How should I choose effort intent?
Effort Intent describes the style of effort you intend to bring to the route.
It is not a judgment about your fitness. It is a planning choice about how aggressively or conservatively you expect to move.
TRIPS currently uses four effort levels:
- Sub-Recreational: extra margin, reduced exposure, easier pacing
- Recreational: comfortable and sustainable for most backpacking plans
- Performance: stronger pacing with less margin
- FKT: highly aggressive pacing close to personal limits
If you are unsure, start with Recreational.
How to choose
- Choose Sub-Recreational when the trip has unusual uncertainty, recovery constraints, or a high need for margin.
- Choose Recreational for most ordinary backpacking and hiking plans.
- Choose Performance when the goal is high output and you have confidence in your conditioning and route assumptions.
- Choose FKT only when planning a truly aggressive effort.
A common mistake
Do not treat Effort Intent as a badge of fitness.
It is better to choose the setting that produces a realistic plan than the one that feels aspirational.