Two Checklists We Use Before Every Backroad Trip
Every trip we have ever cut short started the same way: something got skipped. A hitch pin that wasn't clipped, a fuse we didn't pack, a cooler full of food and nothing to light the stove. So we wrote down exactly what we check and what we pack before heading out, and turned both lists into printables you can use too.
Before you roll: the Pre-Trip Vehicle & Trailer Checklist (free)
This one-page checklist is what we run the night before a trip and again at the trailhead. It covers 38 checks in seven sections:
Tires and wheels: pressure set for the load, tread and sidewalls, lug nuts, spare and jack.
Fluids and engine: oil, coolant, brake and transmission fluid, washer fluid, fresh drips.
Lights and 12V power: vehicle and trailer lights, trailer plug, aux battery, fridge and chargers.
Hitch and trailer: coupler, safety chains, breakaway cable, tongue jack, load and straps, trailer brakes.
Spare parts and tools: fuses, zip ties, electrical and duct tape, a basic tool kit, a multimeter, spare bulbs and a tire plug kit.
Recovery and safety: compressor, traction boards, recovery strap, first aid, extinguisher, water, offline maps.
Before you roll: fuel, weather and closures, a final walkaround and a 5-mile check.
Our favorite habit on the list is the 5-mile stop. Pull over a few miles in and re-check the hitch, straps and hubs. Things settle once you are moving, and it is the cheapest insurance there is.
Before you pack: the Overland Packing & Gear Checklist ($2)
Two pages, 91 checkboxes, nine sections: shelter and sleep, camp kitchen, water and food, clothing and personal, power and electronics, recovery and vehicle, safety and first aid, camp extras, and a last-minute grab list.
Each section's main list covers a weekend trip. Heading out for a week or longer? Add the Week+ items listed underneath, so one list works for both. There are blank lines for your own gear and a few packing tips we have learned the hard way.
How we use them together
A few days out, print the packing list and check items off as you load each bin.
The night before, run the Pre-Trip checklist with the vehicle and trailer hitched up.
At the trailhead or your 5-mile stop, run through the hitch and tire checks again.
After the trip, write down what broke or ran low in the notes section so it is fixed before next time.
Both checklists are instant PDF downloads, sized for US Letter paper. Print a fresh copy for every trip and keep one in the glovebox.
See you out there. Going nowhere slowly.
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