Start by deciding where you are going and when. Where you are going and when will determine much of what you need to prepare. For example, a simple afternoon at the beach on a plesant summer day will required very different planning and preparation than a weekend riding OHVs or personal water craft or a week boondocking in a remote location.
Once you have decided where and when you are going you need to compile a list of what you will need for a successful outing. Basic preparations will include transportation, shelter, food and water and whatever equipment and supplies you will need to support your planned recreational activities. You will also need to consider an special circumstances for you and your companions, such as prescription medications, special diets, and any physical disabilities.
Always check the weather and any local conditions before setting out on an RV or OHV adventure. Last spring three of my grown children set out on a dirt bike ride in the mountains of Utah. It was a beautiful sunny day and they were headed into an area very familiar to my eldest son, Mike. They had barely left the road on their dirt bikes when they encountered a familiar river crossing. This was one Mike had crossed many times before. However, the snow melt from the warm day had swollen it so it was much faster and much deeper than usual, although it didn't really look any different. Even so, he rode half way across without any problems. Unfortunately, the channel was deeper and faster on the second half and about half way through part two, he found the water almost up to the handlebars and the current much stronger than usual. His bike stalled out and soon he and the bike were being swept down the river in the swift, icy current. He managed to guide the bike toward a tree caught in the rocks and stopped his downstream journey. His "little" brother (14 years younger but defensive lineman of the year his senior year in high school a few years ago) saw his plight and rushed to his rescue. Between the two of them they managed to wrestle the water-logged bike ashore but it took at least a half hour of struggle against the icy, snow-melt current. The cylinder was hydraulically locked with river water so the engine would not turn over at all. They had to manually pull the bike up on its back wheel in "wheelie" position and water poured out of the exhaust pipe. They could then kick the engine over but it still wouldn't run. They ended up taking it home and spent at least two hours draining and replacing oil and gas and drying things out before they got it running again. The water-saturated engine oil looked like frothy marshmallow cream when they drained it the first few times. A quick check with the ranger on the way in could have alterted them to the increased danger of the river crossing.
The situation could have been a LOT worse. They were lucky no one was hurt and no equipment lost. If Mike hadn't had help he would probably at least lost his bike -- and maybe his life -- in that river. You really don't want to try to hang on to 300# of motorcycle in a fast current! If his clothing had gotten caught on the bike he easily could have been dragged under or swept downstream. Even though the outside temperature was moderate, the cold snow-melt would quickly introduce hypothermia if they were in it very long or even in wet clothing once out of the river. Even if the water were warm, being wet could quickly create a hypothermic emergency. You will loose heat around 25 times as fast in wet clothing, and that could be fatal if not recognized and properly addressed.
There are two lessons in this incident we should all take to heart: first and foremost, NEVER ride alone! Fortunately, they were already following this basic rule. Second, ALWAYS check local conditions before heading out on the trails. A quick check with the ranger on the way in would have alerted them that some trails were closed due to high water and other symptoms of a long winter and spring runoff and they could have avoided the whole incident. I had sent along a warning that the water crossings may be higher than usual because I had picked up on on-line weather alert for a Flood Watch due to heavy snow pack and warm temperatures in the mountains. Someday maybe they'll learn to listen to the old man! Later Mike would tell me "The funny thing is that Kristen told me as we were pulling into the parking lot that you had cautioned us about the Flood Watch. Then just minutes later I ended up falling prey to it anyway!" I'm sure Mike simply figured the river didn't look much different from other times he'd made the same crossing successfully. He crossed the first half cautiously without difficulty and the far channel looked deceptively normal -- until he found himself waist deep in it and getting an E-ticket ride downstream! Guess I might need explain what an E-ticket ride is. For the current generation, an e-ticket is nothing special, just an electronic ticket usually purchased online to an event or plane ride. My use here comes from the days, long ago, when Disneyland had various lettered tickets for their rides. The kiddie rides took A and B tickets and the E-ticket got you onto the best and most exciting adult rides.
RV and camping trips. You'll want to check weather and other conditions at your destination and along your route when planning an RV or camping trip too. Bad weather, wild fires, and even road construction can wreak havoc on an outing and turn an expected good time into a frustrating nightmare. It's well worth a few extra minutes to look up the weather on the Internet and call the local ranger station or law enforcement to be sure you won't encounter unexpected obstacles and delays. You might still choose to make your trip in inclement weather or when there is road construction, but at least you can be a little better prepared and perhaps bring an extra jacket or blanket and allow a little extra travel time.
Regular, routine preparations put you in a better position to be able to take spontaneous trips at a moment's notice. If you always clean and service your equipment at the end of each trip you'll have a good start on getting ready for the next one. Periodically invest a little time to clean and organize your tools, supplies, and equipment. Review your inventory of non-perishable supplies. If you're using an RV, keep non-perishables stocked. If you're tent camping, keep everything organized and labeled in duffle bags or plastic tubs so you can grab them and go.
Menus. You'll want to pre-plan you menus so you can be sure you have everything you need on board before you leave home. Unless you're staying in a commercial campground with a well-stocked camp store you won't be able to just pick up what you need at the last minute. Take into consideration the number of people in your group, the number of meals, and how long you're going to be out. Think about how long foods will keep and plan your meals to use up perishables early in the outing. Fresh foods should be scheduled for use in the first day or two, frozen foods will last a little longer, and canned goods should easily survive the length of any normal camping trip.
Water. If you're staying in a developed campground you'll probably have access to water but if you're boondocking, you'll have to bring enough with you to last the entire trip. If you're tent camping or have an RV with a small fresh water tank, you'll need to bring extra water. A convenient way of doing this is using portable 5-gallon water jugs available just about anywhere camping gear is sold. If you have room in the back of a truck or trailer you might bring a 55-gallon drum. There are collapsible "buckets" and roof-top bladders that can be used to transport water from a shared location to your individual camp site. These are light weight and take up little room when empty. . I once had large military water bag. It was made of canvas and would hold at lest a couple hundred gallons of water with handy spigots all around. Something like that is only practical if you have way to fill it up once you get to camp and won't be moving it around. One of my dirt biking buddies solved the problem of his teen age kids using too much water showering in camp by allowing each one a certain number of 1-gallon plastic milk jugs filled with water for their personal use. They could take as long a shower as they wanted -- but once they used up their personal allotment, they were done showering for the rest of the trip. It was surprising how adept they became at showering with as little water as possible! All it would take was being left with shampoo in their hair or soap on their skin from running out of water once or using up a whole trip's water allotment in the first day or two for them to quickly get the idea.
Tools and equipment. Another basic consideration for any outing is bringing along the right tools and equipment to ensure a safe and enjoyable outing. What you need will depend on where you are going, what time of the year it is, what activities you are planning, and what kind of gear you are bringing along. You probably don't need many extra tools for a picnic in the park (hopefully you have a basic tool kit in the trunk of your car for routine problems) but you may need more tools plus spare parts if you have other equipment, especially motorized toys such as OHVs or personal watercraft. Think about what you might need to support what you plan to do. Just bringing along a ball pump and needle might save the day if your volleyball or football goes flat.
While planning ahead, plan for the unplanned too. That may sound like a paradox, but having some kind of plan for emergencies will ease your mind, save you a lot of grief, and may even save your life!
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