Terms of Service

Last updated: April 12, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of BackcountryAssistant ("the service"). By creating an account or using the service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the service.

1. The service

BackcountryAssistant is an AI-powered assistant that answers questions about weather, avalanche, wildfire, river, and air quality conditions, routed to you over email, SMS, or satellite messenger (e.g., Garmin inReach). The assistant synthesizes information from public data sources; it is provided for informational purposes only.

Safety disclaimer. BackcountryAssistant is not a substitute for judgment, training, or professional advice. Never rely on it as your sole source of safety-critical information. Conditions in the backcountry can change rapidly; data sources can be incomplete, delayed, or wrong. Always carry appropriate safety equipment, tell someone your plan, and make your own decisions. In an emergency, use your satellite messenger's SOS feature to contact search and rescue — do not rely on this service.

2. Accounts

You must provide accurate information when creating an account and keep your credentials secure. You are responsible for activity under your account. You must be at least 13 years old.

3. Subscriptions and billing

The service offers a free tier and paid subscriptions ("Season Pass", "Pro"). Current pricing is displayed on our pricing page.
Paid subscriptions auto-renew until canceled. You may cancel at any time from your account; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.
Billing is processed by Stripe. Taxes may apply based on your location.
Refunds are at our discretion. Contact hello@backcountryassistant.com with billing questions.

4. SMS program terms

These terms apply if you opt in to receive SMS messages.

Program description

The BackcountryAssistant SMS program lets you send text messages to our AI assistant from a US mobile number and receive replies. If you enable them, the program also delivers daily morning trip briefings and proactive safety alerts (severe weather, wildfire proximity, unhealthy air quality).

Opt-in and consent

To receive SMS messages, you must enter a valid US mobile phone number in your Profile and affirmatively check the SMS consent checkbox. By checking the box and saving your profile, you agree to receive SMS messages from BackcountryAssistant at the number you provided. Your consent is not a condition of any purchase.

Message frequency and charges

Message frequency varies based on how often you message the assistant and which proactive features you enable. Message and data rates may apply per your mobile carrier plan. BackcountryAssistant does not charge for SMS beyond your subscription fee, if any.

Opt-out and help

Reply STOP to any message to opt out of all SMS messages. You will receive a single confirmation and no further messages will be sent until you opt in again.
Reply HELP to any message to receive help information, or contact hello@backcountryassistant.com.
You may also clear the SMS consent checkbox in Profile settings at any time.

Supported carriers

The service works with all major US carriers. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Privacy

See our Privacy Policy. Mobile information is never shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

5. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

Use the service to violate any law or the rights of others.
Attempt to circumvent rate limits, authentication, or other technical controls.
Use the service to harass others, distribute malware, or send unsolicited messages.
Reverse-engineer, resell, or redistribute the service without written permission.

6. Content you provide

You retain ownership of the content you provide (messages, routes, notes). You grant us a limited license to process this content solely to operate the service. We may use de-identified aggregate data to improve the service.

7. Third-party data and services

The service relies on third-party data (weather, avalanche, fire, rivers) and third-party providers (AWS, Stripe, Anthropic, Garmin, carriers). We do not guarantee their accuracy, availability, or timeliness.

8. Warranty disclaimer

The service is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or uninterrupted operation.

9. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, BackcountryAssistant and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of the service. Our total liability for any claim shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

10. Termination

You may terminate your account at any time via Profile settings. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or for security or legal reasons.

11. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms. Material changes will be posted here with an updated date. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

12. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Florida, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

13. Contact

Questions about these Terms: hello@backcountryassistant.com.