My approach was once like jax's. I'd fine tune gear, page through catalogs upon my return and pack and repack again and again starting in January. I really enjoyed doing it too. That was actually a big part of the overall trip for me in those pre-internet days. That's why I started the forums but in a way, I kind of miss those days. A friend and I would even do reconnaissance trips in May for group trips later that year. There where no maps with dots that we knew of at the time.

Now my wife will normally start bugging me saying my window is closing and I find my list of what worked and what didn't from last year and arrange my life only to decide where to go a night or two before I leave.

I do check the PCD on lakes I don't know because I like a good campsite for layover days. My taste is a little different sometimes but that's OK too. At least I'm relatively sure there's a site there worth checking and not just a dot on a map.

Most of the planning I do now is paying bills and making a map with circles and arrows for my wife in case I mess up.