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Register

The organizer is the one who sets the trail. In order to set trails, you need to register. We only need your email address and a screen-name. We will not share your email with third parties. You can register here.

You can manage your trails in the 'Manage Trails' section. There is no limit to the amount of trails you can have. Considder managing trails from a non-mobile device for the ease-of-use. 

Trails consists of a number of waypoints which have to be resolved by the participants in a specific order.

When you create a trail, you can choose to make it cheatable: Participants will have a button to skip the current waypoint and show the next. This will cost them 10 cheat-points for each cheated waypoint. 

Challenges

For every waypoint, you have the choice to give the participants a challenge or not. A challenge consists of a question which can only be answered if the participant is physically there, like, 'what are the last four digits of this telephone number on this building'. You can add a visual clue by adding a picture, in this case, a picture of a part of the building. So when a participant comes in the vicinity of the waypoint, this question is presented which has to be answered before the next  waypoint will be revealed.

Proof of location

The whole idea behind this is that it is possible to spoof locations with a variety of apps. This will prevent this and would be advisable for a 1 million dollar Easter Egg Hunt. You would not need it for a Sunday jogging trail in the park.

There are two ways you can input the waypoints:

• Couch-mode: Just add waypoints by double-clicking on a map. You can choose from various map sources. For non-urban tracks, you can choose from a variety of satelite images. Tip: you can cycle through the maps by using the up and down keys on your keyboard.
• Sweat-mode: Go to the locations yourself and add the waypoints by using your GPS position. Advisable if you add challenges to a waypoint. You can upload visual clues by using you mobile's camera. See chapter Set a trail in the wild.

Checks

You can opt to mark a waypoint as a check. The next waypoint after a check is hidden but is within a certain radius of the check. Checks are broken if the first non-cheating participant finds this hidden waypoint. Subsequent participants at this check will not see it as a check and will just be presented with the next waypoint. Participants with any cheat points will not break checks and leave them intact. Checks are reset after 24 hours.
If more then one participant is on a check, and one of them finds the hidden waypoint, others on that check get notified and will see the now unhidden next waypoint.

Checks are a great way to keep a group together. Make sure that the waypoint following a check is not too far. Checks are ignored for the last waypoint. 

Start the trail

Once you set a trail, notify your participants of the trail number, a time, a start point, which could or could not be your first waypoint, and you are set to go. Tell them to go to gpshash.com and click on 'Do a trail' or instruct them to go to gpshash.com/trail

Whether it's a competition or just recreational, GPSHash can accommodate your trail. From the easy walk in the park to the ultimate challenge run, it's all up to the organizer. Nobody says that you can't put a waypoint on top of a difficult hill or in the middle of a lake, but also nobody says you should. 

Use it for: 

• Walking / Jogging trails
• Treasure hunt (a bit like Geocaching)
• Bike tours
• Unguided city tours
• Global challenges
• Pub Crawls
• Cross-country runs

Tips

Some tips, and it all boils down to one thing: Don't overdo it!

Limit the amount of waypoints

Try to limit the amount of waypoints, you don't really need 50+ waypoints for a city run. Don't forget that the participants have a map in their hands. Use the waypoints to guide them to and through hidden passages or trails.

Something to remember: If points A,B,C are in a more or less straight line, you don't need point B!

Limit the amount of checks

Although checks are a great way to keep a group together, it can also break momentum. For the same reason, also try to avoid marking two consecutive waypoints as checks.

Don't set waypoints too close to each other

Because the accuracy of a GPS-fix is limited, setting two waypoints close to each other, let's say less then 40 meters apart, will result in both waypoints to be cleared at the same time when a participant is at that location.

Try to avoid challenges on checks

Although there's nothing technically against this, it might strike as confusing.

Make the radius of a check not too big

The distance participants might have to cover when on a check is proportional to the distance from the check to the next waypoint (2πr). Just make sure that you put a waypoint not too far from a check.

You don't need to register when doing a trail, only if you want to set trails yourself.
Registration is free, we only need your email address, a screen name and a password.

We will NOT sell, share, or distribute your email address to third parties, except as required by law.

Please provide the following information: After registering you will receive an email with a link to confirm your registration.

Rules

There are no rules, except that you have to navigate to your first waypoint. Only then will the next waypoint be revealed. 

No need to register

You don't need to register, just get the trail number from the organizer and you are good to go.

While on a trail, the system collects data  about your device's location  using GPS to show your position to yourself and the organizer of the trail. This information is send over an encrypted channel and stored on regular intervals when the browser is active for the website. This information is only visible to the organizer of the trail to keep track of participants. Participants are anonymous: only a screen-name is connected to the location.

Requirements:

• Mobile device with full battery
• Mobile data on
• GPS enabled
• Cookies allowed
• Allow Location Info to GPSHash.com

Warning

Do not venture out on a random trail unless you have been instructed by the organizer and received the right trail number. Other trails might be incomplete, have a start-point different from the end-point, need special equipment to do it, could be dangerous or just impossible to follow. 

