The release of Guthook’s new Check-In Social Feature was fuel for the fire of our thoughts and discussion around how we socialize on and off trail.

According to Guthook’s website, the new feature is “a way to keep in touch with family and friends back home or to follow the progress of your tramily while hiking.” Hikers can document their journeys with a series of GPS check-ins, which friends and family can then follow.

Now, in this pandemic limbo we’re all living in, online platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and the also-newly-released Hikerlink have become even more solidified in their power to keep us connected outside the physical world, where the functionality of the Guthook social feature is completely reliant on our ability to physically explore the trails.

Though it’s still unclear how long it will be before we can actually use it, Guthook’s new social feature will undoubtedly be a prominent feature of trail life once it starts back up in full force. To give us all something to ponder, here’s an overview of the new feature and some thoughts on how it could integrate into the social dynamics of backpacking.