Over the years, if there’s one thing we’ve mastered, it’s the art of researching and planning trips. The internet is overflowing with information, and finding the right resources can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve curated a list of our go-to tools to help you plan your next adventure efficiently.

Every journey begins with inspiration. What makes you want to visit a destination, and how do you bring those dreams to life? For us, it all starts with curiosity. That curiosity takes us on a journey through Google Maps to get a sense of the area, Instagram & Pinterest for visual inspiration, and blog posts or tourism board sites for further information. All of this together transforms our ideas into unforgettable experiences.

After we have chosen a place to visit, we use the following resources to complete our planning. Be sure to download the resources as an app if you can, as they are more helpful during your travels when you can use them from your phone.

1. Hiking & Backpacking

The first step is choosing the area you want to explore, and making sure you’re aware of your capabilities. Once you know the park you want to visit, it’s time to search for trails!

Note: Always check if you need a permit before leaving for your hike. The best way to do this is to Google search the hike you want to do, for example “Joffre Lakes Provincial Park Permits”. You can find many camping permits linked here: Canada | USA.

AllTrails - this is our main source for searching for hikes and backpacking trails. Most hikes have up-to-date trail conditions from hikers who have recently completed them and will give you a rundown of distance, elevation, pictures, trail closures and even downloadable maps to make sure you stay on the trail. We input the park or area we are visiting in the search bar, and cruise through the list of hikes!

Once you’ve found your hike, make sure to download a secondary map from one of the apps below to make sure you’re covered and won’t get lost. I never rely on just one map incase something happens to the app or you end up taking a wrong turn and need a more detailed map.

Fatmap - a great map that will show you your route in 3D, and shows points of interest, side trails, creek crossings, campsites, etc. Be sure to download each individual area before leaving on your trip.

Gaia GPS - Another great map option, although my personal preference is Fatmaps. I recommend trying both to see which one suits you!

Maps.me - A great basic map that is good for when you’re offline and need an overall map of a place, whether that’s for hiking or driving. It does not contain topography information, but it has every single trail, even lesser-known ones that may not be on AllTrails or Fatmaps. It shows you hiking distances, times, elevation, summits, campsites, creek crossings, points of interest, and more.

Check out our backpacking gear guide

2. Car & Van Camping

Consider the capabilities of the vehicle you’re taking, and go from there. Are you in a campervan that can’t handle adverse road conditions? Or do you have a 4x4 vehicle that you can take into the backcountry? Once you’ve chosen your destination of interest, the below resources will help you plan the rest of your trip.

IOverlander - is a fantastic app that allows you to find a range of campsites from free to high-cost, and has a list of other resources in the area such as water refill stations, toilets, parking, fuel, dump stations and more.

Park4Night - this is a great resource to use for car or van camping in Europe. It’s just like iOverlander, but found it’s the better option when you’re not in North America.

Drive BC - Check road conditions. Depending on where you’re located, you can do a quick Google search that will bring you to the best website to check road conditions before you depart. You can try Safe Travel USA for conditions in the USA, or use specific sites like WSDOT for conditions in Washington State. For example you can search “Road Conditions in British Columbia” for the best results.

Reservation Sites for Parks - Use this site to book campsites or permits in Canada, or head to Recreation.gov for camping and permits in the USA.

This section coincides with the travel section below, so keep reading for more resources!

3. Travel

Google Maps - One of the best ways to plan your trips (especially if you’re driving) is to create a Google Map of all the pins you want to visit! We started doing this in 2015 and never looked back. For example here is our Golden Circle map from Iceland that we created for our winter trip:

To create your map, sign into your google account on your desktop, go to saved - maps - create map. Start adding your pins, and make sure to add any relevant details, websites or photos to remember what the spot is. You can then start adding directions and distances to plan your trip further.

Google Flights - So far this is our favourite way to get an overall look at the flights that are available for our dates and destination. It shows a list of flights from different airlines, costs, and a calendar to help you choose cheaper days if you’re flexible. I recommend using this site to find which flight you want, then go to the airline separately and book. This is important, as sometimes Google can direct you to random booking sites that can have added costs. I always recommend booking directly with the airline if you can.

Flight Tip: Text your flight number to a family member or friend, and your message should automatically add a clickable link. You can click on it to track your flight details in real time!

Rexby Maps - Planning everything from accommodation, food, activities and points of interest can be overwhelming, so if you know the destination you want to visit you can opt to get a completed guide on Rexby.

GetYourGuide and Viator - A great way to search for tours and activities in your area. Whether or not you book through these platforms or directly, it’s a good way to research what is possible in the destination you’re visiting!

Outdoorsy - One of the best sites for campervan rentals! We have used this plenty of times to find beautiful campervans to travel in. What I love about this site is that you can find unique and one-of-a-kind campervans around the world since many are hosted by locals who have built them themselves. Get $50 off your first booking by using the link HERE.

Booking.com and Hotel.com - These are usually our go-to when booking accommodation!

4. Weather & Special Conditions

Windy - We highly recommend learning how to use a satellite weather map like Windy if you can! It has helped give us a more precise reading and has been handy while looking for special conditions for photography such as fog, cloud inversions, better sunsets, winds, etc.

Aurora - A great app to help spot the northern and southern lights! We’ve been lucky and have been able to use it to spot the northern lights in Vancouver this year. It gives you notifications that let you know when you might see the Aurora within one hour in your area.

Fall Foliage Maps - Fall is coming up which means it’s time to keep your eye out for the best states to visit on certain dates. The one linked is a map of the USA, but you can find more fall foliage maps by searching your specific state or province on Google.

Wildflower map - There are lots of resources you can find online about wildflower reports! This one is for Washington and northern Oregon. To find a specific location, head to Google to search up a wildflower map or information for current blooms in your area.

5. Safety & Responsibility

LNT - No matter where we are in the world, we have a responsibility to take care of it. Please see this website for full details on how we can create a positive impact on our natural world and its inhabitants.

Bear Safety - A great resource to share the best practices for staying safe in bear country.

Wildlife Safety - Being outdoors, you are bound to come across wildlife, especially in the National Parks. Here is how you can responsibly keep yourself and wildlife safe.

Firesmart - Especially in summer, it’s extremely important to check the wildfire conditions around the country. It is unsafe to hike in areas with high smoke levels.

Travel Advisories - This advisory site is for Canadians, and may change depending on which country you are based in. Make sure that you check advisories before you plan your trip.