S0 (Baseline walking speed)

Definition

In TRIPS, S0 is your baseline walking speed anchor.

In plain language, it is the flat-ground walking pace that best represents your normal economical baseline.

That means S0 is not supposed to be:

your fastest hiking speed
your proudest day pace
your average speed across mixed terrain

It is a reference pace that helps TRIPS start from a believable baseline.

Why S0 matters

Backpacking pace changes with terrain, load, altitude, fatigue, and trip strategy.

TRIPS still needs a stable baseline underneath those changing conditions.

S0 is part of that baseline.

If S0 is set too high, a route can look more manageable than it really is.

If S0 is set too low, the route can look slower and more constrained than it should.

So even though many users should leave the default alone at first, S0 is still one of the most influential baseline inputs in the planner.

Where the default comes from

TRIPS gives users a built-in baseline walking-speed default so they do not have to invent one from scratch.

That default is meant to be a practical starting point for general backpacking use, not a claim about your exact personal optimum.

The important user-facing point is:

the default is a starting estimate
not a personal performance test result

What makes a good S0 value

A good S0 value should be:

believable
repeatable
flat-ground
economical rather than ambitious

Good evidence:

a controlled treadmill-style anchor test
a flat-ground walking pace you know you can reproduce
a conservative measured baseline that reflects normal conditions

Weak evidence:

a route average from mixed terrain
a pace from a strong day when everything went right
a number chosen because it sounds impressive

Relationship to E0 and hrS0

S0 should be read together with:

E0, your baseline energy-per-distance anchor
hrS0, the heart rate associated with that baseline

Those three anchors are supposed to describe the same general locomotion state.

That is why overriding one of them casually can make the overall anchor picture less believable.

What S0 is not for

S0 should not be used as:

a route-output tuning knob
a shortcut for handling poor route segmentation
a replacement for better capacity assumptions

If a trip looks unrealistic, the first issues to check are often:

route segmentation
hiking-time limit
effort intent
altitude assumptions

before it is S0.

Default versus manual override

For many users, the default is the safest first choice.

That is especially true if:

you have never run a controlled baseline walking test
you do not have a repeatable flat-ground pace you trust
you are still getting the bigger planning assumptions in place

A manual override makes more sense when you have strong evidence that the default clearly misrepresents your true baseline walking economy.

Why TRIPS uses the idea of an economical speed

TRIPS uses the idea of an economical baseline pace because it needs a stable, repeatable reference point.

That does not mean the app is asking for a race effort or a flattering self-description.

It means the value should reflect the kind of pace you could reproduce under controlled conditions without turning the test into a performance challenge.

Practical advice

For most users:

leave S0 on the default at first
only override it if the default clearly does not represent you
choose a conservative flat-ground pace if you do override it

The best question to ask is:

What flat-ground walking speed best represents my normal economical baseline, not my idealized self?

Notes

S0 is a baseline walking-speed anchor.
The default is meant to be a practical starting estimate, not a personal test result.
S0 works best when interpreted together with E0 and hrS0.
Most users should leave the default alone unless they have better evidence.