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Walk to the trailhead trusting your planWalk to the trailhead trusting your plan
Not sure where you stand? Start with the free Multi-Day Hiking Readiness Quiz.

Walk to the trailhead trusting your plan

TRAILS with Mowser takes capable day walkers and overnighters through the preparation for a 3 to 10 day hike. Food, gear, logistics and safety, one short task a day, until the plan holds.
TRAILS with Mowser takes capable day walkers and overnighters through the preparation for a 3 to 10 day hike. Food, gear, logistics and safety, one short task a day, until the plan holds.
  • A food plan in grams per day, for your actual trip.
  • A pack where every item has earned its place.
  • An itinerary and intentions plan someone at home is holding.
Mowser
Created byMowser
Tasmanian hiker. 35 years on the track, five of them guiding the Overland. Writes Mowser's Musings.
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Your coach

Your pack is 16.4 kg before food and Day 3 is the long one. Today we find the kilo that is not earning its place.

Today's Activity

12 min • Multi-Day Food Planning

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Not sure where you stand? Start with the free Multi-Day Hiking Readiness Quiz.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

Know what is sorted, and what is not

Most people worry about fitness. On the track, what actually goes wrong is food, gear and the plan. We work through all three, 20 to 30 minutes a day, so every session leaves one part of your trip clearer than it was.

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Food plan complete

Your Day 4 dinner is sorted. That is the last gap in the food plan.

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Food you have planned and tested

A target in grams per day, a menu you can repeat, and a dinner you have cooked at home before you trust it on the track.

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A pack where each item earns its place

Weigh it all, check it against the worst realistic day, then carry it on a shakedown walk before the real thing.

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A plan someone at home can follow

Route in hours not kilometres, water gaps, transport, turn-around rules and an intentions plan sent to three people.

THE TRAILS FRAMEWORK

The same system I used guiding the Overland Track, applied to the trip you are actually taking

TRAILS stands for Training, Route, Appropriate gear, Intake and water, Logistics and Safety. You come out the other end with a food plan, a weighed gear list, an itinerary and an intentions plan for your actual trip. It does not replace a map, a forecast or your own judgement, and it is not meant to.

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Daily briefing

Lesson inside main task

Today's Activity

12 min • Multi-Day Food Planning

Start activity

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What you work through before you leave home

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One task a day

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Food, gear and logistics in order, one practical task at a time, with the safety decisions woven through all of it.

backpack

A gear list for the conditions

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Weigh every item, check the core kit against the worst realistic day, and test the loaded pack on a shakedown walk.

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Food planned by day

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Set grams per day, build a repeatable menu instead of seven unique ones, and test a dinner at home.

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Route and logistics

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Daily plans in hours, water gaps, transport both ends, a buffer day and turn-around rules. Forecasts and track conditions checked against official sources.

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The shape of a day

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A short briefing, a lesson from me, the day's planning task and a one line check. Twenty to thirty minutes on a normal day.

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Lessons from me

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A short read or one of my videos, only when it explains why today's task matters. Never a lecture for its own sake.

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Your history and library

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Every completed task is saved. The Library holds 18 of my videos and 10 downloadable guides for when you want to go deeper.

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The decisions that matter

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Beacon, navigation backup, weather call and intentions plan, all reviewed before you leave. These get decided at the kitchen table, not on day four in the rain.

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Support between walks

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Ask the coach about your next task using your own trip details. It works from my framework and your numbers. Conditions and forecasts you check with the official sources yourself; the app does not do that for you.

Created by Mowser

Meet Mowser

Mowser

Mowser

Tasmanian hiker. 35 years on the track, five of them guiding the Overland. Writes Mowser's Musings.

I am Mowser. I have spent 35 years walking in Tasmania and beyond, including five years guiding the Overland Track, and I got most of it wrong first. I started a 26 day trip at 38 kg because someone told me a kilo of food a day. I turned up to guide in brand new boots and had blisters in 45 minutes. None of that came from a lack of gear. It came from not having a system. TRAILS is that system, broken into short daily sessions, so you arrive at the trailhead trusting your food, your gear, your plan and yourself. Do the work, then enjoy the journey.

