# What do you wear/carry backstage?



## NeverAnonymous (Apr 23, 2013)

Just wondering what you carry in your pockets/belt, and what blacks you wear!

I usually wear a black hoodie, black dickies skinny double knee work pants, and black shoes (I'm looking for shoes right now. It's for a show that requires a lot of running around, so something light and grippy would be awesome) 

In my pockets I have a flashlight (usually my eagletac d25a clicky or my sunwayman v11r with the AA extension tube), a knife (usually a benchmade 943 or my Strider SnG) my phone (iPhone 4 in a black life proof case), EDCF Challenge coin, a SAK of some kind, pen and pencil, notebook, running sheet for the show, Chapstick. On my belt I have my leatherman charge Al.


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## josh88 (Apr 23, 2013)

as far as shoes go, for something with comfort and grip you can get black waiter/server shoes at most shoe stores for pretty cheap. I think the last time I checked too there was a set with steel toes as an added bonus. I've got boots, but if somebody needs shoes quick and I know there's no risk of them smashing a foot or having something roll over them, those are a quick option.


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## TheaterEd (Apr 23, 2013)

I stop by the nike outlet and buy whatever shoes they have in all black. They generally last me a year, are comfortable on 16 hour days, and are quiet back stage. I also am a fan of the dickies work pants. They are tough enough for the shop, and look nice enough for the front of house. Also, you will find me wearing a black button up with the sleeves rolled up nine times out of ten.


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## gafftaper (Apr 23, 2013)

I've been wearing Reebok ReeShift DMX Ride shoes for a while now. They are really comfortable, soft and quiet for walking, slip resistant, oil resistant, and you can find them for around $40. No brainer, get some. 


Looks like they are only $36 on Amazon.


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## cdub260 (Apr 23, 2013)

Well, my stage blacks vary depending on the show. Generally, I wear whichever black shirt happens to be at the top of drawer full of black shirts, some t-shirts, some polo shirts, a pair of black jeans, and my Red Wing work boots. If I need to look a bit more dressed up, I wear a button front, collared shirt, nice pants and my Red Wing work boots. If I have to be on my feet all day, I'm going to be comfortable. On my belt I have my Leatherman, my Ultimate Focus Tool, and a flashlight. My cell phone is switched off unless the needs of the show dictate otherwise.


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## JLNorthGA (Apr 23, 2013)

NeverAnonymous said:


> ...and black shoes (I'm looking for shoes right now. It's for a show that requires a lot of running around, so something light and grippy would be awesome).



My favorite shoes are the Prowalker by Rockport. I can get them at the outlet mall for about $59 on sale. They come in a variety of colors - including all black.

I sometimes go for Nike - but I usually go for Rockport.


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## gcpsoundlight (Apr 24, 2013)

I usually wear black jeans/cargo pants, and a black dress shirt. 

I always carry a leatherman wave, and a Led Lenser L7 torch. Usually have a roll of take.


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## ruinexplorer (Apr 24, 2013)

Here are a few threads which may be of interest.
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/...ersonal-kits-what-every-tech-should-have.html
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/general-advice/1591-my-big-fat-obnoxious-keychain.html
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/general-advice/6959-favorite-multi-tool-brand.html
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/general-advice/24980-favorite-knife-knife-brand.html
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/general-advice/6602-tool-lists-what-do-i-need.html
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/15463-updating-your-tool-bag.html
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/general-advice/80-tools.html
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/general-advice/2419-suggestion-tool-kit.html
http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/...lity-operations/21533-stage-managers-kit.html

http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/general-advice/5802-techie-clothing.html


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## techieman33 (Apr 24, 2013)

Jeans, t-shirt and steel toes for load in/out. During the show it's black cargo pants and a black t-shirt, or black company polo if I'm the stage manger for the event.
In my pockets I have:
A pen, I really like the new sharpie pens since they don't bleed like a sharpie, but still do a good job marking board tape and the like.
A pocket knife, usually something from crkt.
A mega combo wrench, I really like the small size, don't even know that it's in pocket most of the time.
A smallish flashlight, one of the cheap sodial ones if I'm in a place I stand a chance of losing it, or a Maglite XL200 if I'm not. 
And last but not least a SOG PowerLock on my belt. The ability to have decent wire strippers makes it my hands down no contest multi-tool of choice.


