Tanager .dev
GitHub

PackIt Practical Cookbook & Recipes

Step-by-step practical recipes and power workflows for PackIt.

Step-by-step workflows for designing modular gear templates, running countdown prep timelines, planning multi-day camp meals, sharing trips with family or teammates, and automating backups with packit-backup.

View on GitHub 📖 Open User Guide →

Recipe 1: Designing Modular Composite Templates

Instead of maintaining one giant packing list per destination, split your gear into Core Sub-Templates and link them into Composite Templates.

Templates & Composite Kits Templates & Composite Kits (annotated)

Steps

  1. Create Reusable Sub-Kits (Cmd+Shift+N):
    • Create International Travel Core containing documents (Passport & Global Entry Card), power (Universal GaN 100W Adapter), and medical basics.
    • Create Mirrorless Field Kit containing camera bodies, lenses, CFexpress cards, and tripod.
  2. Create the Master Activity Template:
    • Create Dolomites Alpine Expedition and add activity-specific items (Gore-Tex Pro Hardshell, Approach Boots, Garmin inReach Mini 2).
  3. Link Sub-Templates:
    • In the Includes Templates bar of Dolomites Alpine Expedition, click + and select International Travel Core and Mirrorless Field Kit.
  4. Launch a Trip (Cmd+N):
    • Select Dolomites Alpine Expedition when creating your trip. PackIt automatically pulls in every item, prep task, and procedure from the master template and all linked sub-templates, deduplicating any overlapping item names.

Recipe 2: Context-Tag Filtering for Seasonal & Multi-Activity Trips

Use Context Tags so a single template adapts automatically to summer vs. winter or solo vs. family travel.

Steps

  1. Tag Items by Condition:
    • In your template, tag insulated layers and gloves with cold-weather.
    • Tag swimwear and reef sunscreen with warm-weather.
    • Leave universal items (Toothbrush, Phone Charger) untagged.
  2. Filter at Trip Creation (Cmd+N):
    • Enable Filter by context tags in the New Trip sheet.
    • Select cold-weather and photography.
    • PackIt includes all untagged universal items plus only the tagged items matching your selection, keeping warm-weather gear out of your winter checklist.

Recipe 3: Managing 6-Tier Countdown Prep Tasks & Phase Procedures

Packing is only half of trip readiness. Use Prep Tasks for calendar countdown errands and Procedures for sequential departure/arrival checklists.

Meal Planning & Phase Procedures Meal Planning & Phase Procedures (annotated)

Steps

  1. Attach Countdown Prep Tasks to Templates:
    • Add tasks to any of the six timing tiers:
      • Early (-21d): Renew wilderness permits
      • 2 Weeks Before (-14d): Confirm hut reservations
      • 1 Week Before (-7d): Activate satellite SOS plan
      • Day Before (-1d): Download offline topo maps & check in
      • Day Of (0d): Weigh carry-on luggage
      • On Return: Ingest RAW photos & dry boots
    • If your trip dates shift, PackIt automatically recalculates every task’s due date.
  2. Execute 4-Phase Procedures:
    • Switch the trip view to Procedures.
    • Step through Before Departure (Shut off main water valve, Set thermostat to Eco Hold), On Arrival / Setup, Before Leaving Site, and On Return Home in strict sequence.

Recipe 4: Multi-Traveler Packing & Bulk Owner Assignment

Coordinate packing across partners or family members without duplicating templates.

Trip Packing Workbench Trip Packing Workbench (annotated)

Steps

  1. Add Trip Members:
    • In the New Trip sheet (or Trip Edit sheet), add travelers (Alex, Sam, Shared).
  2. Bulk Assign or Duplicate (Cmd+Click):
    • Hold Cmd and click multiple items across categories to open the floating bulk action bar.
    • Click Owner to assign selected items to Sam, or click Duplicate For… to create personal copies of essentials (e.g., Merino Base Layer Set) for each traveler.
  3. Filter by Traveler:
    • Click Alex or Sam in the member filter bar (or press Cmd+F and type owner:Sam packed:no) to see only that person’s remaining unpacked gear.

Recipe 5: Promoting Last-Minute Ad-Hoc Items Back to Templates

Items added directly to a trip are marked with a teal new (Ad-Hoc) badge so your master templates stay clean until you decide an item is worth keeping permanently.

Packing Statistics Dashboard Packing Statistics Dashboard (annotated)

Steps

  1. Add Ad-Hoc Gear During a Trip:
    • Type a new item into the quick-add bar inside an active trip (e.g., Via Ferrata Lanyard & Helmet).
  2. Promote Single or Multiple Items:
    • Right-click any item with a new badge and choose Merge to Template…, or click the toolbar Merge Ad-Hoc Items button to batch-promote new discoveries into your chosen template.
  3. Audit Frequent Ad-Hoc Additions:
    • Open Statistics in the sidebar and review the Ad-Hoc Insights card to spot items you repeatedly add at the last minute across multiple trips.

Recipe 6: Selective Folder Sharing & Conflict Resolution

Share specific trips or templates with a travel partner via iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Syncthing while keeping the rest of your library private.

Steps

  1. Configure Shared Folder (Cmd+,):
    • Open Settings -> Sharing, set your Display Name, and choose a synced folder on disk.
  2. Share Selectively:
    • Right-click a trip or template and select Share to Folder. A Sharing badge appears on the item.
  3. Resolve Simultaneous Edits Safely:
    • If two people edit the same trip before sync completes, PackIt displays a Conflict Banner at the top of the trip showing both versions side-by-side so you can choose Keep Mine or Accept Theirs.

Recipe 7: Automated CLI Backups with packit-backup

Automate daily or pre-trip snapshots using the bundled packit-backup command-line tool.

# 1. Create a compressed backup in the default backups directory
packit-backup backup

# 2. Inspect existing backup archives
packit-backup list

# 3. Prune older archives, keeping the latest 15 snapshots
packit-backup prune --keep 15

# 4. Restore a snapshot (automatically saves a pre-restore safety backup first)
packit-backup restore ~/Library/Application\ Support/PackIt/Backups/packit-backup-2026-10-18.tar.gz