Terms of Service

The Hikers is a self-funded platform for planning real hikes with real people, across the world. It's run by The Hikers, a company in Copenhagen, Denmark ("we", "us"). [Company registration number on the way.] You can reach us any time at hello@thehikers.com. By joining, you agree to these terms. They're short and in plain language, because you should be able to actually read them.

We're in a closed alpha. Things will change, break, and improve. We'll do our best, but we can't promise the service is always available or bug-free.

Last updated: 20 July 2026

Your real name

When you join, you tell us your real name, and you confirm it's actually yours. It's part of how we keep this a place of real people, not anonymous profiles. You can also choose a trail name, a nickname shown alongside or instead of your real name. The trail name is for display. The real name is the real you.

You need to be 18

You have to be at least 18 years old to join. If we learn an account belongs to someone younger, we'll remove it.

We'd like to make it possible for 13-year-olds to join one day, but we're holding back for now. We'll revisit this.

Don't be an asshole

That's the whole code of conduct. Treat other people the way you'd want to be treated yourself. No harassment, no hate, no threats, no spam, and no trying to break or abuse the platform.

What you upload

You keep ownership of what you add: your words, your photos, your character and gear illustrations. By posting them, you give us permission to store and show them on the platform so it works.

Some illustrations are drawn from a photo you provide, of yourself or of your gear. When you generate one, that photo is sent to Google to draw the illustration. We don't store your photo. We keep only the finished illustration, never the original. Google processes the photo under its own terms.

It's tempting to upload a picture of Darth Vader and have him pop up among the trip participants next to your friends. Not to be a downer, but please don't. If you want to look a certain way, dress up, take a photo of yourself from the front, and we'll draw your character from that.

Only upload a photo you have the right to share: a photo of yourself, or of gear you own or have permission to photograph. Keep what you post relevant and appropriate: nothing unlawful, hateful, or explicit, and nothing off-topic or meant to mislead.

Some of what you share lives in shared spaces, like the forum and the gear catalog. If you delete your account, that content can stay so those spaces still make sense, but it no longer carries your name.

Misuse

If you misuse the platform or break these terms, we can suspend or remove your account, with or without warning. We'd rather talk to you first, but for real abuse we won't hesitate. We may also remove content that doesn't belong here.

Your data

We collect what you give us: your name, birthday, where you're based, your email, your hiking preferences, and any images you add. We collect it to run the platform you asked to join, and for nothing else.

Your profile is private by default. Nothing you add is public unless you choose to make it so. We don't sell your data, we don't run ads, and we don't track your location.

To run the platform we share data with the service providers that power it: hosting and database (Supabase), email (Resend), and image generation (Google and remove.bg). Some of them may process your data outside the EU, including in the United States. We only send what a provider needs to do its job. Your uploaded photo goes to Google to make an illustration and isn't stored by us afterward.

We keep your data for as long as you have an account. When you delete your account, any time from your settings, we delete your profile, character, garage, pack lists, trips, and images. Content you left in shared spaces, like the forum and the gear catalog, can remain but no longer carries your name. If you joined our newsletter or waitlist, those are separate lists you can leave any time from their unsubscribe link.

You have the right to see the data we hold about you, correct it, export it, delete it, or object to how we use it. Email us at hello@thehikers.com and we'll help. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.

Changes

We'll update these terms as the platform grows. If we change something important, we'll let you know. Continuing to use The Hikers after a change means you accept the updated terms.

These terms are governed by the laws of Denmark.

Questions

Email hello@thehikers.com.