The free outdoor adventurer trip checklist
Whether you are hunting, fishing, camping, or hiking, a good trip starts before you reach the trailhead. The plan you leave behind matters as much as the gear you carry — it is how the people at home know where you are and when to expect you back. This checklist covers the plan, the permits, the gear, and the people at home, so you can head out prepared.
What’s inside
- Your trip plan and the people at home — a written plan with your route, where you will stay, and when you plan to be back, left with a trusted person along with your vehicle description and an agreed time to expect word from you
- Permits, licenses, and the rules for the area — permits, licenses and tags current for your dates, reservations or entry permits, current area rules, fire restrictions, and closures checked from official sources
- Gear and safety check — shelter, clothing and footwear checked before you leave, first aid, light, navigation, food and water, equipment tested at home, and extra supplies in case you are out longer than planned
- Vehicle and trailhead — tires, fluids, battery and fuel checked before remote roads, vehicle basics packed, legal parking at the trailhead, and your parking place noted in your written plan
- Weather, communication, and coming home — the forecast checked for your destination, a communication plan for places with no cell signal, offline maps saved, and a firm time to turn back or head out
- The plan most people forget — the short list that makes sure your family would never have to figure things out at the worst possible time
Get your free checklist
Enter your email below and we’ll send the checklist straight to your inbox. Print it, work through it in the days before you go, and head into the backcountry with everything handled.
What happens next
Check your inbox — your checklist is on its way.
It should arrive within a few minutes. If you don’t see it, check your spam or promotions folder — and add us to your contacts so our occasional emails reach you. Safe travels, and enjoy the backcountry.
Who’s behind this checklist
Journey Secure is an Authorized Independent General Agency for Return Assured℠. The membership’s benefits are provided through APASI, which has been providing travel assurance since 1994. The idea behind everything we do is simple: a Return Assured℠ membership costs $350 once, for life, and if a member passes away more than 75 miles from home, one call has everything arranged and paid for to bring them home — so their family never has to figure it out at the worst time. The checklist is free whether or not the membership is ever right for you.
Common questions
Is it really free?
Yes. The checklist is a free download, no payment and no obligation. We make it because leaving well is the whole point of what we do — and because some readers will later decide the membership is right for them.
Will you spam me?
No. You’ll get the checklist right away, and after that an occasional email — seasonal reminders and planning tips, a few times a year, not a few times a week. Every email has an unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing is immediate and permanent.
What is Journey Secure?
Journey Secure offers the Return Assured℠ membership: lifetime travel protection for people who spend time away from home, including outdoor adventurers heading into the backcountry, far from home. If a member dies more than 75 miles from home, one call at the time of death sets everything in motion — identification, preparation, transport home, and the paperwork — with the costs covered. It is not insurance; it’s a membership, and it’s one $350 payment for life. You can read more at journeysecure.com.
We respect your privacy. Your email address is used only to send the checklist and the occasional emails described above, and is never sold or shared. See our Privacy Policy for details.