1. Introduction and who we are
Pack Hiker ("we", "us", "our") is a collaborative trip-planning platform for multi-day hiking groups. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect your personal information when you use Pack Hiker.
This policy is prepared in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and is also designed to meet the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable.
For privacy enquiries, contact us at: privacy@packhiker.com
2. What personal information we collect
We collect only the information necessary to provide the Pack Hiker service:
Account information: First name, last name, email address, and optional phone number, collected when you register.
Profile picture: An optional photograph you choose to upload to identify yourself to other hike members.
Hike and itinerary data: Trip plans, dates, routes, and itinerary entries you create or contribute to.
Route files (GPX, KML, GeoJSON): Trail route data (GPS coordinates, elevation) you upload for trip planning. This is route planning data, not personal movement tracking.
Expense information: Costs, splits, and reimbursements recorded within a hike you participate in.
Emergency contact details: Names, phone numbers, and email addresses of your emergency contacts, and PLB device registration details, which you voluntarily provide.
Messages: Chat messages sent within hike groups.
Technical data: IP address and timestamps associated with your requests, retained in server logs for security purposes.
3. How we collect your information
We collect personal information directly from you when you register for an account, complete your profile, create or join a hike, upload files, enter expenses, add emergency contacts, or send messages. We do not collect personal information from third parties or through cookies beyond what is technically necessary to operate the service.
4. Why we collect and use your information
We collect and use your personal information for the following purposes:
Providing and operating the Pack Hiker trip-planning service
Identifying you to other members of hikes you participate in
Sending you account verification and password reset emails
Sending safety brief emails containing emergency contact details to hike members
Calculating and displaying expense splits and settlements
Ensuring the security of the platform (rate limiting, fraud detection)
Complying with our legal obligations
Legal basis (GDPR): Processing is based on your consent (given at registration), the performance of a contract (providing the service you signed up for), and our legitimate interests in operating a secure platform. Emergency contact data is processed with your explicit consent, given separately when adding that information.
5. Who we share your information with
Other hike members: When you join a hike, your full name, email address, and phone number (if provided) are visible to all other members of that hike. You are informed of this and required to consent before joining. Emergency contacts you add to a hike are similarly visible to all hike members.
No third-party sharing: We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing or commercial purposes. We do not use third-party analytics services.
Legal requirements: We may disclose your information where required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of individuals.
6. Data storage and security
Pack Hiker is self-hosted software. Your data is stored on a private server controlled by the platform operator. It is not stored on cloud services shared with other organisations. Passwords are hashed using bcrypt and are never stored in plain text. All communication is encrypted in transit using HTTPS.
We implement technical security measures including rate limiting on authentication endpoints, account lockout after repeated failed login attempts, and single-use password reset tokens with expiry times. No security measure is 100% effective, and we encourage you to use a strong, unique password.
7. Data retention
Your personal information is retained for as long as you maintain an account with us. When you delete your account, your profile, email, phone number, and profile picture are permanently deleted. Financial records (expense splits) and hike contributions are anonymised rather than deleted, to preserve the integrity of shared financial records for other participants (see section 9 — Your rights).
An anonymised, non-reversible record that an account deletion occurred is retained indefinitely for audit and abuse-prevention purposes. This record does not contain your name or email address.
Server access logs containing IP addresses are retained for up to 12 months for security and abuse-prevention purposes, after which they are deleted.
8. Cookies and tracking
Pack Hiker uses browser local storage (not cookies) solely to maintain your login session and to remember certain UI preferences (such as whether you have acknowledged in-app notices). We do not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or any third-party analytics.
9. Your rights
Under the Australian Privacy Act and the GDPR, you have the following rights:
Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you by contacting us at the address in section 12.
Correction: You may update your name, email, phone number, and profile picture at any time through your Profile settings.
Deletion: You may delete your account at any time through Profile → Delete account. See section 7 for what is and is not deleted.
Portability: You may request an export of your personal data in a machine-readable format by contacting us. A self-service export tool is planned for a future release.
Objection / Restriction: You may object to or request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of prior processing.
Complaint: Australian residents may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au. EU residents may contact their national supervisory authority.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@packhiker.com. We will respond within 30 days.
10. Emergency contact information
Before adding another person's contact details as your emergency contact, you must obtain that person's consent to their details being shared with other hike members. Pack Hiker requires you to confirm this consent before adding emergency contact information. The emergency contact details you add (name, phone, email) will be visible to all members of the hike and may be included in safety brief emails sent by any hike member.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified to registered users by email and/or by a prominent notice on the platform. Continued use of Pack Hiker after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. The effective date at the top of this document will be updated with each revision.
12. Contact us
For any privacy-related questions, requests, or complaints, please contact us at:
privacy@packhiker.com