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CARING FOR YOUR DIDGERIDOO
Storage
Most of the time, your didgeridoo is just hanging around waiting for you to play it. Wherever it lies during this time off, this is where your didgeridoo has the longest period of time to be affected by surrounding conditions. Therefore, the most important thing to remember with regards to storing your didgeridoo is that you keep it in a stable environment.
Store your didge in your home where it is not subject to sudden changes in air temperature or humidity. Bad spots to put your didge would be near a fireplace, in front of an air conditioner or in a spot that changes from shade to sunlight throughout the day. Store your didge in a place where the air temperature and humidity is generally maintained throughout the day.
Once you have found a climatically stable part of the house, you will probably want to display your didge for everyone to see, or where it is ready to cook up some rhythms at any time.
Storing the didgeridoo by placing it on a hard surface and leaning it in a corner may damage the waterproof finish at the bell end. This may allow moisture to gradually enter during playing and affect the wood. Leaning it up against the wall can also be damaging if it topples suddenly. This also certainly leads to the inevitable wax mark on the wall, the constant bane of didge players around the world!
For this purpose, you might want to consider using a didgeridoo stand. This will allow you to store it neatly and safely in the corner of your room without damaging the bell end or mouthpiece.
A didgeridoo stand.
Transport
If you travel a lot with your didgeridoo you will expose it to greater variations of air temperature and humidity, especially if you get caught in rain or snow, or you leave it in your car on a hot day.
Once again, think about how you can maintain the climatic conditions around your didge as you travel from place to place. Commonsense applies when travelling with your didgeridoo. Keep it away from water and don’t subject it to extreme variations in temperature and humidity.
Nothing goes past a good didge bag for keeping your didge safe and stable as you travel. It will protect it directly from the elements as well as insulate it from fluctuations in temperature and humidity. If you are travelling a lot and want the best protection available, get a high quality didge bag with good insulation and an oilskin exterior, or something similar.
Just ensure that no moisture is introduced into the bag. After playing your didge, give it some time to dry out on the inside before putting it back in the bag.
A didgeridoo bag will help protect your bag from the elements and is especially useful when travelling.
A didge bag is not only good for keeping your didge safe from the elements, but it will also protect it from bumps and scrapes as you go from place to place.
Furthermore, take some extra care of the bell end of your didgeridoo as you play and travel from place to place. The bottom part of the bell end that you rest on the ground is the most susceptible to moisture because of the saliva that runs out from the end (if this hasn’t happened yet your practice sessions aren’t long enough!). Constant scraping of this part of the bell end with abrade the finish and expose wood to this moisture, which may lead to problems later.
Didgeridoo bags and stands are quite commonly available from good didgeridoo suppliers. It is not terribly important to get these things when you first start playing, but if you get serious, these things will be your friends.
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In summary
It is natural for didgeridoos to get knocked around a bit, but taking care during storage and transport will ensure its longevity.
Store and transport your didgeridoo in protective and stable environments.
A didgeridoo stand and bag will help you keep your didgeridoo protected.