diff --git a/include/basalt/device/rs_t265.h b/include/basalt/device/rs_t265.h
index de00043..e550e27 100644
--- a/include/basalt/device/rs_t265.h
+++ b/include/basalt/device/rs_t265.h
@@ -53,9 +53,6 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <basalt/imu/imu_types.h>
 #include <basalt/optical_flow/optical_flow.h>
 #include <basalt/calibration/calibration.hpp>
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
 
 namespace basalt {
 
diff --git a/include/basalt/io/dataset_io.h b/include/basalt/io/dataset_io.h
index 7aa8458..fd76a5f 100644
--- a/include/basalt/io/dataset_io.h
+++ b/include/basalt/io/dataset_io.h
@@ -66,11 +66,6 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 namespace basalt {
 
-inline bool file_exists(const std::string &name) {
-  std::ifstream f(name.c_str());
-  return f.good();
-}
-
 struct ImageData {
   ImageData() : exposure(0) {}
 
diff --git a/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_euroc.h b/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_euroc.h
index fd3847c..dd3d98e 100644
--- a/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_euroc.h
+++ b/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_euroc.h
@@ -36,9 +36,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #define DATASET_IO_EUROC_H
 
 #include <basalt/io/dataset_io.h>
-
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
+#include <basalt/utils/filesystem.h>
 
 #include <opencv2/highgui/highgui.hpp>
 
@@ -99,7 +97,7 @@ class EurocVioDataset : public VioDataset {
       std::string full_image_path =
           path + folder[i] + "data/" + image_path[t_ns];
 
-      if (file_exists(full_image_path)) {
+      if (fs::exists(full_image_path)) {
         cv::Mat img = cv::imread(full_image_path, cv::IMREAD_UNCHANGED);
 
         if (img.type() == CV_8UC1) {
@@ -169,20 +167,20 @@ class EurocIO : public DatasetIoInterface {
     read_imu_data(path + "/mav0/imu0/");
 
     if (!load_mocap_as_gt &&
-        file_exists(path + "/mav0/state_groundtruth_estimate0/data.csv")) {
+        fs::exists(path + "/mav0/state_groundtruth_estimate0/data.csv")) {
       read_gt_data_state(path + "/mav0/state_groundtruth_estimate0/");
-    } else if (!load_mocap_as_gt && file_exists(path + "/mav0/gt/data.csv")) {
+    } else if (!load_mocap_as_gt && fs::exists(path + "/mav0/gt/data.csv")) {
       read_gt_data_pose(path + "/mav0/gt/");
-    } else if (file_exists(path + "/mav0/mocap0/data.csv")) {
+    } else if (fs::exists(path + "/mav0/mocap0/data.csv")) {
       read_gt_data_pose(path + "/mav0/mocap0/");
     }
 
     data->exposure_times.resize(data->num_cams);
-    if (file_exists(path + "/mav0/cam0/exposure.csv")) {
+    if (fs::exists(path + "/mav0/cam0/exposure.csv")) {
       std::cout << "Loading exposure times for cam0" << std::endl;
       read_exposure(path + "/mav0/cam0/", data->exposure_times[0]);
     }
-    if (file_exists(path + "/mav0/cam1/exposure.csv")) {
+    if (fs::exists(path + "/mav0/cam1/exposure.csv")) {
       std::cout << "Loading exposure times for cam1" << std::endl;
       read_exposure(path + "/mav0/cam1/", data->exposure_times[1]);
     }
diff --git a/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_kitti.h b/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_kitti.h
index 74ca418..65faed6 100644
--- a/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_kitti.h
+++ b/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_kitti.h
@@ -36,9 +36,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #pragma once
 
 #include <basalt/io/dataset_io.h>
-
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
+#include <basalt/utils/filesystem.h>
 
 #include <opencv2/highgui/highgui.hpp>
 
@@ -95,7 +93,7 @@ class KittiVioDataset : public VioDataset {
     for (size_t i = 0; i < num_cams; i++) {
       std::string full_image_path = path + folder[i] + image_path[t_ns];
 
-      if (file_exists(full_image_path)) {
+      if (fs::exists(full_image_path)) {
         cv::Mat img = cv::imread(full_image_path, cv::IMREAD_UNCHANGED);
 
         if (img.type() == CV_8UC1) {
@@ -140,7 +138,7 @@ class KittiIO : public DatasetIoInterface {
 
     read_image_timestamps(path + "/times.txt");
 
-    if (file_exists(path + "/poses.txt")) {
+    if (fs::exists(path + "/poses.txt")) {
       read_gt_data_pose(path + "/poses.txt");
     }
   }
diff --git a/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_rosbag.h b/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_rosbag.h
index 638bf4b..83a139d 100644
--- a/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_rosbag.h
+++ b/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_rosbag.h
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <sensor_msgs/Image.h>
 #include <sensor_msgs/Imu.h>
 
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
+#include <basalt/utils/filesystem.h>
 
 namespace basalt {
 
diff --git a/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_uzh.h b/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_uzh.h
index 361c5b8..239a715 100644
--- a/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_uzh.h
+++ b/include/basalt/io/dataset_io_uzh.h
@@ -36,9 +36,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #pragma once
 
