If I Could Do My First Tour Again: An Unnecessarily Long and Unorganized Guide to Touring
About a year ago, I was getting ready to go on my first actual tour. You can see here how much I loved the experience, and why I continue to pursue music photography. Even though I had a blast, there was still a lot that I, as a photographer, could've done to make the experience better. Like packing...I could've packed a lot better. Fortunately, I get to do this over like right now. So I figured I'd help you guys make touring the best experience you can, especially if it's your first tour. If you're interested in taking it to the extreme and packing everything you need in a single backpack, then do I have the post for you!
Clothes
First, I want to talk about packing clothes. Everything I'm going to say should seem obvious, but sometimes I say "meh, whatever," and end up ruining this completely. So of course you need the basics:
Undies: Enough for every day of tour, and then some. Especially if you're a girl. And guys, just because you can get away with reusing your undies sometimes doesn't mean you should. You, and everyone you're traveling with, will thank me later.
Socks: Same as before. And if you're going to be wearing closed shoes a lot, there's no getting around this. But don't bring 50 pairs of socks because you just can't pick which ones you like more. Just pick some. You're not going to be thinking about it too much later. If you plan on bringing sandals or other open shoes, you can obviously bring less socks.
Shoes: Bring, at the most, 2 pairs of shoes. Maybe some Vans and some athletic shoes for example. You never know when you might need another pair of shoes, but you're not going to need 5 pairs of shoes on tour. Don’t be me. Don’t waste your precious space. And in the worst case scenario, you can always pick up a cheap pair of shoes from one of the thousands of Walmarts you'll pass along the way. I won’t lie though, I brought 3 on this one because low top Converses are very easy to squeeze into a bag.
Outfits: My first tour, I packed outfits, expecting to be able to not only wear multiple different outfits, but also actually fit them in the van. That included 3 or 4 pairs of shoes (a mistake in itself), a few different pairs of pants, multiple jackets and hoodies, a kigurumi (which actually ended up being the best idea I had all tour), just a lot of things I didn't need, in hindsight. All of that space I took up, I could've brought more camera gear, or just saved the room in general. Don't pack outfits, pack things you can turn into outfits.
Neutral colored pants (I packed my black shorts, black skinny jeans, and some blue jeans because the climates we’re in are so drastically different this run, I needed options) so that you can wear whatever shirt you want. And it’s totally fine to wear pants multiple times before throwing them into the wash, by the way. A good pair of jeans is actually made to be used this way. Sorry mom, I know you taught me differently, but these are dire times.
Bring one or two jackets/hoodies, even if you're not going anywhere cold. They're comfy, you can sleep in them (at least I do), and there will always be that one house, restaurant, or venue that is just a bit too cold. And if one gets dirty, then you have a backup. If someone else goofed and didn’t bring theirs, then you have a spare you can lend them. If you know you're going somewhere cold, don't forget your scarf, gloves, and a heavier coat. Layering is key.
Bring some comfy shorts or pants to sleep in because sleeping in your jeans sucks. I got in the habit of just changing into my comfy pants (or kigurumi on van nights) and leaving the shirt I wore that day to bed, just to save clean shirts. Again, sorry mom. What was even better was that I would normally shower in the morning, when we got the chance, so I didn't feel gross about it.
Toiletries
Another obvious thing you should think about is toiletries. You know, toothbrush, toothpaste, soaps, shampoos, etc.
Now this is going to sound super girly because of the detail I’m going into, but I highly recommend that you bring as many liquids as you plan on bringing, but as bars. Shampoo bars, soap bars, etc. They take up way less space than bottles, don't spill, and you can bring containers made to hold them so they're not just hanging out in your bag when they're drying off. I’m still working my way through my travel sized shower gels, so I didn’t got more soaps, but as soon as these are done, I’m investing in bars.
On that note, bring your own towels, and a packing cube or waterproof bag to keep them in when they're wet. You never know if you're going to be showering in someone's house, a hotel, or in a Planet Fitness, so it's best to just bring your own. Plus, I feel weird using other peoples’ towels. No idea why, it’s just a personal thing.
If you wear makeup, bring just the basics. I brought eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick because I honestly didn't have the time to do my makeup anyway. I only used the eyeliner once, considered using my lipstick a couple times, and completely forgot I even brought the mascara on my first tour. We were constantly on the go, and doing winged eyeliner in the back of a moving van is a nightmare. Plus, when someone knows you're living out of a van with a ton of people, everyone you encounter gets it. [Update: I’ve since gotten better at doing my makeup quickly, so just bring what you need. Now I wear my 5-minute eye look.] I would also grab a peel off face mask or two at a Walmart stop, because something about being in a van eating food that isn't exactly healthy for a while really brings out my acne. Plus, it’s a good bonding/relaxation activity on an off day.
Another note, bring wipes of some kind. I have moisturizing face wipes that help me keep my face clean when I don’t have time to straight up wash my face with facial wash (another thing you don’t need to pack) and water in the back of a van.
Gear
I’m pretty sure I ended up bringing every little bit of gear that I owned on my first tour, which was entirely too much. Multiple lenses, a GoPro that never got used, a tripod, a speed light, it all just took up precious space in my camera bag and weighed me down when we were on the go out of the van. I ended up only using my Sigma 17-50mm for pretty much the entire tour anyway, so this time, I only brought two lenses (a 20mm and a 50mm). I’ve also gotten some new gear that I’d much rather have than a f/3.5 55-300mm. You know. Like a drone.
You know how you plan your shots before a show? How you’ll research the venue before you leave for a show? Tour is just the longer version of that, and you also have a bit more control. Figure out where you’re going, plan your main shots well in advance, and based on that, you’ll be able to decide on what gear you absolutely must bring. If you don’t plan on getting action shots, you’re not going to need a GoPro and all the attachments. If you’re not going to have to shoot from the back of the crowd, you don’t need that telephoto lens. Not planning on doing video? You don’t need the stabilizer. The saying “it’s better to have something and not need it…” doesn’t exactly apply too well when your solution is as easy as getting creative with what you do have.
Schedule
I recently got to talk to another photographer about being on tour, how his day goes, and how he normally manages his time. I used to think just rolling with it was a good way to manage your time, but then I thought about how much more efficient I’d be if I put myself on a schedule. So here’s some things I do on the road this time around:
Wake up early - Get stuff done while everyone is still sleeping or getting ready for the day. Organize images, format memory cards, check gear, etc. Also, it’s nice being the first one in the shower.
Shoot some b-roll. Start it early, get it done early, get it on the computer ready to edit. If you’re already in the general area of the venue, this is a good time to fly your drone if you have one. You can always get good b-roll on the ground throughout the day, especially if you’re all just hanging out and having fun.
Give yourself at least an hour of free time - Play some phone games, take a nap, something. Everyone needs a break. I won’t lie, a lot of my free time is in the 8+ hour drives where we’re passing the same scenery over and over. When you finish editing in the middle of the drive and can’t exactly do much else, it’s not a bad idea to sleep.
Before the set - Behind the scenes work. Setup, soundcheck, preshow rituals. Whatever you think people really want to see. For me, it’s a lot of us just hanging out and playing Smash.
Showtime - Learn the setlist, learn your subjects, time your shots so you always get what you want. That way, you’re not wading through 500+ photos a night or missing that shot you’d love to add to a recap video.
After the set - the work isn’t done yet. Get your photos/footage to a computer and at least get it organized. Start editing as soon as you can. I have an entire Lightroom flow that I work through every night so I can have something ready to post by tomorrow morning, and I’ll gladly share it with you in another post.
