Keep the template
The durable habits — chargers, earplugs, calendar blocks, post-trip review — stay in one file.
Use case Plan regular trips
Turn recurring travel lessons into a reusable checklist system — then ask Mana to create the next trip from the template.
The idea
Mana is useful here because it turns a repeat task into a small file workflow. The reusable checklist stays in Markdown. Each trip gets a separate page that pulls in public event facts, tracks trip-specific logistics, and keeps the source, template, and trip checklist linked together.
Instantiate a trip
Paste a public event page. Mana creates a concrete checklist from the template and the source.
Start with a master template
The first prompt saves the reusable checklist as a wiki page, not as a chat answer. That makes it editable from your phone, reviewable in git, and available for the next trip.
Create a reusable checklist template for weekend trips and conferences. Keep it generic; trip-specific dates, bookings, and venues should go in each trip page.
Template checklist
Baseline for conferences, festivals, competitions, and short getaways — the planning and packing that stays the same trip after trip. Dates, bookings, and venue details belong on a separate checklist for each event.
Instantiated trips
Trip decision
- Dates do not collide with immovable commitments
- Travel time is reasonable (direct or one connection)
- Lodging is on-site, official, walkable, or on a direct route to the venue
Weeks before
- Register / buy pass
- Book travel and lodging
- Check visa / ID / passport requirements
- Block calendar and notify anyone affected if needed
- Save venue, lodging, and airport routes offline
Packing
Event gear
- Badge, ticket, or confirmation email
- Laptop / tablet if taking notes or presenting
- Clothes for long days and evening events
- Comfortable shoes
General
- Chargers for phone, watch, earbuds, laptop
- Power bank
- Earplugs
- Medication / toiletries
- Swimwear or gym kit if the hotel has a pool or spa
After the trip
- Capture follow-ups
- Promote anything missing from this trip back into the template
Instantiate a real trip
Later, you give Mana the concrete trip context. It reads the event page, reuses the template, and writes a new checklist page back into the repo.
https://www.wearedevelopers.com/world-congress/
Based on my conference-trip template, create a travel checklist for this event. Keep the new checklist separate from the template and link both ways.
Event checklist
Instantiated from the reusable weekend / conference trip template and the public WeAreDevelopers event page.
Linked files
- Template: Weekend / conference trip checklist template
- Source: WeAreDevelopers World Congress 2026 source capture
Event facts
- Event: WeAreDevelopers World Congress
- Dates: 8–10 Jul 2026
- City: Berlin, Germany
- Venue: confirm when published / before booking lodging
- Trip type: multi-day technology conference
Before leaving
- Register / confirm ticket and save QR code offline
- Confirm the final venue and address
- Book hotel near the venue or on a direct transit line
- Book outbound and return travel
- Add travel days and conference days to calendar
- Save airport → hotel → venue routes offline
- Check whether any must-see sessions conflict with arrival or departure
Packing
Conference gear
- Laptop or tablet for notes
- Charger, adapters, and portable battery
- Comfortable shoes for expo-floor days
- Lightweight layer for over-air-conditioned halls
- LinkedIn QR / business cards for networking
General
- Passport / ID
- Earplugs
- Medication and toiletries
- Gym kit or swimwear if the hotel has facilities
At the event
- Pick up badge at registration
- Star priority sessions in the event app
- Capture booth notes and follow-ups the same day
- Mark any missing checklist items to promote back to the template
Because it is git, it stays inspectable
The important part is not “AI made a packing list.” It is that the list lands in your repo with sources, links, and history. You can review the commit, edit it by hand, and keep improving the template after each trip.
$ git show --name-status --oneline -1 8f42c0e mana: create Berlin conference travel checklist from template A vault/raw/wearedevelopers-world-congress-2026.md A vault/templates/weekend-trip-checklist.md A vault/synthesis/wearedevelopers-berlin-2026-travel-checklist.md
What compounds over time
One trip creates a useful checklist. Ten trips create a travel operating system that remembers what you always forget.
- ✓ Master templates for conference, competition, family, and weekend trips
- ✓ Trip-specific checklists with dates, venue context, and booking details when you add them
- ✓ Post-trip lessons promoted back into the template
- ✓ A reviewable git history of every agent edit
- ✓ Plain Markdown files that work offline and on mobile
- ✓ Links between source pages, templates, trip instances, and indexes
Make the next repeated thing reusable
Trips are just one example. Mana can turn repeated projects, launches, reviews, and routines into templates that stay connected to every real-world instance.