NOW THAT YOU KNOW the critical part, that being, to pack light, here is a litany of things to take with you. Of course, you can delete or add items you need, but this is my current kit and what I am down to. I'll also cover what types of easels to choose from further down the page.



Of course you need your paint. If an acrylic or oil painter, I recommend a limited six-color palette plus white. And don't forget those couple of other original colors you might need for the location you'll be painting in. This number of tubes most certainly keeps your weight down. The more weight you save, the more colors you can take with you. Are you a pastel painter? In your case, take as many half sticks as you can in a range of values and temperatures. Also take a small box filled with old paint chips of all colors, just in case you need that "crayon" yellow:)

Also need a selection of canvas' or boards that are light-weight and easy to carry. Anything from 4x6 in. in to 16x20 in. is fair game. If you like painting large, be sure to take your car with you! Like stretched canvas the best? Then my eight-page article titled, "Canvas Road Show" is a must read. Pastel painters take a selection of paper sizes and a backing board.

If a wet media painter you absolutely can't do without your brushes. Take only what you absolutely need. After a trip or two, you'll know what to add or subtract.

Acrylic painters will need a spray bottle of water and a few drops of retarder added to keep you paints and canvas wet while working. Oil painters will generally need odorless mineral spirits (or turp) and your favorite medium in a safe container.

Finally, a cup to hold washing water or turps. And that's just a start...



UMBRELLAS of two kinds are worth taking. The first one is optional if you are not into painting umbrellas. If you do take one along be SURE it is of good quality and works with your easel. Some folks even take a beach umbrella instead (car required;) The second one of course, is a regular rain umbrella. Today, these are lightweight and extremely compact. Just be sure it's sturdy for high-wind situations.

Also take a plastic raincoat (the dollar store kind) especially if you don't take a rain umbrella. You might want to get two: one to cover your gear if you have to in a hurry. A large garbage bag will work well too.

Final essential is a handful of trash bags. I use grocery store bags...super lightweight and you can take tons, rolled up and tucked inside your pack.

SHEW! STARTING TO LOOK LIKE ALOT OF STUFF? Well, it is and it isn't. Again, these are my "must-haves", but again, you can delete what you don't need.



Paper towels are the best invention since sliced bread for painters. As a tip from one of my students, I now cut a full roll in half and stuff both halves in my pack. If only one fits, so be it. You only need enough for the excursion you are going on. So to reduce the weight, take a partially used-up half roll.

Fresh cleaning water is actually an essential for acrylic painters in particular...and again for oil painters, take your odorless mineral spirits. Also, have a discarding container as well (see the dark bottle above.) This is what I put my dirty acrylic water into while on the field. I don't want to pour anything on anyone's property. Discard of your waste properly when you return home.

For most beginner to intermediate painters, I highly recommend taking some kind of compositional tool. My favorite is the ViewCatcher (pictured above in lower right corner) which is compact, lightweight and can do so much! A great perk is the neutral gray color with hole in the plastic which can be used to isolate the values and temperatures of colors while painting. Even as an advanced painter, I still carry this with me.

As an add-on I also take a mirror. Most of you already know that sometimes when you cannot figure out what is wrong with a painting, you can check it by looking at both your subject and painting at one time. Turn around like you are checking the back of your hair at home, get your subject and painting aligned and shift your eyes back and forth. Any errors will show up for you to make immediate corrections - and also see what you are doing well!

Two new items I now carry with me: a level and compass. The tiny level assures that my canvas or paper is straight on the easel. Most places you paint will not be truly flat, so a level will keep you on the straight and narrow! Nothing worse than getting home with a really cooked house in your painting. At only $.97 it was a steal!

The compass is my best friend! I use this when I am going to a location I have never painted before. In a flash, I can identify which way the sun is going and plan my painting session accordingly. And, if it's a cloudy day...you can always tell where the sun is and where it will be hours hence.

OBVIOUS PERSONAL ITEMS include water, and lots of it! I don't have to explain the need for this. Also take a snack bar or two, and even pack a lunch if you can.



Earplugs are for those windy days or noisy streets. Tissues and cotton are ok, but these are lightweight and more effective.

Bug spray, sunscreen and cortizone stick for those rare times when you get a bite on site. Tissues are great to have along as well. Either you or your painting buddy certainly need one. Not pictured, but also important are bandaids.

And of course, a flashlight. You never know when you might need one.

Ok Diane, what's the whistle for??? Well, as an instructor, it is sometimes hard to find all my students. Living in hurricane country I found this great, and very loud whistle to round up the troops. More importantly, when I am painting alone or with a friend; if we ever get lost, we can blow away and be heard by at least someone.

See the list in the subtitle? That's it! Oh yes, and good walking shoes!!

