I’ve seen bands load into a van with five guitars and zero water. I’ve watched tour managers set off on a three-week run without a first aid kit. I’ve been in vehicles where the only map was a phone with 4% battery and no car charger. After thirty years of touring in Australia, I’ve compiled a checklist that I give to every artist and tour manager I work with.

Some of this is obvious. Some of it will seem excessive until the moment you need it. All of it comes from experience.

Vehicle essentials

Roadside assistance membership. Non-negotiable. Whether it’s RACV, NRMA, RAA, or whoever covers your state. Breakdowns on remote highways are not the time to discover you don’t have coverage.

Spare tyre (checked and inflated), jack, and wheel brace. Check the spare before every tour. I cannot count the number of times I’ve seen a flat spare in the back of a tour van.

Jumper cables. Leaving the headlights on during a load-in is basically a rite of passage. Have the cables to fix it without calling for help.

Basic tool kit. A Phillips and flathead screwdriver, adjustable wrench, pliers, duct tape, cable ties, and a multi-tool. These fix more problems than you’d think.

Torches (at least two). LED headlamps are ideal for load-ins in dark car parks and for roadside emergencies. Battery-powered, not phone-dependent.

Car charger (multi-port). Five people in a van, all with phones that double as navigation, communication, and entertainment. You need charging capacity for everyone.

Safety essentials

First aid kit. A proper one, not a plastic box from 2015 with dried-out wipes. Include band-aids, antiseptic, bandages, painkillers (paracetamol and ibuprofen), antihistamines, tweezers, and a thermal blanket.

Fire extinguisher (small, vehicle-rated). Sounds paranoid until an electrical short starts smoking under the dash in the middle of nowhere.

Sunscreen and insect repellent. You’ll be loading in during the day, loading out at night in summer. Australian sun and mosquitoes don’t care about your set time.

Water. At least five litres of drinking water in the vehicle at all times, replenished regularly. Dehydration in Australian heat is a genuine risk, particularly on long drives with aircon that may or may not work.

Navigation and communication

Paper road atlas or printed route maps. Mobile coverage is patchy across vast stretches of Australian highway. When Google Maps drops out 200km from the nearest town, a paper map is the only option. I know it feels archaic. Do it anyway.

Offline maps downloaded. At minimum, download the offline maps for every region on your route. Google Maps and Apple Maps both support this. Do it before you leave.

Emergency contact list (printed). Venue contacts, tour manager, management, family emergency numbers — printed and kept in the glovebox. When your phone dies, this is your communication lifeline.

Production essentials

Gaffer tape. Multiple rolls. If duct tape is the universal fix, gaffer tape is the universal fix that doesn’t leave residue on stage floors and rental gear.

DI boxes (at least two). Venue PAs are unpredictable. Having your own DI boxes means you’re never dependent on whatever the venue has (or doesn’t have).

Power boards and extension leads. Two power boards and a 10-metre extension lead. Venue power can be in awkward locations, and you need somewhere to plug in pedal boards, amps, and phone chargers.

Spare strings, sticks, and batteries. Whatever your band uses that breaks or runs out, carry spares. The local music shop in a regional town closes at 5pm, and your soundcheck is at 6.

Towels. Three or four old towels. For wiping down after a sweaty set, drying gear that got rained on, padding fragile equipment in transit, or sitting on a hot car seat.

Comfort essentials

Earplugs. For sleeping in noisy accommodation, long drives, and honestly, for standing side of stage during the support act’s soundcheck.

Sleeping bags or blankets. Even if you’ve booked accommodation, there will be a night when plans change and the van becomes a bedroom. Having something warm to sleep under makes it survivable.

Snacks. Non-perishable snacks that live in the van permanently. Muesli bars, nuts, dried fruit, crackers. When the show runs late and everything is closed, these keep you going until morning.

This isn’t a glamorous list. It’s a practical one. I’ve needed every item on it at some point during my career, and several of them have saved shows, prevented emergencies, and made the difference between a tour that’s remembered fondly and one that’s remembered as a disaster.

Pack the van properly. Check the list before every run. And come home safe.