Using a towel to cover one of your hands, hold the cymbal and then unscrew the nut on the top. Remove the cymbal and place it into the cymbal bag, being careful not to let your fingers touch the cymbal directly. Repeat this step for all cymbals and the high-hat.
Collapse the cymbal stand by loosening the nut situated near the lower end of the stand and then pushing the tripod legs in. Re-tighten the nut once the legs are folded. Straighten out the top of the stand by loosening the nut at the elbow, straightening it out, and then re-tightening the nut once it's been straightened.
Take the mounted toms out of the bass drum and fold the mounting elbows so that the drum fits into the mounted tom shells; some require you to fold it straight up, while others are folded to the side. Securely insert them into their proper shells when finished.
Loosen the legs on the floor tom and push them up so that they're resting on the side of the drum. Place the floor tom inside its proper shell and fasten it shut.
Use the drum key to shorten the length of the legs on the bass drum as far as they'll go. Loosen the nuts located at the joints on the sides of the bass drum to loosen the shortened legs. Fold them back along the side of the bass drum and then insert it into its case. Make sure it's securely fastened when finished.
Loosen the snares on the snare drum by turning the appropriate knob located on the side of the drum. Insert it into its shell when finished and fasten shut.
Place the cases face up in your van or trailer, being sure not to stack them unless you have to. If you have to stack them, be sure to strap them in. Lie all the cymbal stands flat and bundled near one another.