Preparation is key

Preparation is key

If you're on the set and setting everything up, this is the worst possible moment to realize that you left the crucial adapter at home and the batteries are all drained.

There are many effective ways to avoid this, and almost every sound technician has their own workflow. As long as they are reliable, they are all great.

If you are new to this topic, however, you may wonder how to avoid such miseries.
The general answer is: A thorough checklist.
If you don't have much gear yet, you may wonder if it's worth the effort - Short answer: It is!
Even if your current equipment fits into a small backpack, you can still forget something very important. So take your time and calmly check everything carefully. If in doubt, check it again. 

We start by checking whether all the equipment we want to take with us is available. To do this, we lay it out on a table, for example, and group it together. Microphones, cables, batteries, cable ties, tripods...

BEFORE we pack it, we carefully count everything and check the equipment for damage or missing parts. We also check that batteries are fully charged. 
Now, find everything you want to pack in your backpack and mark it off your packing list after you've put it in your backpack.

Is everything packed? Great! 
Now, take a picture of your packing list or transfer it to your phone. This list will help you check that you haven't left anything behind when you're done with your recordings and ready to go back home.

Once you're back home, refer to the packing list and enter information about items you missed while recording. That way, you'll have it with you next time.
It is practical to update the packing list and delete all copies of old packing lists.
This way, you can avoid making the same mistake twice. 

As your gear increases, so will your packing list.
However, you won't bring all your gear to every outdoor recording session.
More and more often, you'll have a standard set of gear for certain types of setups. Therefore, you may want to prepare packing lists for these standard setups.
This will make things less error-prone, and you won't have to carry all your gear with you.