10 Best Backpacks For Plein Air Painting [2025]
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Choosing the right backpack for plein air painting can feel like an overwhelming task, especially with the myriad of options available on the market today. As an artist, you want a backpack that not only accommodates your painting supplies but also ensures convenience and comfort during your outdoor adventures. With varying shapes, sizes, and features, finding a backpack that meets your specific needs can quickly become a daunting endeavor. The wrong choice could mean added strain while painting in nature, or worse, a difficult time accessing your tools when inspiration strikes.
To help you navigate this challenge, we meticulously researched and shortlisted the ten best backpacks for plein air painting. Our selection process involved extensive reviews, comparisons, and considerations of essential features like storage capacity, durability, and ease of use. By curating this list, we aim to save you both time and hassle, allowing you to focus on what really matters—capturing the beauty of the outdoors on canvas. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just starting your plein air journey, our guide will assist you in finding the perfect backpack to enhance your painting experience.
Top 10 Backpacks For Plein Air Painting In The Market
Best Backpacks For Plein Air Painting Review
Bestseller No. 1
En Plein Air Pro 60L Artist Backpack
- Large 26"L x 12.20"W x 10.63"H Capacity 60L
- Padded and adjustable shoulder straps straps can be zipped into the back flap making this versatile bag easy to transport
- Main compartment will hold the complete easel set-up = palette,panel holder, tripod, with plenty of room left over for a 12x16 wet panel box !
- High strength 600D fabric, ultra tough and durable
- Two front zippered pockets for paints, brush roll, turps jar, sketchbook,etc.
Bestseller No. 2
New Wave u.go Plein Air | Anywhere Pochade Box, 8.4"x11.25"x1.25" Inches, Plein...
- Materials: The u.go Anywhere Pochade Box is made using Baltic Birch wood, while stainless steel and aluminum accents provide strength where needed most. All hardware is non-corrosive. The Baltic Birch is hand sanded and finished with New Wave proprietary wood finish for maximum durability. The finish on the pochade box easel is non-porous, dense, and resistant to water as well as standard artist solvents and mediums. In addition, the finish is crack resistant, chip resistant, and non-yellowing.
- Design: Rare earth magnets are used for closure, panel/canvas holder, removable side wall for palette cleaning/replacement, and accessory side tray attachment. Friction hinges with a sturdy 180° range of motion allow you to position the pochade box as vertical or horizontal. Compatible with universal 1/4" tripod mounts making it perfect for use as a tripod painting easel. The plein air easels have a smooth exterior free of protruding wood or metal components allowing for quick and easy storage.
- Palette: Each u.go Pochade Box comes with a high density plastic painting palette included. Oil paints can be removed with solvents, and dry acrylic paint peels off. Paint dabs can be stored on the palette when the lid is closed due to a recessed palette and recessed lid on the art easel box. Horizontal set up can be used as a watercolor easel tabletop.
- Surfaces: The Maximum Recommended Painting Surface is 9" Vertical. The teeth on the stainless-steel panel holders can hold panels as thin as 1/16" and stretched canvas up to 3/4" thick. The paint easel is ideal for 1/8" panels ensuring an ultralight setup. Side trays and glass palette accessories available for the painter’s easel.
- Dimensions: Measuring 8.4"x11.25"x1.25" the mid-size portable easel (Item #00702) is ultra-lightweight at 2.1 lbs, with palette included. While lightweight for use as a travel easel and plein air easel, the u.go Anywhere Pochade Boxes are sturdy easels for painting. Made in the USA.
Bestseller No. 3
PLEINLY Portable Watercolor Easel Set - Plein Air Painting & Drawing Easel with...
- Plein Air Watercolor Painting and Mixed Media Easel Set with Wet Panel Carrier & Shoulder Bag, Tripod, Cushioned Stool,100% Cotton Sketchbook, Backing Board, 9 Clips and 2 Palettes. This portable easel set is designed to make outdoor painting as comfortable as your home studio. Paint in sitting or standing positions with an adjustable easel board that tilts and locks for optimal positioning. Ergonomic design to minimize hand movement. Secure your artwork with clips or let it rest naturally on the edge of the easel table and your tights, accommodating various painting styles. Ideal for artists seeking a travel easel, portable drawing table, or folding outdoor easel.
