Must-Have Accessories for Touring Drummers

For drummers on the road, the gear isn't limited to just drum kits and sticks. As touring comes with unexpected challenges and unpredictable situations, it’s crucial to ensure all important accessories are in proper condition, reliably protected from shocks, dents and sudden drops that also happen during transportation. So what are must-have accessories every touring drummer should pack to have a smooth performance and protect their gear? Let’s figure it out together! 

1. Drumstick Bag 

A reliable bag protects sticks from breaking, wearing down and getting lost on the road. It also allows drummers to organize all their brushes, rods, and mallets, each type in an individual compartment, offering quick access to instruments without wasting any second. 

What you should consider when selecting a drumstick bag:

• Attachment options An ideal bag for drumsticks should be practical to use on the stage. Thus, ensure that the bag offers comfortable options to attach it to your floor tom for quick access during rehearsals or performances. Typically, the bags may feature hooks or straps for this purpose. Within the KGUmusic collection, you can find bags equipped with two elastic loops that make it easy and fast to place them on the tom drum. 
• Materials Touring can be tough on gear, so it’s better to select a bag made from high-quality, tear- and water-resistant materials like leather. Although faux leather and fabric bags may cost cheaper, nothing will provide a better and more durable protection for your gear than genuine leather. Since leather is made from animal hide, it features dense and interwoven fiber structure, which makes the material tough and resistant to tearing or ripping under pressure. Additionally, during the tanning and finishing process, genuine leather is treated with oils or waxes, which function as barriers that prevent water from penetrating the surface. Unlike faux leather and fabric bags, leather drumstick bags don’t allow water to absorb and don’t let it seep through seams. 
• Capacity If you typically travel for short distances or don’t use lots of sticks, you should opt for compact-size drumstick bags, featuring only compartments for smaller collections of sticks without additional pockets. These bags allow comfortable travel in big city settings without messing with larger bags that may seem unpractical. However, if you typically bring lots of drumsticks with you on tours, you should opt for bags offering a larger place for storage and transportation. Large drumstick bags may feature not only compartments for brushes, brooms, rods, and drumsticks, but also pockets for documents, cleaning kits and your smartphone. At KGUmusic website, you can buy large drumstick bags with four spacious compartments for sticks and two smaller compartments for other accessories. 

• Carrying Options Ideally, you should have several carrying options to switch between them depending on situations. Sometimes it may be more comfortable to use a handle, in other situations you may need more practical options such as a shoulder strap. The more options you have, the better.  For instance, in airports or train stations, using a shoulder strap, it will be easier for you to free your hands for tickets, passports, or phones. When having handles, you can always grab your drumstick bag quickly from conveyor belts.
• Comfortable Opening Reliable closures ensure that nothing will accidentally fall out when you travel with your bag. When buying a bag, check whether it offers not only a zipper closure offering full opening, but also the option to partially open the bag. For instance, drumstick bags like those made by KGUmusic may offer a top zipper, allowing drummers to take the sticks without fully opening the bag. 

2. Drum key holder

A drum key is a small but essential tool for tuning and quick adjustments to drummer’s hardware, which unfortunately can be easily lost among other gear. Misplacing it can lead to frustration and waste of valuable time during a gig. However, such an accessory as a drum key holder can easily resolve this issue, providing your drum key is always within reach. 

Drum key holders can feature various options of accessibility. They may attach to a keychain or a belt loop, saving you from the risk of having to search for it hopelessly. Holders are typically small, so they don’t add unnecessary weight to your travel case. At KGUmusic website, you can find drum key holders, made of genuine leather available in several colors. They come with a carabiner to attach them to a chain and wear at easy reach on and off-stage. Genuine leather makes them not only practical accessories with a long lifespan but also a powerful statement of your personal style. 

Please note that you can buy drum key holders as individual accessories or included with drumstick bags. 

3. Drumstick Pouch

A drumstick pouch is smaller than a drumstick bag, which makes it ideal for carrying just a couple of sticks. This accessory is especially helpful for gigs or rehearsals where drummers don’t need to carry all their gear, for instance, when they take part in low-key gigs. Alternatively, drummers on tour may have practice sessions where they don’t want to carry a full stick bag. As pouches allow keeping just the essentials, they offer many advantages for touring drummers: 

• compact design 
• quick access
• reliable storage without adding too much weight to a touring setup

Within the KGUmusic collection, you can find two-stick leather drumstick pouches, designed to effectively protect sticks from dents, moisture and other external impacts. We offer two models featuring different types of secure closure. You can buy a drumstick pouch with a button stud allowing for quick access while preventing sticks from falling out during opening, and a pouch with magnetic closure offering minimal actions to reach your sticks. Thanks to their neat design and excellent portability, both models of drumstick pouches perfectly fit into compartments of your travel bag. 

Conclusion 

Touring may present its challenges, but if you invest in the right accessories, you will keep your drummer’s setup organized and enjoy your touring life a bit more. With reliable drumstick bags, pouches and drum key holders, you will not only improve your performances, but will always tackle unforeseen surprises like a professional without any frustration and stress. 

Discover the entire collection of helpful accessories and cymbal sets for drummers in our drums and percussion category.