Drum Equipment – How Much Should I Bring?

Here’s a question from a drummer about equipment. I’ll answer it as best I can:

What have you seen drummers bring with them to the ship (if you were paying attention, that is). I want to be comfortable playing there, but I don’t want to burden myself with extra equipment if I don’t need it.

I once roomed with a drummer and what I remember most is that the man snored like a freight train. I’m trying to remember what equipment he had with him…

Naturally, he had his stick bag – nearly bursting at the stitches with all the extra sticks and brushes he’d brought. You can find new sticks overseas or in the Caribbean, but it can be a pain. Bring lots.

I also remember he had brought his own cymbals in a cymbals case. I’m not certain if he had brought all his cymbals or just a crash and a ride. I know he had the case, though. I used to trip over it in the middle of the night!

When I was on a Broadway tour, that drummer brought all kinds of things. Throne, toys, sticks, mallets, bells…all kinds of stuff. But space wasn’t as much of an issue on tour as it is on a ship. Whatever you bring with you, you won’t have much space to store it. So I recommend bringing a stick bag bursting at the seams, and if you want more – only your favorite cymbals. Leave the rest at home.

If there’s a drummer that happens across this post, maybe you can leave some more thorough advice in the comments.