- This outdoor easel features a Wet Panel Carrier, ensuring your wet paintings are transported safely. It's compatible with standard 16x12” (41x31cm), 12x8”, and 12x9” watercolor blocks, as well as any block with a 12” side and up to a 16” other side. Additionally, it accommodates loose papers up to 12x16”, which can be secured with tape to the included backing board. The set also includes a Pleinly 8x12” sketchbook that fits perfectly when opened to 16x12” carrier frame. The carrier bag is designed for convenience, equipped with a handle, shoulder strap, five loops, and a carabiner for easy attachment to your backpack. It has lots of space and big pocket for your papers and accessories.
- This portable easel includes three quick-release plates for easy and secure attachment to the provided tripod. Two tripod connection placements are designed for both left- and right-handed artists and allows easel board to be connected in two different ways: position your brushes, water and palette nearby with your painting or drawing further away or keep your painting or drawing close with supplies positioned farther back. Two strong tripod connections give extra redundancy. Modular construction allows creative placement of the tools and the painting. (See photos & video, visual manual is also included).
- The Plein Air Easel Set includes 2 different types of watercolor palettes; one can be attached to the easel board and the other can be in your hand or in some cases you can attach both palettes to the easel board with clips if you prefer. (See pictures and video). You can mix for example dark values in metal palette and light values in plastic palette. The metal tin palette has room for 14 full pans but includes 14 full and 25 half pans so you can decide best combination! You can add pigment also from the tubes to 18 plastic watercolor palette wells.
- Strong tripod is Included to this all included plein air painting set. Pleinly T-5 Tripod is easy to carry but super strong. You can attach the easel board on it and paint in sitting and standing positions. It has easy to use flip locks in the legs. (4 flip locks / leg). Weight is about 1.2kg / 2.6lbs. The folded height is about 19". Max height is 68". It can be used also with DSLR cameras and smartphones. It has a smartphone adapter and Bluetooth remote control for Android / iPhone. So, it is multi-purpose and really strong heavy duty tripod which can be used to take photos and videos with up to 6 lbs camera or with smartphone!
Bestseller No. 4
JJRING Heavy Duty Plein Air Artist Backpack with Handheld Strap, Art Supply Tote...
- More Capacity: JJRING art bag has one main compartment with a large capacity. It can hold 18x24 canvas panels, drawing boards, sketch pads, or large paintboxes
- Numerous Pockets: 2 zippered pockets can hold pens and pencils inside and 2 long front pockets make folding easels secured with straps. 2 side mesh pockets can hold necessary items for easy access. There is also a small mesh pocket on the shoulder strap for your phone when traveling
- Two Carrying Ways: It features shoulder straps to carry as a backpack and a handle to carry as a tote. Adjustable shoulder buckles are suitable for people of different heights. You can also use the portable handheld strap to carry artwork
- Versatile Art Backpack: JJRING artist backpack is made of soft and durable canvas with water-resistant lining. It is a perfect choice for drawing enthusiasts, or professional painters. It is also suitable for plein air painting on short hikes
- From Us: JJRING provides various art portfolios, tote bags, and portfolio folders. Your enjoyment of our products is our guideline. If you have any questions about our product, pls contact us at any time
Bestseller No. 5
Advanced Series En Plein Air Pro Watercolor Package
- Our new “Advanced Series” Easel is larger – 12” x 15.75”
- With over 80 square inches of mixing wells, our new “Advanced Series” Watercolor Palette Shelf is like having a studio palette in the field.
- SLIK U8000 Tripod has a wider stance and offers better stability
Bestseller No. 6
MEEDEN Plein Air Easel for Painting: Adjustable Travel Watercolor Easel Stand...
