Welcome! We'd love to have trip reports from your part of the world!

There are lots of apps out there--seems like everyone has one--except me. I have a dumb phone which I generally leave in the car because I lose reception before I get to the trailhead. I go out to get away from electronics! Of course, as we often say, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).

I too use an Excel spreadsheet. I prefer to tailor my gear list to my own needs. There are lots of gear lists floating around; there are some on the home page of this site, left hand column. Phat's gear lists (he lives in Alberta, Canada) for summer and winter are in his "sticky" post in the Backcountry Beginners section. I'll look for some others. I know there is gear list
software out there, but I haven't tried to use any.

Do note that if you come to the US, most wilderness areas have a party size limit much smaller than the size of your group. The limit is usually 12 to 15 "heartbeats" (which often includes dogs and other animals). It varies by individual wilderness area--sometimes less and sometimes more. Probably not all the group will be able to come to the US at one time, though (we are not an inexpensive country).

An axe is something you probably don't need. In many parts of the US, especially in the western states where summers are very dry, campfires are discouraged or prohibited. In the wetter east, you should be able to find enough small wood without having to use an axe.