By Mitch Rice
When you’re constantly on the road, bouncing between green rooms, cramped vans, sticky airport lounges, and noisy hotel hallways, your gear isn’t just about the stage anymore. For touring artists, whether they’re lighting up festival crowds or grinding through a bar circuit, the gig bag becomes sacred ground. It’s part survival kit, part sanctuary.
From voice-keeping tools to peace of mind protectors, cannabis-friendly artists have adapted their essentials to cater to both their lifestyle and the beat of the road. And no, it is not all about guitar strings and throat sprays any longer. Today’s touring musician brings smart, personal, and purposeful items to ensure the tour is a success while relaxing.
Let’s unlock that bag and dig in.
Portable Vaporizer for Cannabis Usage
For creatives who have made cannabis a part of their health regimen or art practice, discretion and ease are paramount, particularly while traveling through states or nations with patchy legislation. A vaporizer that’s easily transportable makes all the difference. Small, scent-containing, and powerful, it’s perfect for backstage meditations, road trips, or reading at home after the gig.
As opposed to joints or pipes, which will attract attention or leave behind smoke odors, a portable vaporizer enables musicians to remain earthy without sharing it. The most effective ones are polished, battery-friendly, and can vape flowers or concentrate. It’s a tiny bit of technology that becomes the gig bag’s unseen hero, assisting with pain management, anxiety, or just unwinding after an adrenaline-fueled set.
Cannabis-Infused Topicals
From carrying amps to playing under hot lights, the physical impact on a touring musician is real. Numerous performers have resorted to CBD or cannabis-infused salves and balms to relieve tension and soreness. Used on the neck, back, or legs following load-in or an extended set, these topicals provide localized pain relief without psychoactive consequences.
They swear by them not only for pain but also to avoid muscle exhaustion through consecutive show nights. Vocalists, in particular, have formulations administered to the jawline or shoulders to assist in eliminating tension that gets in the way of breath and tone. Because topicals don’t get absorbed into the bloodstream, they’re perfect for artists who desire the effects of cannabis without the “high.”
Personal Vocal Mic
Most places have microphones available, but a lot of vocalists like to use their own. Personal mics tend to be better cared for, cleaner, and fitted to the singer’s voice. And, having your own mic eliminates hygiene issues, a big plus when gigging several nights a week.
Some musicians also employ mics with integrated switches or particular tonal properties that are similar to their tone. Bringing your own guarantees consistency on stage and confidence.
Mini Humidifier (Specifically for Singers)
Traveling through climates, from steamy city streets to desert mountain towns, can destroy the voice. A mini travel humidifier is a must, particularly for singers. It maintains healthy voices by moistening hotel and bus room air, avoiding dry throat and hoarseness.
Some artists even operate them while sleeping or pre-gig preparation, employing distilled water for clean vaporization. Coupled with good vocal care, this little device serves to increase vocal stamina on long tour legs.
CBD Gummies for Travel Anxiety and Sleep
A good night’s sleep while on tour is a mythical quest. Stifling bunks, overnight load-outs, and early morning flights conspire against getting some rest. CBD gummies come to the rescue, a favorite among musicians attempting to manage their nervous system. Unlike THC edibles, which are too strong or up-in-the-air, CBD gummies are chill and controllable.
Some artists employ them for pre-show anxiety, others as a way to chill out without the use of sleeping meds or booze. They are also useful for long flights or bumpy van rides. Small, easy to measure, and legal everywhere, but with maybe a few nuances here and there, they’ve become a staple in gig bags around the globe.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
From cacophonous airports to packed vans, quietness is a luxury on the road. Noise-canceling headphones assist artists in creating space for themselves wherever they go. Whether to focus on mixes, hear podcasts, or flee the madness with a moment of peace, these headphones provide mental relief.
For most musicians, they’re also an integral component of pre-show rituals, ringing into a carefully curated playlist, rehearsing setlists, or simply taking a moment to breathe.
Tuner Pedal or Clip-On Tuner
Few things destroy a set quicker than being out of tune. For guitarists, bassists, and even violinists, a small tuner is a must-have gig bag staple. Pedal tuners are ideal for live performances, but most artists also have a clip-on tuner as a quick, no-drama backup.
They’re battery-driven, precise, and ideal for tuning in dim green rooms or between sets when pedalboards aren’t handy.
