Free CSV template
Headcount check-in sheet
Every checkpoint gets a row: how many you expected, how many are present, who is missing and who counted. Memory is not a headcount.
Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers. Updated 7 October 2026.
What each column is for
- Day and checkpoint
- Name the moment, not just the place: before departure, trail head, camp evening. Checkpoints are where groups lose people.
- Scheduled and actual time
- The gap between the two is your delay log. It also shows which checkpoints keep slipping across departures.
- Expected count
- Comes from the roster for that departure. Drops when someone leaves early; write the new number, do not just remember it.
- Present and missing
- Present plus missing must equal expected. If it does not, count again before the bus moves.
- Missing names
- A number tells you something is wrong. Names tell you who to call.
- Captain
- Who did the count. Two captains on a large group means two rows per checkpoint.
How to use it
Download the CSV and open it in Excel or Google Sheets, or print it for the trail.
List every checkpoint for the departure before day one, with scheduled times from the itinerary.
Fill the expected count from the roster each morning.
At each checkpoint, count, write present and missing, and name the missing before moving.
Record the actual time and who counted.
After the trip, compare scheduled against actual to fix the itinerary for the next batch.
Mistakes this template prevents
- Counting heads on the bus but not at the trail head where the group spreads out.
- Having one person count a group of 40 without a second count.
- Treating a late joiner as present because they messaged they were "two minutes away".
- Not updating the expected count after a traveller leaves the trip early.
Questions about this template
How often should a group leader take a headcount?
At every point where the group moves or splits: pickup, before departure, after any stop, at the trail head, at camp or hotel in the evening, and before leaving each morning. For treks, add a count at every rest point on exposed sections.
What is the best way to do a headcount for a large group?
Split the group into named sub-groups of 8 to 10 with a buddy or sub-leader each, count sub-groups rather than individuals, and have a second person confirm the total before the group moves.
Does Rahi do headcounts?
Yes. Captains run headcount and boarding check-ins per itinerary item in the app, and the dashboard shows who is unaccounted for by name.
Terms used here
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Who uses it
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