Hi. My name is Mark. I'm a hiker. What draws me to it is the journey — specifically the long ones. Extended multi-day hikes are where I'm most at home.
The gear and camping side of things is a means to that end. A well-chosen pack, a shelter that sets up in the dark, a sleep system that earns its weight — these matter because they let you stay out longer, move further, and focus on the experience rather than your kit. Gear is the enabler, not the point.
What This Site Is About
Hiking in the mountains is one of the most rewarding things I do. It's also hard. Sustained climbs, heavy packs, altitude, variable weather — if your body isn't ready for it, none of the rest matters much.
So alongside the hiking itself, I've been working on the things that make it better: fitness, nutrition, recovery, training for the specific demands of multi-day mountain terrain. I'm not a doctor, I'm not medically trained, and I'm not a qualified outdoor leader. What I am is someone who researches obsessively and tries things out on the trail.
This site is where I share that research. Gear I've tested, training approaches I've used, nutrition strategies that have worked for me in the field. It's a reference, not a prescription — you'll find what I've learned and what I'm still figuring out. Take what's useful, leave what isn't, and always make your own decisions about what's right for you.
A note on health and safety: Nothing on this site is medical advice. What works for me may not work for you, and you should consult a qualified professional before making significant changes to your health, training, or nutrition. Going into the backcountry and mountain environments carries real risk — weather changes fast, terrain is unforgiving, and conditions can deteriorate without warning. It is your responsibility to assess the risks, prepare adequately for the conditions you're likely to face, and make decisions that keep you safe. Don't rely on any single source — including this one — when planning a serious trip into the mountains.
The App
Over the years I've tried most of the apps, spreadsheets, and gear lists the hiking community has built. Some were close. None quite fit the way I actually think about gear: locker first, then build your pack for the trip. So I built Back in Pack.
Back in Pack is a gear management and trip planning tool built around three ideas:
Locker — your complete gear inventory. Add every piece of kit you own once, with weights, categories, and notes. That's your source of truth.
Packs — your packing lists. Pull gear from your Locker into a Pack for a specific trip type. Summer day hike, winter overnighter, fastpacking setup — each one is its own Pack, drawing from the same Locker. No re-entering items.
Trips — attach a Pack to a Trip, plan your route, and track your progress on the trail with live GPS.
The core gear management — Locker and Packs — is free, on the web and on mobile. That's what I wanted to share with the hiking community first.
Why Free
Gear tracking shouldn't sit behind a paywall. The tools that help you make smarter packing decisions, cut unnecessary weight, and stop buying duplicates of kit you already own — those belong to anyone who hikes.
The free tier (Day Hiker) gives you full Locker access, unlimited gear items, and the ability to build and share packs. Paid tiers unlock route planning, GPS trip tracking, export options, and more — but the fundamentals are free.
The Content Side
Alongside the app, I'm building Back in Pack as a content channel: articles and YouTube videos covering gear, nutrition, training, and trail skills. Same approach as the app — no affiliate fluff, no recommendations I haven't tested, no advice I wouldn't take on the trail myself.
I'm early in that part of the journey. If you've found your way here, you're early too.
Get Started
The app is free on the web and on iOS and Android. Create an account, add your gear, build your first pack.
If something doesn't work the way you'd expect, get in touch.
Train hard. Fuel right. Pack smart. Go further.