In the studio, we have a whiteboard with a bunch of great ideas for topics to cover in the podcast. Thing is, that’s not really happening. I don’t know what Tanacea’s talking about during the podcast, but it sure isn’t the topics on the big white board.

So I’m gonna steal ‘em!

First of all a topic that quickly became an issue of great importance to me when I was on the “Screw it! We’re going on tour!” world tour last summer. Sleeping arrangements was one of many issues that we didn’t bother to research or plan, so we quickly figured out a variety of options that worked with varying levels of success.

Obviously, if you are willing and able to rent a hotel room every night, none of this has to apply to you, Mr. Moneypants. Does the record label pay for your caviar and Champagne too?

Option 1: Sleep in the van.
Depending on the size of your band, the size of your vehicle, and how much equipment you carry, this becomes more or less feasible. When the tour started, it was just me (5’8″) and my brother (5’9″) in a mini-van (5’7″ wide). This worked ok.
Then we picked up our bassist, who was about 7’15″. Dave and I could sleep reasonably comfortable in the back seat, but there was no way to get Gene situated. Hence, sleeping in the van became a kind of last resort. And considering how many other options there are out there, it should probably be any touring musician’s last resort too.
A couple tips for how to do this:

• Park in residential areas. They tend to be quieter and have an abundance of shade trees and a lack of meters.
• Get used to smelling bad. Unless your van has plumbing you’re not likely to get a shower for days (or weeks) at a time.
• Take turns driving and sleeping. I don’t know about you, but I can sleep a lot better in a moving vehicle than a parked one.  Even 15′ tall Gene slept pretty well when we were driving (Well… except for that time he had a nightmare that I drove the van off a mountain and woke up screaming…)

Option 2: Camping.
This can wind up being much more comfortable, but does require you to bring more equipment and puts you at more at the mercy of the elements.
A good camping setup is as comfortable as you make it, and a lot more roomy. It also gives you more privacy since not just anyone can peek in through the windows.

Option 3: Have a friend in town.
This is probably the best option. If you know some people in any given town, call them up (the sooner, the better; most people prefer some kind of warning), and ask if you can crash for a night or two.
Most people will be happy to put you up.

Option 4: Make some friends in town.
This is quite possibly the most interesting option. Talk to people at the show and see what kind of sleeping arrangements you can line up. Often some complete stranger will be excited to have a band crash at his/her place.

• Talk to the other bands. Quite likely, they’ve already made arrangements or have a lead on place.
• Talk to people after the show. Not only is this a great way to find the parties, it’s a good way to find that shower you so desperately need.
• There are several online tools that can help you bum a couch from a complete stranger. Couchsurfing.org is a massive, worldwide network of travellers and people who are willing to put up travelers for the night. It’s very cool. betterthanthevan.com is a similar concept, but specifically for musicians. It’s a much smaller community, but it looks promising.

And of course, if you do convince someone to let you borrow their couch, there’s some ettiquite that it never hurts to observe:

• Don’t be a nuisance. Just because you don’t have a day job, doesn’t mean your host doesn’t. Don’t keep your host awake with your loud music and partying all night long.
• Clean up after yourself. This is definitely one of those cases where you want to leave a place cleaner than you found it. Do the dishes; pick up the living room; and obviously, clean up your own stuff.
• Cook a meal. If you have any special skills or services that you can offer your host, offer them. Our bassist Gene actually cooks for a living when he’s not rocking out. Being able to offer a nice, home-cooked meal did much to endear us to hosts and potential hosts.

Obviously, the more you can prepare ahead of time, the better your odds with any of these strategies will be. Let your friends and family know your tour schedule as far ahead of time as possible. Build a positive reputation on couchsurfing.org by hosting a few people before your tour starts. Practice setting up, tearing down, and packing up your tents. Etc.
Whatever strategy you end up using, bring a sleeping bag along. Just because someone has a couch for you doesn’t mean that they’ll have sheets and blankets. I shouldn’t even need to mention towels, toothbrushes, and soap, but you probably don’t want to forget those either.

So now you have some ideas as to how to find places to sleep on the road. Obviously, experience is the best teacher. Hop in the van and figure this stuff out first hand. Have any other clever ideas for finding couches? Post them in the comments.

Next time: Feeding yourself while on tour OR “Pizza Hut is free after 3 AM.”

Vomit Hat Steve is a Music Spazz and tops the charts in the “different” category. You can follow him @vomithatsteve.

Sleeping While on Tour and the Art of Couch Surfing