Extra Batteries and SD Cards
If you’re using wireless gear, tuners, or portable recorders, batteries are your lifeline. Many artists keep a stash of AA, AAA, and 9V batteries on hand, sometimes even labeled with the gear they belong to.
SD cards are also vital for musicians who record live performances, loop shows, or film on tour. A dead battery or full card can result in a missed great capture. Battery storage is often provided by gig bags with zippered compartments.
Reusable Water Bottle with Built-In Filter
Hydration is crucial when you’re constantly performing, traveling, and spending time under stage lights. Many artists carry reusable water bottles, often with built-in filters. These allow for safe drinking no matter where the road leads, be it a rural gas station or backstage tap.
Staying hydrated also helps with vocal quality, muscle recovery, and focus. Bonus: it cuts down on single-use plastic, something increasingly important to eco-conscious artists.
All-in-One Power Bank
To lose charge in the middle of a tour is a nightmare. With phones serving as GPS, setlist readers, recording stations, and communication centers, a good power bank is essential. Touring performers tend to carry high-capacity, multi-port power banks that can charge a phone, wireless earbuds, and even a tablet simultaneously.
It’s not just a convenience; it’s a backup plan. When you’re switching cities every day, access to a wall plug isn’t always guaranteed.
Mini First-Aid & Wellness Kit
Minor injuries, headaches, sore throats, or even an allergy attack can strike mid-tour, and when they do, there’s rarely a pharmacy within reach. That’s why most artists carry a mini wellness kit with them. It typically consists of painkillers, throat lozenges, Band-Aids, electrolyte powders, eye drops, and hand sanitizer.
Others add turmeric or vitamin C packets to help ramp up immunity on busy travel itineraries. It’s not sexy, but when you do need it, you need it badly.
Travel Fitness Kit or Folding Yoga Mat
It’s challenging to stay physically and mentally fit while traveling. For this reason, most creatives carry foldable yoga mats, resistance bands, or lightweight workout equipment like massage balls.
These enable rapid stretches in hotel rooms or green rooms, post-show relaxation, or even entire workouts between towns. The body can get tired during touring, and these little tools prevent exhaustion while maintaining energy levels per performance.
Journal or Songwriting Notebook
Your life is an onslaught of emotions, such as loneliness, excitement, inspiration, and fatigue. Most artists work through it all by writing. From lyrics and poems to random musings, a notebook easily finds its way into their bag.
It’s a creative escape and a therapeutic exercise. And unlike apps or digital notes, handwriting puts things in slow motion, something that happens less in the flurry of life on the road.
Foldable Yoga Mat or Travel Fitness Equipment
It’s challenging to remain physically and mentally fit while traveling. It is for this reason that most artists carry foldable yoga mats, resistance bands, or portable fitness equipment like massage balls.
These enable rapid stretches in green rooms or hotel rooms, wind-downs after the show, or full workouts between cities. Touring is hard on the body, and these little tools prevent burnout while maintaining energy levels for each show.
A Sharpie or Two
It may seem elementary, but a Sharpie is an MVP gig bag. From signing merchandise to marking setlists or jotting down last-minute reminders, musicians use it all the time. Some have even stashed various colors to cue set changes or sound notes.
It’s the type of device you don’t know you need until you do need it.
Backstage Aromatherapy with Cannabis-Friendly Oils
A few traveling musicians swear by essential oil rollers or sprays that mix relaxing herbs with cannabis terpenes, substances such as linalool (lavender) or myrcene (present in mango and cannabis) that boost the entourage effect.
A couple of swipes on the temples or wrists backstage can relax, enhance concentration, or establish a soothing mood before performing. These oils complement the effects of marijuana, enhancing benefits such as relaxation or clarity without requiring additional consumption.
During cramped green rooms filled with frenetic energy, these oils serve as phantom protection.
Final Thoughts
Touring life is exciting, but it’s hard on the body and mind. For cannabis-tolerant performers, including CBD and cannabis gear in their show bag isn’t a matter of indulgence; it’s a matter of survival, creativity, and health.
Whether it’s a transportable vaporizer providing discreet recovery, a journal to tap into self-awareness or a humble tea to drink before bed, each piece has its use. The ideal gig bags aren’t merely functional; they’re deliberate. Constructed not only for the gig but for the artist himself.
Data and information are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended for investment or other purposes.
