Checklists, checklists, and more checklists!

In preparation of any camping trip, one should go through their RV and check to make sure they have everything they need to make their trip fun and headache free. Especially when they bring their RV out of winterization. This was kinda the case for us during our last camp out. I found that during our stay at Dosewallips State Park, I was quickly reminded that I forgot to pack a few key items for any trip. For example, towels, table to BBQ at, tables to eat at, green scrubby pad, and so on. During the winter months, those items and some others were removed from the RV to use in the house. I forgot to put them back in the RV prior to leaving. Hence the title of this blog entry. Checklists are a great tool to help you remember what to pack and what not to forget. Even if you have a duplicate item in your house and the RV, say hand soap, it's always good to check to make sure it's full. Checklists are an easy way to take the guesswork out of what to bring. I recommend downloading a copy of a pre-made checklist for a typical RV and customizing it. There are a lot of good checklists out there but they probably have items on there that you don't need. I downloaded one for a full timer RV and went to make an excel spreadsheet. By combining the full timers and my ideas I came up with my own checklists. I use the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet for different areas in the RV like kitchen, bathroom, storage compartment, etc. Now I can go through and check off the items, even if they were already there, and go buy replacements if needed.

Checklists don't stop there. Sure they help remind you of items to bring but they can also help you remember step-by-step instructions on how to do things. Airline pilots use them all the time to make sure they go through the steps on how to operate the airplane. Lets hope they do and not only rely on memory and just "wing it!" These checklists can be prepared for just about anything. You can have your "pre-departing the house" checklists to go over stuff like check the tire pressure. Or check the torque on the lug nuts for the wheels. Then you can have your "At the campsite" checklist for setting up your campsite and plugging in the shore ties. Whatever you can think of, you can make a checklist for it.

So bottom line, don't just think that you'll remember everything needed for an enjoyable trip. Sure you think your memory is a steel trap and you'll remember everything. But think about it; it's better to have checked it and not needed it, then to have not checked it and realized it was something you could not live without. It's okay to make a checklist to remind you what to bring, how to do stuff, etc. The more complete it is, the better your trip will be. Which reminds me, I have to go and check on a few things... Till next time!