What do you carry in your gig bag? Are you prepared for all the little things that could happen during a set? Being prepared is an integral part of being a professional whether you are like me just doing open mics and entertaining friends, out on the restaurant circuit or even bigger.

I use soft cases for my guitars and ukulele. I am pretty careful with my equipment so I’m comfortable using those instead of hard cases. The trade-off of my equipment being extra safe for the convenience of having all of the big pockets and keeping everything in one place is well worth it to me. I keep what I jokingly call my survival kit, a cosmetic size bag in every case with duplicate items so that I can say yes to almost any situation. I also keep one in my Jeep. Why so many? Very simply, I don’t want to get caught short just because I forgot to move the bag. I consider it an investment in peace of mind.

So, what do I carry? Only the kitchen sink, lol. From marketing materials to tools to hygiene essentials I am prepared and it all fits in a small zippered bag.this is what I can't live without… I’d love to know what you carry so please let me know in the comments.

Tools:  one full set strings, pro winder, capo, picks, tuner

Marketing: business cards, sharpie

Personal: cold shower cooling wipes, lip balm, tooth flossers, mini tooth brush, nail clippers and file, liquid bandage, singer spray, Tylenol, eyeglass repair kit, tic tacs, energy bar

In addition, I always carry a spare cable.

I know, it’s a crazy amount of stuff, but it really does all fit in that small bag and it’s amazing how much use I have gotten  it.  Not only getting me out of binds, but it has provided with networking opportunities. Forgot your capo? Sure, you can borrow mine. Headache? Yeah, I’ve got some Tylenol. Broke a string? Here’s a winder, that should speed things up. Am I trying to  win most votes for  Miss Congeniality? You bet I am. Getting referrals isn’t always just because you’re the best musician, often it’s also because you’re known to be dependable in any situation.

I might be the queen of overkill, but I am sure glad that my past experience as a wedding photographer taught me that two duplicates are one and one is none. It’s reassuring to always be prepared.