Start

Select 'Do a Trail' in main menu on this website, or simply type in 'gpshash.com/trail' on your phone's browser. You will be presented with a screen where you can choose your trail, as instructed by the organizer.

After clicking submit, a page with trail details will appear. Make sure this is the trail the organizer wants you to follow. Enter a screen name: It is preferable that you use uses a recognizable name, so that the organizer can check where people are.

After this, one of the following screen appears (based on what the organizer thought was appropriate for this trail)

You can easily switch between those two views, by clicking on the little arrow in button area.
Buttons are further explained in this illustration:

Leaving / quitting / resetting

If you close your browser and would come back a bit later to the same trail, GPSHash will remember you and knows which waypoints you cleared. The same when you use the 'leave' button and choose 'quit'.
If you would use the 'Reset' option on the 'Leave' page, then your cleared waypoints will be reset to none, and you have to start again to waypoint 1.

GPS Accuracy

Your mobile device has several settings for the built-in GPS. Make sure that you enable 'high accuracy'. 

To do so on Android:

Settings > System & devices > Location > On
Then click on 'Mode' and choose high accuracy
 

On IOS:

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app.
2. Tap Privacy  > Location Services.
3. Make sure the switch next to “Location Services” is green.
4. Scroll down and select the browser you are using, e.g. Safari or Chrome.
5. Choose While Using the App.

For Participants:

Doing offline trails is now enabled by default .

You still need an initial internet connection to store a trail. Once you picked your trail and provided your screen name, wait for the map or arrow to show up. A message will be displayed ''Trail is stored for offline use.'

You can now choose to download maptiles for your trail. You need to be in map-view, select your desired maptype and click the download button.

Now you can get to your trail, without any reception, like in airplane mode. Trails are stored on your device for up to a week, but they will be refreshed if an internet connection is available.

So to do an offline trail:

• Trail must not be disabled for offline use (decision of the Organizer)
• You need to be initially online to store the trail, and optionally download map tiles

For Organizers:

Trails are enabled by default for offline use. You can prevent this by checking the checkbox 'No Offline Use' in 'Manage Trails'.
Offline trails can still be used normally online.

Reasons  why you would not disable offline use:

• The stakes are low.
• Mobile internet unavailable or unpredictable on (parts of) the trail.

Reasons why you would disable offline use:

• The stakes are high (maybe a treasure hunt with a money price)
• Mobile reception should not be a problem

As stored offline trail waypoints reside on the user's device, so do challenges and their answers. A bit of a hacker could find this information and cheat his/her way through a trail.

Participants on offline trails will still be synced with the database when an  internet connection becomes available.

The Sample Trail

When you register, there is one trail already made for you, this one located in Bangkok.
This video shows you how to see details of this trail.

A Trail in 3 minutes

You can create a trail by either walking/running/biking it, or just clicking on a map. The latter is shown in this video. Make sure that you actually go into the field later to see if it is feasible!

Editing waypoints

You can move waypoints around and insert waypoints on an existing leg.

Adding a challenge

A challenge is proof of location that your participant actually made it to this waypoint.

Run your trail (from your couch!)

When you are logged in, and the trail is yours, there will be an option to fake your position. You can drag your current position indicator to the next waypoint and so simulating that you are doing the trail.

Hi, ready to set your first trail?

Tip: use your desktop / laptop to set your trail. Although possible on mobile devices, it's easier to use a non-mobile device.

Intro

1. Go to https://gpshash.com/ on your web browser.
2. Read the About, For Organizers, Tips and FAQ sections.
3. Watch the 5 short videos. - Double click on the screen capture to get full screen.
4. NOTE: Use the STOP and Replay buttons very often while watching the video, to check that you understand the details. 
5. If you have not done so, use the register tab on the website, and register for GPSHash.com.
6. They only need your email address, a password and a screen name. Your email address is safe, and will not be abused, sold, used for spam, or otherwise exposed. Confirm your registration by email and you're set to go.
7. Click the tab 'Manage Trails' and log on.
8. You will see a table with one record: Sample Trail

Make a trail

1. Click NEW.   

2. Name your new trail: Something descriptive or generic, like 'My first trail'

3. For the moment, check the checkbox 'Can Cheat'. This option enables a participant, or you, to "jump past" a point if  it's impossible to reach or getting lost. Handy if you are testing your trail, and you can change it at any time to make the trail non-cheatable.

4. Leave disabled un-checked. Disabled runs are not listed and can't be followed. You might want to disable a trail later on while you are not yet finished with a trail, or to keep it secret so that everybody can start at the same time.

5. Final message: Optional, a message to be displayed when a participant reaches the final waypoint. If left blank, the message will be 'Finished!'. 

