Cookie Policy
Last updated: 1 January 2026.
Cookies and similar browser storage are small records kept on your device by a website. They can support basic operation, remember choices, measure use or support marketing. trailhatchix.store uses a restrained model. Strictly necessary storage is used to remember your cookie preference and keep the interface working. Non-essential categories are disabled unless you choose to enable them.
On your first visit, the cookie banner offers Accept All, Reject Non-Essential and Manage Preferences. Manage Preferences opens a panel with four categories: Strictly Necessary, Analytics, Functional and Marketing. Strictly Necessary is locked on because the site needs it to store the preference and avoid asking the same question on every page. Saving preferences writes one JSON object to localStorage under the key trailhatchix.cookieConsent, with category choices and a timestamp.
| Category | Purpose | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly Necessary | Stores the consent choice and supports essential interface behaviour. | Until cleared by the user or replaced by a later preference. |
| Analytics | May support aggregate understanding of page use if enabled. | Set only after consent; duration depends on the analytics tool used. |
| Functional | May remember optional interface choices beyond essential consent. | Set only after consent; generally retained until changed or cleared. |
| Marketing | Reserved for campaign measurement if ever added. | Set only after consent; duration depends on the tool used. |
At present, non-essential scripts are gated behind the stored consent value. If you reject non-essential storage, those categories do not run. If you press Escape while the preference panel is open, the site treats that as rejecting non-essential categories. This is deliberate: closing the panel should not be treated as hidden consent.
You can change preferences at any time through the footer link labelled “Manage cookie preferences”. The panel opens with your current selections pre-populated. Saving replaces the previous JSON object with a new timestamp. You can also clear localStorage and cookies through your browser. If you do that, the banner will appear again because the site no longer has a record of your choice.
Browser-level controls can block cookies, delete stored data, isolate storage by site, or clear data when the browser closes. Those controls are useful, but they may also remove the preference record and cause the banner to reappear. Browser controls are separate from the site preference panel. Using both is acceptable.
Cookie choices do not affect the legal content of the site, the availability of the contact form, or your ability to read pages. They only control optional categories and the necessary record of that control. For personal data questions connected with cookies, read the Privacy Policy and use the contact form for rights requests.