Getting Started

Learn the basics of Lodestone and start planning your first adventure

Table of Contents

Welcome to Lodestone

Lodestone is your all-in-one backpacking and hiking trip planner. Whether you're planning a weekend dayhike or a week-long thru-hike, Lodestone helps you organize every detail — from gear and loadouts to routes and group coordination.

Lodestone dashboard overview

Creating Your Account

Getting started is quick:

  1. Sign up at lodestonehikes.com/register or download the iOS app
  2. Complete your profile — add your name, a photo, and your preferred unit system (imperial or metric)
  3. Start exploring — you're ready to create trips, add gear, and join groups

Key Concepts

Trips

Trip planning view

A trip is the core of Lodestone. Each trip has:

  • A name, dates, and location
  • A route with waypoints and navigation
  • A gear loadout (what you're bringing)
  • Participants who can be invited to join

Gear

Gear locker

Your gear locker is your personal inventory of all your outdoor equipment. Add items with details like weight, category, and brand. Once your gear is cataloged, you can quickly build loadouts for any trip.

Loadouts

A loadout is a curated list of gear for a specific trip or activity. Think of it as your packing list. You can:

  • Create loadouts from your gear locker
  • Share loadouts with friends via public links
  • Duplicate and customize loadouts for different conditions

Routes

Routes let you plan your path with detailed waypoints. Import GPX files from popular trail databases or create routes from scratch with the built-in map tools.

Groups

Groups bring hikers together. Create or join a group to:

  • Share trips and routes with members
  • Coordinate group expeditions
  • Stay connected with your hiking community

What's Next?

Now that you know the basics, dive deeper: