With the high school and college marching seasons in full swing, I thought it was a perfect time to compile a list of go-to items to consider having in your drum tech bag. But first, I want to mention the unsung hero – the bag itself. While most any bag will do, the standard for most is a trustworthy backpack. A few things you’ll want to consider when choosing your bag:
- Plenty of pockets – to hold all the stuff in an organized way
- Durable zippers – you’re going to be opening and closing those pockets frequently, so you’ll want the zippers to hold up to excessive use
- A reinforced base – for those times the bag is sitting on the ground, or concrete, or asphalt, or who knows where
- Padded back – to help reduce stress on your backbone and shoulders
- Expandable/adjustable pockets – for extra room or to reduce the bulk
- Invest a little money in a quality backpack. If you spend $10 on a bag, that’s exactly what you’ll get. $25 – $30 gets you something that will last for several years and will serve you well.
- Here’s a link to the bag we use in our band program. Yes, it’s purple, but other colors are available.
And now, The List. The List has been collected from various sources, including what I keep in my backpack and the collective suggestions from Reddit. It is in no particular order. Some individual items might not be necessary if another item is in use (e.g., if a multi-tool is included, individual screwdrivers, pliers, etc, would not be needed).
The List:
- High-tension drum key
- Drum tool
- Stick tape (I use electrical tape from Home Depot. They have a wide variety of colors, and each roll comes in a case)
- Drum pad
- Allen/hex key set
- Socket set
- Lithium grease (white)
- Paraffin wax (a light coating around the bearing edge when changing heads to prevent heads from ripping)
- Metronome
- Extra sticks and mallets
- Travel first aid kit with plenty of band-aids, Neosporin, etc
- Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen
- Multi tool (knife, screwdrivers, scissors, pliers)
- Water bottles, dried fruit (to raise blood sugar), protein/carb snacks (for those that haven’t eaten)
- Thumb tacks for tenor heads when air is trapped between mylar layers to help restore resonance in an emergency
- Duct tape
- Zip ties
- Towel(s)
- Lugs/tension rods, carrier bolts, etc
- Screwdrivers, pliers, scissors, needle-nose pliers (if no multi-tool)
- Extra earplugs
- Safety pins (for quick uniform fixes)
- Extra gloves, cymbal straps
- Rubber bands
- Precision screwdriver set (mainly for wind instruments if needed)
- Hand sanitizer and/or wet wipes
- Spare string (440 paracord)*
- Lighter (to prevent fraying ends)*
*Note – for pit/front ensemble mallet instruments
So there it is. Pick and choose what works best for your particular needs. Be prepared and happy drumming!
