Touring Essentials

On our fist Indie Tip, it's all about the essentials of touring.
The comforts of home don't always come on four wheels, but if it doesn't fit, you must acquit! Here are some things you might need for the road.

Baby Wipes: Showers aren't always available on tour so baby wipes are a great alternative to body cleansing. A great brand is Huggies Baby Wipes with Aloe. Why? Because it's strong enough to cleanse but gentle enough not to harm the skin.

Anti-Diarrheals/Antacids: Let's face it, food on the road ain't exactly mama's cooking, so be aware that your body may not always agree with it. You should keep a collection of products because where one will not work, the other will. Also keep in mind that when it comes to anti-diarrheals, there are certain products for a certain level of...yeah...So for weak to moderate try using Pepto Bismol but for anything else, Imodium is a great product. When it comes to Antacids, I find the Pepcid, not only works faster but last a good amount of time. Try finding one that is chewable, because it's easier to digest.

MultiVitamins: I actually got this from John and Kate Plus Eight, when Kate says that on the road, Organic products aren't always available so multivitamins fill in where fast food doesn't. Theragran-M has gotten raving reviews but if you're not feeling it so much, a pharmacist is always willing to point you in the right direction to one that you are feeling. Also, keep in mind that multivitamins always prevent illnesses, which aren't so fun on the road.

On-The-Go Tiolet: When you need to go, you need to go! Often you'll find that the bathrooms are not always sanitary or as my father put it during a road trip, "That bathroom is inhuman!!" On top of that, you can't always stop on a tight schedule. Camp Colman offers a wide range of portable toilets and many are affordable.

Hand Sanitzer: You never know what type of germs you may incounter on the road, so always keep you hands clean. Hand sanitizer is a great tool to kill germs on the go and when a soap and water isn't available, but when it is utilize it. Over-using hand sanitizer leads to killing essential oils and nutrients in your skin. So please, wash when you can!

Listerine: Self explanatory.

Clothes/Shoes: If you are touring for 3 weeks, pack for 6. Why? Every touring musician knows that doing laundry is very hard to accomplish on the road. Many times, I've heard of musicians buying numerous packs of underwear and socks to wear them once then throw them out, but for newer touring bands, this may not always be possible. Another thing is when you put your dirty clothes in a laundry bag, make sure the bag has an inner lining of plastic with sturdy fabric on the outside. A trick I like to use is to put a couple of sheets of fabric softener to freshen up the dirty clothes inside the bag and to keep the smell from filling up the van. I like to use Cuddle Soft, but you're welcome to use which ever you like. Something I've also seen many musicians do, is have a stage outfit. A stage outfit minimizes the laundry load, but if you do go with this route, make sure the the outfit is comfortable and the fabric is sturdy and dark; no one wants to see sweat for last weeks show on you garments. Febreeze is also a great tool for it because it freshens it up between shows. lightly spray and use original scent, the newer scents are too over-powering.

When Packing Shoes, try packing shoes like Converse Chuck Taylors, or Vans and no, it's not because their a rock staple. These brand are actually very compact and you can pack as many as you can fit into you luggage. They are also very versatile so they go of almost everything you wear.

And There you have it, A short list of essential items for Touring. Think I should add something? Email Indie Tip 101, at indietip101@gmail.com and maybe your suggestion will appear on a future IT101 episode.