It happens every time: You head downtown or out of town for a research trip, a family reunion, or a pleasant jaunt to your ancestors' overgrown graveyard—and you forget some absolute research necessity. Directions to the library. Your recorder for that oral history interview. A pen.

This is the year things change. Before you pack your bags, consult our handy research gear guide and make your list—we've already started a packing list for you at <www.familytreemagazine.com/cheatsheets>. Then check off each item as it goes into your bag. Never again will you spend more time locating the library than you do researching your family once you get there.