5. Final image: Optional, you can upload an image here that will be displayed when a participant reaches the last waypoint. If left blank, a glass of beer will be shown.

6. Choose 'arrow' or 'map' as the default view. The former will show participants a big white arrow pointing in the direction of the next waypoint, the latter a good old map with a current position and the position of the next waypoint. Participants can toggle between the two views at any time.

7. Keep checks: When this option is checked, all checks will stay intact, everybody will see it as a check, regardless whether it is broken or not.

8.  Password: Leave this blank if this is a public trail or you don't care, or put in a password if you want to keep this trail private.

9. Click Insert.

10. Click the magnifying glass button next to your trail name.

The map opens at a location close to where you are. 

7. Use the button in the left-top corner to make the map full-screen.

11. Drag the map to where you want to start the trail.

12. Double click the position of what you want to be your first waypoint.

13. Repeat for following waypoints.

NOTE: If you want to be prompted for following waypoints, click the  A/M button top right.
This will show the waypoint dialog when adding a waypoint, where you can add a challenge to your waypoint or declare it a check. At any time you can click on a waypoint and add this information later.

Any point can be deleted. (Single click, then garbage icon).

Any point can be modified. (CTRL + click, then drag point to new place, then Update).

Testing your trail

1. Select 'Do a Trail' in main menu, or simply type in 'gpshash.com/trail' in your browser.
Your new trail will probably be listed, if not, select/type the correct number.

2. Click Submit.

A page with trail details will appear. If you are not logged in anymore for 'Manage Trails', you can log in here. (logged in will give you the option to fake your location).
Enter any user name (not important at this stage). OK.
NOTE: For an actual trail, it is preferable if everybody uses a recognizable name, so that the organizer can check where people are.

Now depending on your default view for the trail, you will either see a map or a big white arrow.
If the latter, click on the arrow button and you will see a map close to the location of where you are.
Note that the arrow will probably point straight up on your laptop / desktop because of the absence of orientation sensors on those devices. On your mobile it will point in the direction of the first waypoint.

On the bottom of the screen, you will see some buttons. You can see help information about these buttons by clicking on the ? button.

Click the Target button. - You will see your first waypoint.
Click the Both button. If necessary, zoom out so you can see where you are (or where your computer 'thinks' you are and also see the first point.

Click the 'Fake' button. You can now drag the Current Position (Bulls Eye) somewhere close to the first point.

As you drag the Bulls Eye closer to the point there is a Ping, to indicate you have arrived. And the next point is displayed on the map. 

To test the "Challenge" option: Edit a waypoint on your trail if you don't have a waypoint with a challenge yet.

A challenge is a question with an answer about the actual location which can only be answered if the participant is physically there. 

If you as an organizer would leave the answer blank, then you can use this for some info about the waypoint. The participant will see this info when he arrives at the waypoint, and can dismiss it with an OK button and proceed. 

1) Return to Manage Trails.
2) Click the magnifying glass button next to your trail name.
3) CTRL + click, the point to be modified.
4) Type the question in the Challenge box (For example: Last four digits of this telephone number?)
5) Type the required answer. (For example 4206). If you don't provide an answer,
6) Click update.

Now, when a participant reaches this point the question is displayed. If he/she enters the incorrect answer, the question is repeated. When the correct answer is given, the point is cleared and the next point is displayed.
The required answer can be a number or text. You can test this is in 'Fake' mode. If you already past this waypoint, you can go back by Leave > Reset or using the 'Cheat' option.

Testing it in the wild

Don't send any people on your trail if the trail is not cheatable and you haven't tested it yourself recently. 
Stuff changes, a road becomes inaccessible, a new gate has been erected, the land owner changed his view regarding trespassers and what you thought was a poodle, is now a fierce pitbull with an attitude. 

Good luck creating your first trail!

You can have more then one trail. A trail consists of a series of waypoints. Create trails here by clicking 'new'.

Click on the magnifying glass to see and manage the waypoints of this trail.
 

With the interface gpshash.com/settrail you can set a GPSHash trail in the wild (as opposed to couch-mode).

Login on your phone, pick a trail you want to finish or make a new one, and click on the magnifying glass in front of the trail number.

Remember to use the full screen button in the top-left corner of the map for your device to stay awake and to lock the screen orientation in portrait mode (the latter Android only).

Get on the road, and make sure you have a steadily blinking icon on the map indicating your current position and that GPS is warmed up. This may take some time (also when your browser tab was not active).

Add waypoints as you go by clicking the big button 'Add Waypoint'. Don't overdo!  You can 'see' a GPS waypoint from far beyond your visual range. Buttons on this interface require a long-press, to avoid accidental touch actions.

You can delete a waypoint by (long) touching a waypoint to bring up the detail window of the waypoint and delete it from there.

The detail window also allows you to take a picture for a challenge. The detail window automatically shows up for a new window if you switch to manual mode.

PRIVACY NOTICE