The Classic Forgotten Items

The EHU cable — left on the drive more times than we care to admit.

The water hose — discovered missing on arrival at the site, requiring an emergency trip to the nearest camping shop.

The dog’s food — Max was very unimpressed.

The children’s medication — this one is serious and we now have a dedicated medication pouch that lives in the caravan permanently.

[PERSONALISE: Add your own most embarrassing forgotten items]

Our System

We use a laminated checklist that lives in the caravan. Before every departure, Grant works through the checklist while Amie does a final walk-through of the house.

The checklist is divided into three sections: ‘Always in the caravan’, ‘Pack from home’, and ‘Last minute’ (passports, medication, fresh food).

The ‘Always in the caravan’ section covers everything that lives permanently in the van — EHU cable, water hose, levelling ramps, first aid kit. These items should never need to be packed because they never leave the caravan.

The Permanent Caravan Kit

The single best thing we did was to buy a second set of kitchen basics that live permanently in the caravan. A second set of knives, a second chopping board, a second set of mugs — it means we never forget the kitchen essentials because they are always there.

The same applies to toiletries. A dedicated caravan toiletry bag that never comes into the house means we never forget the shampoo.