During a complex and adventurous trip in the Canadian Rockies the idea for a new trip planning app came to life. Taylor Burk decided he wanted to help others pack and organize for outdoor excursions and other travel. This was the beginning of a new journey for him and the development of the Packup App, Adventure Made Easy.
Packup App – Adventure Made Easy
Inspiring Outdoor Photographer to App Designer
As an active outdoor enthusiast who loves getting outdoors from climbing mountains to riding mountain bikes I tend to gravitate towards likeminded individuals. Taylor Burk happens to fit that description perfectly. I have been a digital friend of Taylor’s since around 2015 when I first started following him on Instagram and included his account in my 20 Top Inspiring Canadian Outdoor Instagrammers post.
Since then Taylor has steadily worked very hard to become one of the top landscape and adventure travel photographers in Canada. His website is a visual escape into a beautiful outdoor world and worth checking out. The reason I am bringing up Taylor is due to my observations from the sidelines as he actively works on a new project, the Packup App.
I first saw the beginnings of his new gear check list and trip planning app on a BC West Coast mountaineering group on facebook. After learning and following along on the apps development, which is now entering the beta testing stage soon, I knew I wanted to spread the word. So I reached out to Taylor to share a little on how the app came to be, where they are at and how you can stay updated.
I now turn the blog over to Taylor.
The Story behind Packup
When was the last time you or a friend forgot to pack something important on one of your outdoor adventures? Mistakes like forgetting your tent poles, rain coat, headlamp or even your ski boots can be entertaining and make for a good story, but can also become dangerous and life-threatening pretty quickly.
There is currently a massive spike in the number of people seeking an escape from our ever-complicated world through outdoor adventure. Activities like skiing, running, biking, climbing and hiking are at an all-time high in popularity and retailers are having a difficult time keeping gear in stock. Accompanying this spike is a record number of rescue calls, largely due to a lack of preparedness of those eager to get out.
We all have to start somewhere though. My first backpacking trip was an absolute gong show; I went on a solo 4 day/75km trek across rugged country in Northern New Zealand, and notably missing from my pack was adequate food, water, shelter, and basically everything else important. I was extremely unprepared for the 2 days of torrential downpour following 2 days of blistering hot sun without sunscreen—a deathwish for a pasty white boy like myself. It was a huge learning experience; a lot of hunger, burns, blisters, etc. could have been avoided if I had easily accessible information on what to pack at my fingertips.
Where can people learn about the essentials on what to bring for a wide array of trips and ensure that they have all the gear and information necessary before heading out? There are several online groups and forums on sites like Facebook, but asking for advice is not always easy, especially when questions posed to online outdoor groups risk facing criticism and
shaming rather than guidance and teaching. Blogs are helpful, but are broad in nature and require a lot of time to dig for the right information. There is a clear need for a comprehensive, customizable, and informative trip planning tool that can be accessed from anywhere.
I’d like to introduce Packup: Adventure Made Easy. When the pandemic hit last year and travel was no longer an option, my work as a travel photographer came to a screeching halt. With a lot of extra time on our hands, my long-time friend Mack Carson and I decided to commit to creating a platform where people could easily generate trip checklists, access safety tools, and coordinate with trip members all in one place.
Over the past year we have been working on refining the platform and bringing it to life thanks to the help of Tony Mamo, a talented senior software engineer who believed in our idea so much that he decided to join the team and help us develop it.
When we officially launch, the packup app will have features that include but are not limited to:
- Trip Checklist Generator: Take the guesswork out of trip preparation – simply choose your accommodation, transportation, and outdoor activities to form the foundation of your customizable packing list and trip.
- Party Management: Organize, lead and assign your group roles to ensure everyone has their share of essential items, and that nothing gets left behind, or double packed!
- Search function: Going to a new area or trying a new activity? See what other professional guides and enthusiasts are packing for their adventures, improving your own preparedness and safety.
With the common goal of creating a safe experience for everyone in the outdoors and an appreciation and love for nature, we have put our unique skills together to create this program. We are excited to announce our first round of user testing, if you want early access and are eager to provide feedback please get in touch with us here: www.getpackup.com
Thanks for taking the time to read and learn more about our app, feel free to follow along on social as well @getpackup. Stay safe out there and don’t forget to pack extra TP! – Taylor Burk
Educate, Prepare and Organize for the Outdoors
I am very grateful for Taylor taking the time to share more information here on the blog with all of us about the Packup App. The more we share and work together to better ourselves as outdoor enthusiasts the better stewards of the land we will be, have a more enjoyable time and of course reduce the inherent risks of being in nature.
I should also mention all the amazing images in this blog post where taken by Taylor on some of his exciting trips across the globe.
Don’t forget to check out my articles on Simple Way to Pack Your Backpack for Overnight Hikes , Backpacking Gear List for 3-5 Day Trip and Easy 3 Day Backpacking Food List . Teamed up with the Packup App you won’t forget anything and be ready for your next adventure.
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Join along on this mindful journey discovering the benefits of the outdoors, environmental awareness, sustainable lifestyle and mindfulness on social media as well as here on the blog. My Instagram account is @Stasher_BC , Twitter at @Stasher_BC and Facebook at Chris Istace Mindful Explorer
For more helpful posts click over and check out the Backpacking section of the blog or my Day Hike posts.
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