In which I am not actually organized but making lists helps

I saw a bumper sticker that read "Organized people are just too lazy to look for sh*t."

That's me.  I am a list maker. 

My packing list for the X-State Fall Ride

When I wrote the X-State FAQ post, I forgot about lists!  (because "include a bit about lists" wasn't on the list...)

For somebody like me, it all has to be on a list...and if it isn't on the list, it will get left behind.  On an adventure like the X-State Ride, you can often borrow something from another rider, but if nobody has what you need, you might be stuck without it.

There are not a lot of shopping opportunities on the trail...
unless you're in the market for tumbleweeds?

So, here's a post about my list, and why I need to remember everything on it.

Truck

By now, the saga of the truck and the transmission mechanic who said "uh-oh" is part of my legend.  If it isn't yet part of your legend, be glad...and get your vehicle to the shop w-a-a-a-a-ay in advance of your adventure.  Transmissions take a long time to fix, mostly because the parts are apparently made in Hell and priced accordingly, and Fed-Ex shipments from the netherworld are undependable at best (and worse during pandemic).  

So, get yer rig checked out prior to a big adventure. And put that maintenance on your list so it gets done.  If you don't have towing insurance that will cover your truck and trailer and horses, do that.  US Rider has been very good to me, but some people prefer Trail Guard.  Just get something, okay?  AAA won't touch your rig if it has live animals in it.

At the Columbia River camp, May 2021

Change the oil, fill the fuel tank, check the tire pressure (you do have a tire gauge, right?  because mine went missing this week and I need to get another >>adding "buy tire gauge" to the list<<).

Last weekend, when I went out for one last shake-down trip before packing up all our gear, I discovered that the trailer had two flat tires (a wood screw and a nail, respectively) and that Fiddle had thrown a shoe.   Gahhhhh.  All fixed now.

Mel came to apply new shoes to the Dragon in Revere during the Spring ride. 
If you don't usually gift your farrier with jams and tea, I recommend that you 
put that on your list.  A good farrier is worth GOLD.

My sleeping quarters are in the bed of my truck, so my bedding and stuff is all on the "truck" portion of the list.  

At camp in Revere, May 2019

I haul all of my clothes in the truck--outerwear (of varying weights, because it might be 70* and it might be 35*...on the same day) is stashed in the cab, and everything else is in the bed of the truck with me.  

Mornings come early in camp (make sure you bring an alarm clock!  I use my phone) so I set out the morning's clothes the night prior, and often sleep in riding britches to make that step easier.  Meds are all separated into daily packets.  Sunscreen gets tucked into my boot so I won't forget to put it on--it's easy to forget sunscreen when you get dressed two hours before sunrise!

The trailer houses all things horse-y: tack, water, first aid, etc.  

Old photo (2010?) of the amazing amount of stuff I used to tote to a weekend endurance ride.
I take less stuff for 18 days on the trail now!

Most of the horse stuff lives in the trailer all the time.  

For long trips,  I add blankets (lightweight and mid-weight for this time of year), buckets, and food packets (pre-measured into ziplocs, so I don't have to think about it at feeding time).  A bale of hay gets wrapped in a tarp and strapped into the back (horse portion) of the trailer.  The extra water tank is in the trailer dressing room and it is filled up--I will remove it for the winter after this trip.

I pack a lot of clothing choices for the Fall Ride. We'll be travelling through Snoqualmie Pass in autumn, so the temperature and the weather will include a bit of everything.

In this photo from September 2019, I am wearing warm winter boots,
wool socks, fleece britches, fleece-and-gortex rain pants,
a wool shirt, a wool sweater, a silk scarf, a down coat, and wool gloves!

And of course, sometimes it also rains.

Rain layers top-to-bottom on me and the horse.

Ride management provides dinners (FOOD TRUCKS!!!) but we are responsible for our own breakfasts and lunches.  

As long as I can drink at least one cup of hot tea, everything else is fine.

Granola and yogurt for breakfasts, with tea (of course).  

Peanut butter, paired with my own rum-plum-cardamom jam is a good lunch.  The other food on my list is snacks.  I'll be driving right past the Thorp Fruit Stand in autumn, so I can snag a box of apples to sustain me (and my equine friend) when we want a crunchy treat (which is often).

What else is needed for an adventure like this?  

Well, a sense of humor comes in handy.  Better add it to the list!