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What you will work through before your trip

Set a food target in grams per day
Check gear against the expected conditions
Weigh the pack and review each item
Plan the route, transport and water gaps
Set turn-around rules before you leave
Build and test a repeatable meal system
Check official forecasts and track conditions
Write an itinerary and intentions plan
Take a loaded pack on a shakedown walk
Take what you learn into the next trip
Trip planning support

A coach between your walks

The coach in the app speaks in my voice and works from my preparation framework and the trip details you enter. It is not me on the other end of a chat, and it is not a substitute for a map, a forecast or your own judgement. It is there to keep the next task clear.

assignment

Personalized Multi-Day Hike Prep Session

Preparation Session • 16 min
Systematically prepare for your next multi-day hike with a step-by-step session tailored to your route, gear, and nutrition needs. The app guides you through food planning, gear selection, and logistics so you arrive confident.
What to do
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Briefing (example: 1 min)
3 min
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fitness_center
Lesson inside main task
5 min
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restaurant
Main task (example: 22 min)
5 min
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map
Close-out (example: 1 min)
3 min
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How it works

How your trip plan takes shape

Tell the app about your trip, then work through food, gear and logistics in order. Most days take 20 to 30 minutes. The Library holds 18 videos and 10 downloadable guides for when you want more.

Onboarding Quiz

Where do you feel least confident for your next multi-day hike?

Planning food and nutrition
Choosing and packing the right gear
Organising route and logistics
Balancing all the details without stress
1

Tell me about your trip

Route, dates and experience go in during onboarding. That is what starts your plan.

Your Plan

Week 1

Foundations of Multi-Day Prep

Trip goal setting
Gear essentials checklist
Food planning basics
Route research & mapping
Week 2Upcoming

Advanced Trail Readiness

2

See the preparation plan

Food, gear and logistics, in that order, with the safety decisions woven through every phase.

Today, October 7

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Daily briefing

Briefing • 1 min

Lesson inside main task

Included in the task below

Trip setup task

Trip setup task • 22 min

Close-out

Example close-out • 1 min

3

Do the day's main task

A short briefing, one lesson, one planning task and a close out. Twenty to thirty minutes on a normal day, under ten on a rest day.

Your Progress

Body Fat Percentage

82%

as of Oct 7

JulyOctober

Move Time

32.7 minutes

as of Oct 7

JulyOctober
4

Review what you have finished

Completed tasks sit in History. Videos and downloadable guides live in the Library for when you want them.

It only takes 2 minutes to get started

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What hikers say

Real words from people who used the guides, plans and tools this app is built on, collected through my review page at mowser.com.au.

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I downloaded the fitness planner for an upcoming trek on the Cape to Cape. I was already following my own plan which wasn't really working for me. Following his suggestions, my legs are in better shape because of, not only the walking plan with a backpack, but more importantly the squats, lunges and planking, which I never considered.
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Richard E.
Hiking fitness plan, Cape to Cape WA.
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Very helpful, very clear, with a nice balance of flexibility. I find a lot of hike training plans are very complicated with many working parts. I can already feel my body strengthening for my upcoming hike and no injuries along the way.
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Aaron.
Hiking fitness plan, Blue Mountains.
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I have found the meal planner to be invaluable and have put it to use straight away for a 4 day thru hike. It allowed me to fine tune not only my required calorie intake, but also the weight of meals carried.
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Greg P.
Hiking meal planner.
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I feel more informed now and secure that I will be as prepared as possible for the Overland Track and future hikes. I suspect Mowser's voice will be in my head as I make decisions on the track.
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Ros W.
Preparing for the Overland Track.
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I managed to successfully complete my first multi day hike earlier this year on the Carnarvon Great Walk. Mowser's meal planner and fitness plans were really helpful.
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Cate.
First multi-day hike, Carnarvon Great Walk.
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I've been hiking for nearly 50 years and, from that long experience, I can tell you that Mowser is solid. He is knowledgeable, reliable and sober, like the leader one would want on a hard, confronting trek in the Tasmanian wilds.
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Peter C.
50 years of hiking.
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New to overnight and multi day hiking at 50. Convinced me not to wing it but to properly plan for my first 4 day 3 night hike. You convinced me to take charge of my own safety, and to remove the extras I don't need.
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Janine.
First 4 day hike at 50.
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To prep for the Overland Track I made sure I walked 10,000 steps most days and added weights to my backpack and walked a 30 minute hill climb. Both tips meant my legs were well prepared for the track.
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Carolyn.
Overland Track.
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Used your videos to prepare me for the Walls of Jerusalem, two days off, then the Overland. I was prepared for the snow, rain, mud, wind and even waking to a frozen tent fly. Encountered the lot in February.
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Glenda.
Walls of Jerusalem and the Overland Track.
FAQ

Your questions, answered

Who is this app for?
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What will I learn in this app?
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How much time do I need to dedicate to this app?
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Is this app suitable for beginners?
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How is the trip plan shaped around me?
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Is the AI coach Mowser live?
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Do I need to keep paying after my trip?
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Start with your trip details

Get the next part of your trip sorted

Give it your route, dates and experience. TRAILS turns them into a preparation plan you can work through before you leave home. Do the work, then enjoy the journey.