Legal

Terms of Service

Last updated: February 19, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Lodestone application and website (the "Service"), operated by Lodestone Hikes, a DBA of Howdoicomputer, LLC ("Lodestone," "we," "us," or "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Lodestone is a backpacking and hiking trip planning platform that provides:

  • Trip planning and management tools
  • Gear tracking and loadout organization
  • Route planning, recording, and discovery
  • Provision and food planning
  • Social features including groups, messaging, and trip sharing
  • AI-powered trip analysis and recommendations
  • Weather forecasts for trip locations

3. Account Registration

To use most features of the Service, you must create an account. You agree to:

  • Provide accurate and complete information during registration
  • Maintain the security of your password and account
  • Accept responsibility for all activity under your account
  • Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

You must be at least 13 years old to create an account. If you are under 18, you must have parental or guardian consent.

4. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use the Service to:

  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Harass, bully, threaten, or intimidate other users
  • Upload or share content that is illegal, harmful, defamatory, or obscene
  • Impersonate another person or entity
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or other users' accounts
  • Use automated tools, bots, or scrapers to access the Service
  • Interfere with or disrupt the Service or its infrastructure
  • Upload malware, viruses, or any harmful code
  • Spam other users through messages, comments, or group features

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.

5. Content Ownership

5.1 Your Content

You retain ownership of all content you create, upload, or share through the Service, including trips, gear data, photos, routes, comments, and messages ("Your Content"). By using the Service, you grant Lodestone a limited, non-exclusive license to store, display, and process Your Content solely to provide the Service.

5.2 Public Content

When you mark content as public (trips, loadouts, gear, routes), it becomes visible to other authenticated users of the Service. You can change the visibility of your content at any time.

5.3 Shared Content

When you share content in groups or public routes, other users may view and interact with it. You are responsible for the content you share and should not share content that violates these Terms.

6. Account Termination

You may delete your account at any time through the Settings page. Account deletion is permanent and will remove all your data from our systems, as described in our Privacy Policy.

We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms, with or without notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately.

7. Safety Disclaimer

Important: Lodestone is a planning and organizational tool. The Service does not replace proper outdoor safety practices. You acknowledge that:

  • Hiking, backpacking, and outdoor activities carry inherent risks including injury and death
  • AI-generated trip analyses and recommendations are for informational purposes only and should not be your sole basis for safety decisions
  • Weather forecasts are estimates and may not reflect actual conditions
  • Route data, trail information, and elevation profiles may contain inaccuracies
  • You are solely responsible for your safety and preparedness in the outdoors

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Lodestone and its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to:

  • Loss of data or content
  • Personal injury or property damage resulting from outdoor activities planned using the Service
  • Unauthorized access to your account
  • Service interruptions or downtime
  • Errors in AI-generated content, weather forecasts, or route data

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied.

9. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Lodestone and its affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising from your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another party.

10. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these Terms or the Service shall be resolved in the courts located in Travis County, Texas.

11. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes by posting the updated Terms on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

[email protected]