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## gafftapegreenia (Apr 24, 2013)

Oh hey look a new tools/clothing thread. No one tell derekleffew

I think my pair of Red Wing boots are about 4 years old now. They really need new soles, or I just need new boots, but I sure got my money worth!


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## 1deejay (Apr 24, 2013)

Usually my uniform tech shirt, (We had a nice short sleeve shirt with a collar and our name on it that was very comfortable) black jeans, black socks, black shoes, leatherman on my belt. I usually worked on headset so I had that on, a multi-tool for just about anything for light instruments if I was running, but mostly just the all black with a leatherman.


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## misterm (Apr 24, 2013)

this sounds horrible and unsafe, but i wear my vibram five fingers backstage. we dont have heavy loads most of the time and no fly rig, so comfort is what i go with. bigger sets, i'll wear black tennis shoes.


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## derekleffew (Apr 28, 2013)

gafftaper said:


> I've been wearing Reebok ReeShift DMX Ride shoes for a while now. ...


SOLD! 

Who can resist DMX shoes? Although I'm wondering if I should hold out for ACN shoes. Nah, I'll just keep my Art-Net shoes.
.


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## Footer (Apr 28, 2013)

derekleffew said:


> SOLD!
> 
> Who can resist DMX shoes? Although I'm wondering if I should hold out for ACN shoes. Nah, I'll just keep my Art-Net shoes.
> .



Welcome to Instant Rimshot


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## Trickster (Apr 28, 2013)

On shows: black cargos, black t-shirt, workboots (since our new rules require reinforced toes for all stage crew). If it's a full-blacks gig I've got a couple of longsleeved Columbia baselayer shirts - they're matte black, comfy as hell, breathable, and quickdry (so you can wash them in the sink between shows and they'll be dry in time for the next one - dead handy on tour). Before the new rules came in, I'd wear a pair of  Mammut Ultimate Low GTX sneakers with all the silver accents sharpie'd out - they're lightweight, grippy as hell, and incredibly comfy. However, they're not waterproof in any way, and have a plastic piece in the arch that can slip on ladder rungs, which isn't ideal, but other than that they're fantastic.

In pockets/on belt: Leatherman Wave, LedLenser P5 (perfect size for torching cast on and off without lighting up the whole wing), Sharpie, ballpoint pen, iPhone on airline mode, couple of bandaids, and a spare bit of tie-line. If I'm doing props I'll usually have a tiny sewing kit, some tissues, and a few other show-specific bits and bobs. Sometimes a pair of gloves and a balaclava, for those ninja live-changes.

On build/strike days: Old pair of cargos or KingGee workpants (they've got reinforced knees with light padding, they're glorious), old t-shirt, workboots. I'll also carry my Leatherman, LedLenser P7, and my toolbelt (Dirty Rigger tool pouch on webbing belt, with a podger frog and a small velcro pouch for hardware - standard assortment of hand tools). I'll also carry a handful of bandaids, a tube of cough lollies, and a little mints tin with a couple of teabags in it (what?! I like tea, and the stuff in the greenroom is crap...).


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## teqniqal (Apr 28, 2013)

Or you could get one of these:

- It addresses the need to be visible during load-in and strike, while providing ninja black during the show.

For those of you that have responded with comments about wearing non-protective shoes (i.e. shoes without steel toe guards) - think about the damage to your livelihood you would suffer should you step on a nail or have a heavy object smash your foot from above (_not to mention the pain!_). If you work in an environment that is under OSHA jurisdiction, the backstage environment is, for all intents and purposes, considered *a construction site* - so *steel toed shoes* are a must. If you are not working under OSHA jurisdiction - ask yourself why millions of dollars have been spent on worker safety - just because it isn't 'the law' doesn't mean that it isn't a good idea!

I'm surprised to not see any responses about *hard-hats*. As mentioned with regard to OSHA above - DO IT! Don't think for a minute that professional's don't. I see stage crews wearing hard-hats all the time. Get one that has a 4-point attached chin-strap, too, as we seem to spend a lot of time bent-over where our hard-hat can fall off - it can injure those below, damage the hard-hat, and of course, _you have to go get it_ - and during that time you are not protected.

