Welcome back! A lot has happened since June 1. Two new blog posts, three platform updates, and a collaboration post we want you to see. The biggest piece: emergency contacts can now read your check-in messages from inReach and SPOT right on the shared dashboard. Here's the rundown.
New on the blog
In mid-June we published One Place, One Link: How the Trip Portfolio Works. It walks through the Trip Portfolio from both sides: what the adventurer sets up before heading out, and what the emergency contact actually sees on the shared dashboard. If you've heard about the Trip Portfolio but never opened it up, this is your tour.
Earlier this week, No Signal, Still Reachable: How Phone Satellite Messaging Works covered the satellite SOS features built into recent iPhones and Pixel devices. It's a practical walkthrough that covers how to use them, what they can and can't do, and why they should be treated as a backup to dedicated SOS messengers like the inReach or SPOT, not as a replacement.
What's new on the platform
Check-in messages now appear on the shared dashboard. Previously, when you sent a check-in from your inReach or SPOT, your emergency contacts saw a location pin and a timestamp but not the actual text of what you said. Now your check-in messages show up alongside the location point, exactly as you sent it.
APRS live tracking is now live for HAM operators running packet radio in the field. APRS callsigns can be configured on a trip, and live position points show up on the shared dashboard just like any inReach or SPOT data. APRS requires a valid amateur radio license to operate so if that's you, it's available now.
Soar4Life joins the Mental Health section under Resources. A small but worthwhile addition to the directory.
Sign in with Apple is now available. Use your Apple ID to create and log into your TrekFreely account. One less password to keep track of.
If you haven't built a trip in the Trip Portfolio yet, your next outing is the right one to start with. The new walkthrough post (above) covers the whole flow, and setup takes about ten minutes the first time. Every trip after that is a quick duplicate-and-edit.
On The Sharp End Podcast
Ashley Saupe, host of The Sharp End, the American Alpine Club's accident-and-decision-making podcast, collaborated with us and published a post about TrekFreely on her Instagram and Patreon in late June, introducing her audience to what we're building. If you don't already know her work, The Sharp End digs into accident reports and decision-making in climbing, with the kind of long, careful episodes that change how you think about your own choices. She does amazing work for the community and is definitely worth a listen if you're interested.
More collaborations are in the works with other podcast hosts and creators. When they post, we'll mention them here.
On the horizon
A few things we're working on next, in rough priority order. No dates promised except where noted:
- SMS alerts for trip notifications are fully built into the platform. We're working through legal vetting before turning them on.
- Additional safety tooling for the shared portfolio is still in design. More ways for emergency contacts to know what's normal and what isn't.
- A TrekFreely mobile app is under active development. First release expected later this summer.
We'll mention each of these here when they become available.
A note from the founder
The biggest thing I've learned this past month: people who try the Trip Portfolio once tend to keep using it. The hard part is getting them to try it once. If TrekFreely has been useful to you, the single most helpful thing you can do is mention it to your trip partner, the person you usually go out with, or the person waiting at home. Not as a pitch, just something like "have you seen this" over a beer or in the trailhead parking lot.
If you have something to share about what's here, what's missing, what works, or what doesn't, the contact form routes directly to me.
If you want to support the project, you can donate or visit our online shop. Everything we build stays free either way.
— Scott Taylor, TrekFreely
