5 secrets to surviving life on Ocean Alley's Tour Bus

Life on the road with Ocean Alley can be a life or death situation. When you're not trying to keep your snacks safe from a hungry drummer who won’t rest until he’s fed on everything in sight, you're probably trying to dodge the flailing sound engineer. All the while, you’re gripping your seat, snow white with fright, riding the highways with eleven other psychos, wondering if you’ll ever feel the warm embrace of your own bed ever again.

Here are some hot tips and tricky reach arounds that you might find helpful if you ever find yourself on the bus hurtling towards Winnipeg with the crew, as spoken by the band themselves.

Wet Wipes.
These are an absolute must for keeping clean while in transit. Lets put it bluntly; there is no using the toilet or showering on the bus so that’s gotta be done when the bus stops sporadically, wherever it may be. Out of desperation you get pretty inventive when it comes to showering. Buy a packet of those super soft wipes to keep things smooth and shiny back there.

Supplies.
Specifically, keeping a full stock of beer and food. This is imperative for the long drives. When stops are limited you need to plan ahead and buy some extra supplies. Be careful though, you need to make sure to hide them from the other hungry mouths who may have forgotten to stock up at the last stop.

Gaffer Tape. 
The bunks on the bus have air conditioning vents that crank straight onto any occupant within. You will go in well lubricated after a night out and come out looking and feeling like a piece of beef jerky. Make sure you raid the techies gaffer and tape up those vents if you don’t want to become mummified overnight.

Supplies Pt. 2.
Microwave popcorn is a favourite snack on tour. Anytime anywhere. It’s as simple as that. Dream appliance on board the bus would have to be a pie warmer. Think of the possibilities!

Camp Chairs.
The newest addition this tour were a handful of cheapies from Home Depot. Sure, it might look near psychopathic sitting in camp chairs on the kerb alongside the bus when it’s parked on Hollywood Boulevard, but time spent off the bus is time well spent. And I suppose it’s more comfortable than sitting in the gutter right?