*Safety Glasses* are another item required by OSHA - around the theatre there are many things that can come at you unexpectedly. Loose ends of wire rope, ricocheting nails and staples, the raw end of a pipe batten, swards, poles, wood and metal working shrapnel, paint splatter . . . Currently there are no spare eyeballs available - _you have to live with the ones you are originally issued_.


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## derekleffew (Apr 28, 2013)

teqniqal said:


> ... If you work in an environment that is under OSHA jurisdiction, the backstage environment is, for all intents and purposes, considered *a construction site* - so ...


Really? A Las Vegas show that has been open and running for five years and 2500 performances is classified by OSHA as Construction and not General Industry?


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## techieman33 (Apr 28, 2013)

No thanks on the reversible shirt. If for some reason I must wear a brightly colored shirt, I'll keep a black shirt handy too. I have 2 reasons for this fresh clothes after a long load in and before the show gives you a nice boost even when you can't take a shower. Changing socks and shoes helps the most but changing shirts can be nice too. And 2nd no one wants to see whats left of your deodorant on your shirt when you flip it over for show call, nothing professional looking about that at all.


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## teqniqal (Apr 29, 2013)

derekleffew said:


> Really? A Las Vegas show that has been open and running for five years and 2500 performances is classified by OSHA as Construction and not General Industry?



OSHA looks at the processes that are going-on, not the place. If you are hammering, hoisting, and generally building (load-in, set construction, mounting a show) or demolishing (de-constructing, or what we call load-out / strike), then we are working in a construction environment. If we are running a show, then we generally fall under 'General Industry'. In Cananda, OSH has clearly defined a formal hand-off of the stage site as the demarcation point between the two classifications. When the Head Carpenter / Technical Director hands the stage over to the Stage Manager it goes from Construction Site to General Industry, and at the end of the show when the Stage Manager relinquishes control to the Head Carpenter, then it transitions back to a 'Construction Site' classification. I've had conversations with US OSHA that imply they are considering the same formal definition.

Regardless of whether it is a formal declaration by OSHA, or not, it makes sense to use this criteria as a Best Practices policy.

Regardless of the point in the show, it also makes sense to where the best PPE available and practical. Nothing says you can't wear a hard hat backstage during a show, and considering all the low-hanging hazards in some backstage environments, this would be a good thing. I'd rather have the audience hear the hollow sound of a plastic hard-hat hitting a pipe than the dull 'thunk' of my skull and the attendant screaming and mayhem that come with my blood flowing onto some fancy costume (not to mention the 2" round scar to wear the rest of my life).

You have to consider at the activities that transpire during a mid-show set-change, too. Battens moving, heavy scenery rolling about or being carried - all these things lead back to a 'Construction Site' work environment, even if the Stage Manager has assumed responsibility for the stage activities.

There are thousands of ways to 'justify' not wearing PPE, but very few of them hold-up when you are on the witness stand trying to explain your actions to a jury. And even fewer of them have any meaning when you try to explain to your family why you can't work and support them anymore because you were injured.


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## teqniqal (Apr 29, 2013)

techieman33 said:


> No thanks on the reversible shirt. If for some reason I must wear a brightly colored shirt, I'll keep a black shirt handy too. I have 2 reasons for this fresh clothes after a long load in and before the show gives you a nice boost even when you can't take a shower. Changing socks and shoes helps the most but changing shirts can be nice too. And 2nd no one wants to see whats left of your deodorant on your shirt when you flip it over for show call, nothing professional looking about that at all.



No argument about the fresh clothes. Always feels better. These shirts were made for swag and as a safety awareness promotion, and for that quick-change where you don't have a clothes bag. Ever tried _Degree_, _Secret_, or _Ultra_ brand deoderant? Minimal white residue on blacks!


