's answer
Most hiking apps focus on navigation or route discovery. HikeLoad focuses on the planning phase โ the part that happens before you hit the trail. It combines three tools in one place: a day-by-day route planner with GPX upload, a gear list with per-item weight tracking and load distribution, and a food planner with calorie counts per hike day. No other free tool combines all three. There are no ads, no premium tier and no credit card required โ ever.
HikeLoad's answer
AllTrails and Komoot are great for discovering and navigating routes, but they don't help you plan what to bring or eat. Spreadsheets work but don't connect your gear to specific hike days. HikeLoad fills that gap: it's purpose-built for the planning phase of a multi-day hike. You can plan your route day by day, attach a gear list with total carry weight, plan your meals with calories, and share your full plan via a public link โ all for free, in a browser, with no app to install.
HikeLoad's answer
Serious backpackers and multi-day hikers who plan their trips in advance and care about details like pack weight, daily calorie intake and route logistics. Typical users are preparing for a multi-day trail (3โ14 days), are weight-conscious, and want their planning in one place rather than spread across spreadsheets, notes apps and PDF checklists. Both first-time multi-day hikers who need structure and experienced ultralight hikers who want precise weight data use HikeLoad.
HikeLoad's answer
HikeLoad was built out of personal frustration. While planning a multi-day hiking trip, the founder found himself juggling route notes in one app, a gear spreadsheet in another, and food planning in a third โ with nothing connecting them. Every existing tool either solved only one piece of the puzzle or locked the useful features behind a paywall. HikeLoad was built to be the tool that didn't exist yet: a free, all-in-one planner that treats route, gear and food as parts of the same plan. It launched at hikeload.com and has been free ever since, built on the belief that good hiking tools shouldn't cost money.
HikeLoad's answer
HikeLoad is built with Laravel (PHP), Blade templating, Bootstrap 5 and MySQL. It runs on a Linux server and is a fully server-rendered web application โ no heavy JavaScript framework. GPX files are parsed server-side. Open Graph images are generated dynamically with PHP GD.
HikeLoad's answer
HikeLoad is a free consumer tool used by individual hikers and backpackers โ it has no enterprise customers or paid tiers. Its users are private individuals planning personal hiking trips, from weekend trail runners to long-distance thru-hikers preparing for multi-week expeditions.
HikeLog - Share your outdoor trips and gear with your audience.
Hiking Project - Better Data. Better Maps. Better Hikes
Hiking with Geeks - Website for trail guides based on location.
TrailLink - TrailLink is the best-in-class trail-finder Website and app that provides detailed descriptions, photos, reviews to help hikers and outdoor enthusiasts plan their trips.
tripFiles - Trip advice from people you trust