Most of the areas I backpack in the Sierras require a bear canister. This rule not only protects you and your food, but also protects the bears. All your food and anything scented goes in the canister, and the canister is placed at least 50 yards away from camp while you sleep at night.
There are some tips to help you choose where to place that canister. On hilly terrain, a nosey bear could easily swat the canister downhill. The ideal spot would be somewhere that minimizes the risk of your food supply being doused in the nearby lake or stream, but even then you can’t be sure where your canister might end up.
The Tile app is a high-tech solution to this backcountry conundrum. It’s a small, lightweight device that helps you locate your tagged item — whether it be your car keys or bear canister — using your iPhone or Android phone.
What is Tile?
Tile is a small gadget that can be attached to attached to an object with the included double-sided sticker, placed in the pocket of your backpack, or clipped to your keys, wallet, or carabiner. It weights a mere 0.28 ounces and is less than 1-1/2″ square and 3/16″ thick.
Once you’ve registered a Tile with the free Tile app, you’re good to go. The Tile app will remember the last known location, and help you find a Tile that might not be where you expected. As you get closer, the Tile app alerts you (Think: “You’re getting warmer…. WARMER… HOT!”).
You can put a Tile on anything that you don’t want to lose, and use the app to track them. And if you really, lose something, other Tile users will auto-detect your missing “thing” and notify you without their knowledge. You can also share Tiles with your friends and family, so they can locate it from their smartphone, too.
Back to my bear canister, I drop my Tile into the canister and the Tile app remembers the last known location. I can use this to help me find where I left it in the morning (in case I get turned around). And if a bear or other critter does manage to swat my canister around, I can track it down quickly.
How else can you use Tile?
Last month, a friend of mine (Hiking Jim) lost his wallet while bushwhacking up Sitton Peak. Fortunately, he found it the following week, but if he had a Tile on his wallet, it would’ve saved him a ton of time and worry.
On my backpacking trip in the Sierras, I’ll be using a Tile in my bear canister, and sleeping easier knowing that I’ll always find my supplies in the morning.
And yes, you can use your Tile creatively. I’ve attached mine to a carabiner, so I can clip it to my keys on day hikes, drop it in my bear canister on backpacking trips, or put it in my computer bag when traveling on business trips.
Win a Tile!
One lucky reader is going to win a Tile of their own! You can use it to track and find anything you’d like — your car keys; your wallet; your bear canister. To enter, learn more about Tile, and leave a comment below telling me how you would use Tile in the backcountry. One lucky commenter will be selected at random on May 10, 2015. Winner must be located in the U.S. for shipping purposes.
SoCalHiker Tech is a series where I share the technology that I use for smarter hiking and backpacking.
Special thanks to Tile for sponsoring this post. They provided a Tile to review and one for this giveaway, but the opinions expressed are 100% mine.
Genius idea Jeff. Love the application of an emerging technology like this. I am planning a FMT trip and was concerned about losing my food without the bear ever getting into it.
I love the bear canister technique, that would be super useful. I have serious anxiety about losing my car keys on a long day hike, so I’d put it on my key ring!
HI Jeff, I have seen The Tile and assumed it would not work in the backcountry, so I am happy to see that it does! The bear can idea is great, but I find large items harder to lose. I too stress out about losing my car keys even though clipped into the underside pocket of my pack top. But I have a better use. Every year I lose something important–a pocket knife here, a compasses there, tent stakes… But because my compass is out throughout each day of every trip and its my favorite piece of gear, I would string it on my NEW compass.
So, do you have to have cell service for it to work?
I’ve only had to use the cumbersome bear cannister a couple times, mainly because I’m still new to backpacking overnight trips. I’ve relied on the last few for my phone battery to last and saved my bear cannister location on my alpine gps app but this looks a whole lot better! I’ve still had to hunt around for my belongings though so this would help immensely! !
I would use it for my car keys. Can’t imagine the nightmare of trying to get your car keys replace in the backcountry.
I am pretty new to all of this and am going to be needing the bear canister for my trek up to Whitney in September. I had no idea that I have to keep the canister 50 yards from where I am sleeping. This girl could totally use the TILE to help her. 😀
Usually my keys are in a nice and safe spot in my pack but yes the times on a short day hike they just might be in my pocket. Would be way better to keep a tile with my keys and only have to walk the trail once with the tile app in hand than search every bush and corner of a trail.
That sounds like an excellent idea! As someone planning a small trip up the Lost Coast this Summer, that could be an indispensable tool in locating missing items. It would be interesting to see the creativity and usefulness that these tools could go through. Perhaps they could be placed in stations along the Pacific Crest Trail, alerting nearby hikers to food and various other supplies nearby. The beneficial uses of Tile would be incredible for any long trails.
Using it in a bear canister is a great idea. We will be spending two weeks in the Sierras next year and this will be on the list to purchase for the trip. I will keep in with my keys the rest of the time.
The Tile has got to be the best thing i have heard of for camping and backpacking in a long time. How about putting one in your re-supply boxes when you mail them for PCT or even shorter trips. Thank you for the info.
This is awesome! I would love this device to help me keep track of things, after two pregnancies, my mind is kind of lost.
I would get several and ‘tag’ my kids water bottles or hiking poles; things that are frequently getting ‘left behind’.
I would attach the Tile to my hiking flask 😛
Brilliant Jeff! What a gear hack. Does it really work in the backcountry without service? So cool.
Besides my bear canister, I would use Tiles on my sunglasses, ski helmet, and passport. Always leaving my glasses at friends’ houses, helmet at apres, and I never want to misplace my passport!
Very cool. I would love to know if it works without service. Would use it on my bear canister!
The contest has officially ended. We used Random.org to select a random winner — and congratulations to Kristen! She is the lucky winner!
Thanks to everyone for participating!
I need one for my keys and phone! Awesome technology!
This looks like a really handy little device that I’ve previously never heard of. Seems like I could probably find quite a few things worth tagging with one of these “Tile” trackers, like my dog lol.
Hiking partners could each carry each others tiles on thru hikes – I have heard so many stories of separations/confusion as to where the other is on the trail that lead to a lot of lost time, worry and stress. This could be a light and effective solution!
This is awesome! I lost my keys during a long run last year and this would’ve been handy! For outdoor purposes, I would use it the same way you did. I will be visiting the Sierras for the first time this summer. I knew about the bear boxes but didn’t think about what would happen if a bear “played” with it.