Adding & managing items

Items are the core of GearCache. Every checklist, every search routes through them. This article covers every field on an item and how to manage them once you have a few hundred.

The item form#

Items always live inside a category, so the Inventory tab opens to your category list rather than a flat list of items. To add an item, tap the category you want it in, then tap the + button on that category’s screen. (To edit an existing item, tap it from any screen and use the edit button at the top.) The form has these fields:

• Name — what you call it. Keep it short and searchable.
• Description — a one-liner if you need it, e.g. MSR PocketRocket 2. Optional.
• Category — required. Pre-filled with the category you opened to get here, and you can change it from the form to any other existing category. There’s no inline “create category” — if you don’t have one yet, back out to the Inventory tab and add it from there. See Categories & tags for when to add a new category vs reuse an existing one.
• Usually lives in — the location where the item normally sits when not on a trip. Optional, but worth setting; this is what the from {location} hint on a checklist row points at, and what the post-trip review suggests as the return location.
• Default pack location — the location to write to the item when you tick it off on a packing list (i.e. where it goes for the trip). Optional too; if set, ticking the row on a checklist quietly updates the item’s current location, and the trip-end batch update can confirm the move in one tap. If unset, the row’s chip shows Set destination instead and you can pick a per-trip location from there.
• Condition — required. See below.
• Quantity — required, defaults to 1. See below.
• Photos — up to 5 per item. See Photos & attachments.
• Tags — free-form labels. See below.
• Notes — maintenance log, purchase date, repair history. Free-form text.
• Last checked — read-only timestamp shown on the item detail screen. GearCache stamps it whenever the post-trip review touches the item (a returned location, a condition update). Useful for things like fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, and anything that quietly expires; you don’t set it manually.
• Required items — other items this one needs to work. See Item dependencies.

Every section of the item form, populated for a typical kitchen item.

Save. The new item appears in your inventory list immediately.

Conditions#

GearCache uses six condition states. They cover everything from “ready to go” to “throw it out.”

Condition	When to use it
Good	Ready to use. The default for new items.
Fair	Works, but not perfectly. Worth flagging for replacement at some point.
Needs maintenance	Functional but due for a service — winch cable, gas regulator, tent zip.
Needs replacement	Broken or worn past usefulness. Don’t pack it.
Expired	Past use-by — flares, sunscreen, food, fire extinguishers.
Consumed	Used up — half-empty gas canister, last fire-starter. Reset to Good when refilled.

Conditions show as small coloured badges on the inventory list, so a glance tells you whether the trailer is trip-ready or needs an afternoon of attention.

Conditions render as small coloured badges so a glance tells you what’s trip-ready.

Quantity#

Quantity is informational. It represents how many of an item you own — five carabiners, three dry bags, two gas canisters.

GearCache deliberately doesn’t auto-split items by quantity on a checklist. If you own two canisters and take one, you check the item off, then later update the location of the one you moved. Per-unit tracking would mean every canister becomes its own item — way more friction than the trade-off is worth.

Photos#

Up to five photos per item. Snap them in the field with the camera button, or pick from your photo library. Photos are stored locally on your device.

A photo of the item in context — sitting on the shelf where it lives — beats a clean studio shot. Seeing the surroundings is half the “where is it?” answer.

Tags#

Tags are free-form, cross-cutting labels. Categories answer “what kind of thing is this?” (Kitchen, Shelter, Tools); tags answer “what do I need to know about this for a trip?” Examples that earn their keep:

• essential — never leave without it
• fragile — pack carefully
• borrowed — return it when you’re done
• weekend-only — too bulky for short trips
• winter / summer — seasonal
• kids — only relevant when bringing the kids

Tags are deliberately minimal — just a string. The flexibility is the feature; if you find yourself reaching for the same tag often, that’s a signal it might want to be a category instead.

Searching and filtering#

The search bar at the top of Inventory finds items by name. Combine it with the filter chips below for narrower views:

• Category — show only items in a given category.
• Location — show only items currently at a location (the whole tree, including children).
• Tag — show items carrying any of the selected tags.
• Condition — show items in a specific state.

Filters compose. Category: Kitchen + Condition: Needs maintenance is the pre-trip checklist of things to fix in the next half hour.

Filters compose; this view is everything kitchen-related that needs attention before the trip.

What to learn next#

• Locations & hierarchy — building a tree that mirrors reality.
• Categories & tags — when to reach for which.