Freelance Spring Bag Essentials

Making a hectic life a little easier! Here we come peak season!

Peak season is approaching!! Time to crawl out of the winter cave and get ready for the start of peak concert season!
Some unique challenges the spring brings on the east coast are rain storms, outdoor gigs that can be a little chilly, and some randomly hot days with very cold nights.

Since the pandemic, spring also has been bringing on a transition from a more relaxed time, or time of quarantines/isolation with winter COVID and flu peaks to suddenly more time moving at a fast pace.

Having a prepared stock of self-care items and things to make your life more manageable can make a huge difference. I have a car kit and a clear gig bag survival kit that makes a huge difference, especially dealing with ADHD brain on top of a jumbled schedule. This is my spring restock cart and I hope its helpful for you! Full disclosure, some of the links below contain affiliate links which means that I will get a small commission from your purchase.

A supply of protein bars in bags and car. A lot of protein bars have a lot of added sugar so beware of that for health reasons and also because a sugar rush can cause a big energy crash. I love Think Bars because they come in so many different flavors and the texture is not gross. I used to be a Questbar fan, but they do melt and have a very thick texture. You can get a variety pack to try out the different flavors but my go-to flavor has been this cupcake batter. So.good.

Water-proof spray to spray even on sneakers for that sudden rainstorm that just happens out of nowhere. Clout Guard is great for spraying my cello backpack, smaller bags, and my shoes. Definitely do it on a small area before spraying to make sure that it doesn’t react with your fabric poorly.

Stand Weight This is something I’ve thought about a lot, and saw from Sarah Chaffee (Aka CelloBat who makes the best arrangements for any occasion). If you have an outdoor gig, sometimes the wind can be crazy and these stand weights are a life saver. This one is a little expensive but fits really well on music stands. You can look for cheaper boom weights and buy some velcro to help attach them to your stand.

EmergenC Immune+ With cancellations and getting sick being such a high financial risk to musicians, staying healthy is so important. These have the added bonus of having electrolytes in them as well.

A sturdy iPad stand A lot of iPad stands have felt flimsy and easily knocked over. This one feels really sturdy and the gooseneck is really great!

Xtend BCAAs Have been a true lifesaver for my ADHD and for maintaining my body. You should check with your doctor before taking and these are not recommended for those who are pregnant. They have helped me personally with mental focus, hydration, and recovering quickly from long workouts or long playing sessions. There are a lot of different flavors but I personally really like this blue raspberry. I try to take this in the morning (if you are fasting, this shouldn’t break your fast), after lunch before a long/late performance, or whatever aligns with 1-2 hours before a session.

Essential Oils to put inside your mask (peppermint really wakes me up!) is a game changer. The peppermint really perks me up at home and on the road. I put a few drops in my mask if I’m tired and need a little pick me up. The lavender is helpful for anxious days or any days where I have trouble sleeping. If you’re doing a long drive and you have trouble focusing or staying up, I’ve also found these to be super helpful. I keep a few in my car in a clear bag (just in case of any leaking).

Clear toiletry bags for everything . Whether you’re just going to play a wedding or concert in town or you’re going on the road, having clear bags to see what you have and exactly where it is saves so much time. These bags are also great for your 3-1-1 liquids for traveling. I keep some basic first aid medications and vitamins in one bag and basic makeup in another. These little clear bags just get thrown into whatever bag I’m traveling with or bringing to a concert or event. What’s also great about these is, if you have sunscreen or anything that’s liquid, if it happens to leak it won’t ruin the rest of the things in your bag.

Black N95 Masks for my bag and case. Whether you’re taking public transportation in the city and you need something to, at the very least, block out the smell of the subway these are pretty comfortable. I keep a bunch in my bags and in my cello case just in case I need to wear a mask on stage for a concert or if I need one for travel. Although a lot of gigs that require masks provide them on site, it’s inevitable that I will lose that mask or need a replacement. If you find that the N95s don’t fit you very well, you might want to try the N94 masks which fit completely differently.

6ft Long nylon charging cable is always needed. Especially on long days, those phones and iPads may not stay charged the whole day and you need a cable that will be long enough to reach a far away outlet. I prefer the nylon cables because they last longer and are less likely to break. I always keep one in my bag (with a charging brick). It’s even better if you can buy a faster charging brick which will making charging super fast. Especially if you have a large iPad, you need a brick with a larger charging capacity.

Nasal Irrigator for seasonal allergies and cold. This thing is a miracle!!! You will need to also get distilled water to make the saline solution. This is truly a life saver if you’re starting to feel sick or if you suffer from seasonal allergies. I like how easy this is to wash and how easy it is to use. I find the NeilMed bottles need to be replaces and I always feel like the plastic is leaking into the water.