We built Wildcast because our own trips kept getting wrecked

David, one of our team, is a macro photographer. He was in Ecuador on a trip last year and every weather app he tried gave him a forecast, but none of them told him what he actually needed: when the light would actually work for the shot he was there for.

Around the same time, I was getting ready for the W-Trek in Torres del Paine, Chile. Different trip, same problem. Rain I could check anywhere. What I couldn't find was anything that helped me decide when to actually go, what the wind was going to do, how the day would really feel out there.

So James, our co-founder, built something. That's Wildcast.

Search any place, anywhere. Switch it to Hiker and it leads with gusts, wind and visibility, tells you straight, cracking day for the hills, get out early, and builds you a pack list off the actual conditions: waterproof jacket and trousers, warm layers, navigation, head torch, emergency shelter. Switch to Camper and it looks at overnight temperature and dew point instead, tells you if it's actually a good night to pitch and enjoy the stars. Switch to Photo and it stops talking about rain and starts talking about cloud cover and light, gets you in position early for golden hour, with the exact window written out. Coastal brings in swell and tide. There's Swimmer, SUP, Cyclist, Runner and Fishing too, each one built around what that day actually needs to go well, not a generic forecast wearing a different icon.

Every mode scores the day out of 100 and gives you the best window to go, backed by an hour by hour breakdown underneath if you want to check properly instead of taking the score's word for it.

I tested it properly a few months later, walking the Camino de Santiago Francés across Spain, five weeks, most of it outdoors, checking the forecast every morning before putting my boots on. It's the reason I kept using it the whole way.

This is the MVP. It's free, it covers any location, and there's a list of things we already want to add, a unit toggle chief among them. What we want more than anything right now is for people to actually use it and tell us what's missing.

James built the whole thing. He's the reason this exists outside of a few of us complaining about bad forecasts before every trip.

This one's for the people checking the sky before the alarm goes off, working out if today's the day. Plan the trip. Do the thing. Come home. That's when the toast happens, not before, not during.

To the Bold. To the Brave.

Try Wildcast, free, at wildcast.wildfiregin.com.

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FAQs:

What is Wildcast?

‍Wildcast is a free weather tool from Wildfire Gin, built for people planning time outdoors rather than a commute. Instead of one generic forecast, it gives you a different read on the day depending on what you're actually doing.

Is Wildcast free?

‍Yes. No cost to check the forecast.

What locations does Wildcast cover?

‍Any location. It's not limited to a fixed list of cities.

How far ahead does Wildcast forecast?

‍10 days. It doesn't currently go further out than that.

What are the activity modes?

‍Hiker, Camper, Coastal, Swimmer, SUP, Cyclist, Runner, Photo, Fishing and Day trip, with more on the way. Switching modes changes what the forecast actually shows: Hiker leads with wind, gusts and visibility, Camper looks at overnight temperature and dew point, Coastal brings in swell and tide, Photo leads with cloud cover and golden hour timing.

What's a Good Time Score?

‍Every mode scores the day out of 100, so you can see at a glance whether it's worth going before you read a single number.

What's the "best window"?

‍Alongside the score, each mode gives a specific time range for that activity, like a best hiker window or best photo window, so it's not just today's forecast, it's when today to actually go.

Does Wildcast build a pack list?

‍Yes, for Hiker mode at least. Based on the day's conditions it puts together a kit list, things like waterproof jacket and trousers, warm layers, navigation, and a head torch, so you know what to bring, not just what to expect.

Does Wildcast show more than just the daily headline?

‍Yes. Underneath the activity card there's an hour by hour breakdown for the day (temperature, wind, gusts and rain plotted on a graph, plus a full data table), the 10 day outlook, current conditions, and a warnings status so you know if anything needs extra care.

Can I save my usual spots?

‍Yes. Star a location and it's added to Saved Places, so checking somewhere like Torres del Paine or your local trailhead is one tap, not a fresh search every time.

Can I switch units, like Celsius to Fahrenheit or mph to km-h?

‍Not yet. Wildcast currently shows temperature and wind speed in one fixed set of units. It's one of the things we're actively looking at for a future update.

Do I need to make an account to use it?

‍No. No sign-up, no login, just open it and search.

Is there a Wildcast app, or is it web only?

‍Web only for now, built mobile optimised, so it works properly on a phone in your pocket without needing to download anything.

Why did Wildfire Gin build a weather app?

‍Our own trips kept getting wrecked by forecasts that didn't tell us what we needed. One of our team needed real light and cloud conditions for macro photography in Ecuador, not just a rain percentage. Another was heading into the W-Trek in Torres del Paine, Chile, and couldn't get anything useful beyond "chance of rain." Our co-founder James built Wildcast to fix that. It's since been tested for five weeks straight walking the Camino de Santiago Francés across Spain.

Can I suggest a feature?

‍Yes, and we mean that. Wildcast is an early build, not a finished product. There's a comment and feedback button right on the site, use it, that's exactly what it's there for.