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## teqniqal (Apr 29, 2013)

Two more items:
Gloves - protecting your hands is very important. I see a lot of stagehands wearing the name-brand gloves (Dirty Rigger, Mechanix, etc.) which are mostly synthetic materials (read: *plastic*). Leather generally has better puncture resistance than these products offer. A larger consideration is that *plastic melts* when it gets hot or catches fire. Not what you want on your hands should something go horribly wrong. Also, keeping some disposable Nitril gloves for cleaning-up messes (blood, chemicals, paint) is a good idea. Of course you need to keep a list of which chemicals the gloves are compatible with handy! Some thermal gloves for handling very hot (lights) or very cold (Dry Ice) is handy, too.

Knee Pads - Keeping nails, screws, tacks, metal shavings, nuts, and other shrapnel out of your knee caps is a good thing. An if you work in a theatre that has bar-grate or expanded metal decks on catwalks and gridirons, this can save a lot of pain.


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## josh88 (Apr 29, 2013)

I was given one of those shirts at USITT and I have to agree on separate shirts, work is hot enough anyway and that thing is thick, basically two shirts sewn together. Maybe if I'm working outside and its still spring weather, otherwise its too warm.


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## cdub260 (Apr 29, 2013)

teqniqal said:


> Gloves



That reminds me. I keep a pair of weight lifting gloves in my back pocket. They provide good protection for my palms without hindering my sense of touch.


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## Blake (May 12, 2013)

For pants I recently picked up a pair of black cargo pants (not denim) from Walmart (down know the brand). They aren't particularly thick or strong, no more so than skinny jeans. But they are very versatile. Not to hot on warm day, warm enough on cold ones, strong big pockets use em all the time. A week or two ago (2 shows ago) I went a cast party that turned into a pool party, I didn't get the memo but I ended up just rolling up the pants and they were dry in about 30 min. 
I wear black tee shirts, usually inside out because plain black shirts are hard to find in above large or xl. Or a button up black shirt if I need to look better. 
Sent from my Galaxy S3


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## shiben (May 13, 2013)

When on a show site, I always have 2 sets of things: The things on my person, which is an adjustable C wrench by Crescent, a leatherman supertool 300, and a Coast LED flashlight. A friend of mine got the ratcheting ultimate focus tool, and another has the flat focus tool, and both of those seem like they would be upgrades to the wrench (Although a lot more money... Hey my birthday is coming up in a few months I guess...)

I also have a nifty selection of tools and equipment that I bring to all sorts of gigs but that usually live in my vehicle or backpack: A harness and lanyards , A PMI Advantage II Helmet in Matte Black with a Petzel Headlamp mounted on the front, 4 types of safety glasses (tinted and not, for both over glasses and over contacts use) some wrenches, screwdrivers, nut drivers, crimpers and strippers, multi-meter (Ideal makes a nice one that has a NCV detector, and a clamp meter but at a reasonable price. Its also True RMS), wire cutters. I carry it all in 2 setwear pouches and a Husky belt loop on a 3" leather belt that I bought because there was a skull on the buckle. I also have a Screw Gun (but if I had to buy one now, I would get an impact driver) and a socket set. For clothing I tend towards Dickies pants (both cargo and carpenter) in brown or black (depending on the gig) or grey/black cargo shorts for those long outdoor slogs (although I have been known to do certain gigs in a Utili Kilt [especially carpentry gigs]). I also have some 5.11 TDU pants in black and Khaki that are nice but a little heavy for a lot of things. I go with black t-shirts from gigs or those ones that come in packs of 5 at target/walmart/etc. Over that I throw a dickies or craftsman work shirt in black, or a Khols store brand black button up. The Apt. 9 brand has some nice shirts that are more stylish than Dickies, for those hotel ins/outs. I usually grab FG gloves from Home Depot every few months, but I also have a pair of setwear hothands which work great for focusing lights. I have a high visibility hoodie and vest (Craftsman), but most places seem to not like people having those on their show sites. If they want a color other than black, they either put it in the call or give you a t-shirt. For Hats I have my Safer Venue (USITT Swag) hat, or a few baseball caps, or for outdoor gigs, a boonie hat and Shemagh in one of several colors I have (my favorite being black with white skulls and details). Also obligatory sharpies in Black, Pencils in Normal and Red, White china marker, 4 colors of highlighters, some normal black pens, and a waterproof notepad


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