The item I want to address most here is your carrying bag. How will you tote all this stuff around? You have many choices. No matter what you select in the way of a bag, I recommend you take all your "stuff" around to different stores and load all into various packs to see which will fit! I have been seen sitting in many a store isle loading and unloading bags to find the perfect one for my needs.

If you prefer to carry your equipment on your back, you must be even more careful about the weight of your equipment. A good, lightweight, sturdy back pack is your choice.

If you are like me, you will want a piece of rolling luggage. Again, it must be extremely lightweight and durable to hold up to heavy use. I have tried many rolling bags and have been perfect for me. Each year that I adjust my gear weight and volume I get a new, smaller bag. I have used Eagle Creek for years. It is among the best brand...pricey, but very good. Another has been a bag endorsed by Rick Steves, the travel guru. I am now using one that has a chair built on it for those times I need to take a break.

Your wheels are critical. Be sure you have large enough wheels to go over rougher terrain. Once I had a bag with tiny wheels. I simply got a roll-cart with bungie cords and put the bag on the cart...instant big wheels!

Don't forget your sunblock hat, and the coffee!!

OK, I've saved the best for last...the most important "essential" for your painting journeys: the easel.

At this juncture, I can only recommend different types to you. YOU must choose what's best for you. If you paint very small, a small box is for you. If you prefer working small as well as large sized pieces, you need the flexibility of an easel that can accommodate large work.

I have built and purchased at least a dozen easels in my day. Here are just a few types to investigate. With one caveat...if you are just starting out, purchase the least expensive easel setup. Why? So that you are certain you'll enjoy plein-air painting! No need to spend $500 on an easel you may only use once.

So then, here we go:

LEAST EXPENSIVE
A home built easel is the least expensive way to go. There are many folks across the Web who have made pochade boxes from cigar boxes and other found materials. Larry Seiler has created many from cigar boxes. Do a search for what he's done.

My homebuilt has a metal box. To see how I made this simple arrangement visit this page. Scroll across the page to view all the steps. I used it for years and still do for quick trips. I can put it in my lap or hold it in one arm:

NEXT UP
A simple metal easel you can purchase at
Dick Blick, Winsor & Newton Aluminum Bristol Easels

Two manufacturers make these, but the W&N is great. It is light as a feather. Only issue is that you will need a place to put your paint and other gear. Nevertheless, it's a great, inexpensive solution and can be used in the studio too. Shown here with a simple pack chair and my home-built paintbox:

MEDIUM TO EXPENSIVE
This is a dandy easel that is made of wood and is on the expensive side. It is a bit heavy for my liking but I love the box and how well made it is. The OpenBoxM. As you can see, it requires a tripod base when standing. You can also use it as a lap box:

TOP OF THE LINE
I only refer to this as "top of the line" as it is the most expensive plein-air easel around. Folks either love it or hate it...I love it. It is the Soltek. I have had mine for nearly six years and it's the best investment I have made in a pack easel. Check it out at Soltek. Many other suppliers carry the easel, but I recommend visiting the site to read about the features of this easel. If you are tall like me, go for the Pro model which has 8in. longer legs. I use this easel for both acrylic and oil painting...easy to change-out paint, brushes, etc.

I also use it for my pastel painting on location. You can purchase boxes from Dakota Art Pastels to fit the Soltek as shown in the following pic:

I have not mentioned the many Julian-type and pochade-type boxes. All the above include some type of these. They are the most common, most reasonably priced easels on the market, and can be found everywhere. There are also specialty easels for watercolor and pastel painters. The list goes on. I will post a number of easel suppliers in the coming days.

Meanwhile, start gathering up or reorganizing your plein-air painting "stuff".

Oh, and one more thing...ALWAYS have your bag packed and ready to dash off for that perfect scene or painting day!

One thing I have not discussed is your clothes. You can wear anything you want when painting en plein air. However, there are a few things you can do to maximize your painting adventure pertaining to clothing.

1. Wear Neutral Clothes
Neutral colors work best when painting as any colored (shirts in particular) can reflect onto and distort the colors on your painting. Neutral gray, black, cream, etc. are great. You can find many, many of these in the Plein Air Wear shop for men, women and youth from warm winter to cool summer tops.

2. Wear Long Pants
Depending on where you will be painting, wear long pants. This is particularly true when going into wooded areas. Be sure to tuck your pants into your socks and to a complete "tick-check" after every trip.

3. Wear Shoes & Socks
Of all your wearable gear, your shoes must be well-fitted and good for walking long distances. Socks too, are a good idea as mentioned in #2.

4. Hats & Sunglasses
Your best protection from the sun is a good sunscreen hat and sunglasses. I will discuss the use of sunglasses at another time. Suffice it to say, do all you can including using sunscreen to protect your head, eyes and skin.

BOTTOM LINE
Dress comfortably and for safety. Do everything you can to assure a great painting session.

Above all -have fun!"