 #include <basalt/io/dataset_io.h>
-
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
+#include <basalt/utils/filesystem.h>
 
 #include <opencv2/highgui/highgui.hpp>
 
@@ -99,7 +97,7 @@ class UzhVioDataset : public VioDataset {
           path + "/" +
           (i == 0 ? left_image_path.at(t_ns) : right_image_path.at(t_ns));
 
-      if (file_exists(full_image_path)) {
+      if (fs::exists(full_image_path)) {
         cv::Mat img = cv::imread(full_image_path, cv::IMREAD_UNCHANGED);
 
         if (img.type() == CV_8UC1) {
@@ -182,7 +180,7 @@ class UzhIO : public DatasetIoInterface {
     std::cout << "Loaded " << data->get_gyro_data().size() << " imu msgs."
               << std::endl;
 
-    if (file_exists(path + "/groundtruth.txt")) {
+    if (fs::exists(path + "/groundtruth.txt")) {
       read_gt_data_pose(path + "/groundtruth.txt");
     }
 
diff --git a/include/basalt/utils/filesystem.h b/include/basalt/utils/filesystem.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4629bf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/basalt/utils/filesystem.h
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <experimental/filesystem>
+namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
diff --git a/src/calibration/cam_calib.cpp b/src/calibration/cam_calib.cpp
index 8eb2c5d..b2c5ef9 100644
--- a/src/calibration/cam_calib.cpp
+++ b/src/calibration/cam_calib.cpp
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include <basalt/serialization/headers_serialization.h>
 
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
+#include <basalt/utils/filesystem.h>
 
 namespace basalt {
 
diff --git a/src/io/marg_data_io.cpp b/src/io/marg_data_io.cpp
index 7e30677..6a7eef2 100644
--- a/src/io/marg_data_io.cpp
+++ b/src/io/marg_data_io.cpp
@@ -36,9 +36,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <basalt/io/marg_data_io.h>
 
 #include <basalt/serialization/headers_serialization.h>
-
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
+#include <basalt/utils/filesystem.h>
 
 namespace basalt {
 
diff --git a/src/mapper.cpp b/src/mapper.cpp
index a214d67..2b5c6ab 100644
--- a/src/mapper.cpp
+++ b/src/mapper.cpp
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <basalt/io/marg_data_io.h>
 #include <basalt/optimization/accumulator.h>
 #include <basalt/spline/se3_spline.h>
+#include <basalt/utils/filesystem.h>
 #include <basalt/utils/imu_types.h>
 #include <basalt/utils/nfr.h>
 #include <basalt/utils/vis_utils.h>
@@ -63,12 +64,8 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <basalt/vi_estimator/vio_estimator.h>
 #include <basalt/calibration/calibration.hpp>
 
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-
 #include <basalt/serialization/headers_serialization.h>
 
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
-
 using basalt::POSE_SIZE;
 using basalt::POSE_VEL_BIAS_SIZE;
 
diff --git a/src/mapper_sim.cpp b/src/mapper_sim.cpp
index 0645f8f..f1dec05 100644
--- a/src/mapper_sim.cpp
+++ b/src/mapper_sim.cpp
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <basalt/io/marg_data_io.h>
 #include <basalt/optimization/accumulator.h>
 #include <basalt/spline/se3_spline.h>
+#include <basalt/utils/filesystem.h>
 #include <basalt/utils/imu_types.h>
 #include <basalt/utils/nfr.h>
 #include <basalt/utils/sim_utils.h>
@@ -64,12 +65,8 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <basalt/vi_estimator/nfr_mapper.h>
 #include <basalt/calibration/calibration.hpp>
 
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-
 #include <basalt/serialization/headers_serialization.h>
 
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
-
 using basalt::POSE_SIZE;
 using basalt::POSE_VEL_BIAS_SIZE;
 
diff --git a/src/rs_t265_record.cpp b/src/rs_t265_record.cpp
index f3f3913..f440008 100644
--- a/src/rs_t265_record.cpp
+++ b/src/rs_t265_record.cpp
@@ -56,11 +56,9 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include <basalt/device/rs_t265.h>
 #include <basalt/serialization/headers_serialization.h>
+#include <basalt/utils/filesystem.h>
 #include <CLI/CLI.hpp>
 #include <cereal/archives/json.hpp>
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
-
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
 
 constexpr int UI_WIDTH = 200;
 
diff --git a/src/time_alignment.cpp b/src/time_alignment.cpp
index 588e6e2..99e0694 100644
--- a/src/time_alignment.cpp
+++ b/src/time_alignment.cpp
@@ -42,15 +42,13 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include <basalt/io/dataset_io.h>
 #include <basalt/serialization/headers_serialization.h>
+#include <basalt/utils/filesystem.h>
 #include <basalt/calibration/calibration.hpp>
-#include <experimental/filesystem>
 
 #include <tbb/tbb.h>
 
 #include <CLI/CLI.hpp>
 
-namespace fs = std::experimental::filesystem;
-
 basalt::Calibration<double> calib;
 basalt::MocapCalibration<double> mocap_calib;