- Foldable Adjustable Watercolor Easel - High from 17 to 65 inch, max depth 28.7 inch, the easel can be adjusted in angle, tiled or erected to meet the needs of a variety of techniques, free to disassemble and assemble, fixed buckle easy handling and buckle, rubber sole perform excellent grip.
- Drawing Board Durable - 15.5 × 12 inch, thick plastic sheet provides comfortable and stable painting support. It can withstand a maximum weight of 5 kg. It could easily be fitted into an adult backpack or car compartment. A good assistant for outdoor painting.
- Convenient Mixing Palette - 11.2 × 12.5 inch, too many painting materials and nowhere to put them? This color mixing board can be used to place and mix paints, and fix the commonly used cleaning brush cup in the cup hole for use. It is easy to use and clean.
- Lightweight High Grade - Aluminum easel stand, comes with a free carry bag, overall weight 2 kg. A good partner for sketching watercolor painting, loved by painters, students, teachers, and artists, and is the first choice for festival and birthday present.
- MEEDEN for Ultimate Satisfacation - MEEDEN is more like a family with hundreds of members wholly dedicated to helping you succeed in your artistic endeavors through high-quality, unique art supplies. And like a family, we stick together, and if anything goes south, you can always rely on MEEDEN, through thick and thin - give us a little sign - a mail, a call, or a message
Bestseller No. 7
Sienna Plein Air Wet Panel Carrier Box I Lightweight Wet Painting Carrier for...
- Versatile: Box can carry both 9 x 12 inch and 8 x 10 inch paintings on canvas, panel or paper. Holds four panels up to 1/8" thick back to back. Compatible with 1/8 inch Gessobord and similar panels.
- Small, lightweight and portable: Outer dimensions are just 2 x 10 x 13.25 inches, so this box will fit easily in your plein air backpack or bag along with your other painting supplies.
- Secure transport: Spring-loaded clasps keep the carrier closed and your artwork safe and protected during travel.
- A great companion to your plein air easel, portable easel, pochade box, half box french easel, and other plein air easels for painting. Pairs especially well with Sienna pochade boxes.
Bestseller No. 8
Silver Brush Limited 9004 Silver Essentials Double 450ml Collapsible Water Bowl...
- SILVER ESSENTIALS: Our Silver Essentials were created to meet the needs of watercolor or water media artists and hobbyists. Our double collapsible water cup is a game-changer for artists looking for a durable, practical, and eco-friendly solution in a compact form.
- STUDIO AND PLEIN AIR COMPANION: Our double artist water cup for painting easily folds down into a flat, compact shape and zips into a pouch for convenient storage. You can take it anywhere, thanks to its carabiner clip. Simply attach it to your art bag or easel for quick access, whether you're heading to a plein air session or working in a busy studio.
- MATERIALS: Our Silver Essentials double collapsible cup is made from silicone rubber and is free from harmful chemicals such as BPA and phthalates. This double silicone cup is both stain-resistant and odor-resistant. It is easy to clean and maintain through handwashing. It should not be used with solvents or in dishwashers to ensure its longevity.
- SUSTAINABLE CHOICE: Our double painting water cup is highly flexible and resistant to chipping, cracking, and breaking. Its durability makes it reusable, recyclable, and long-lasting, which reduces waste compared to disposable alternatives. This makes it a sustainable choice for environmentally conscious artists.
- OUR STORY: Silver Brush Limited is the premier supplier of fine artist supplies in the United States. We have created a remarkable collection of superior artist brushes. We believe that high-quality brushes lead to higher-quality art.
Bestseller No. 9
En Plein Air Pro Traveler Tripod Shelf
- No Clamps or brackets needed
- Fits most photo/video tripods with leg diameter of 7/8" - 1 1/8"
- This shelf has a hole for plastic water cup and holes for your brushes
- Folding palette is NOT included
Bestseller No. 10
Silver Brush Limited 9058 Silver Essentials 500ml Square Collapsible Silicone...
- SILVER ESSENTIALS: Our Silver Essentials were created to meet the needs of watercolor or water media artists and hobbyists. Our collapsible water cup is a game-changer for artists looking for a durable, practical, and eco-friendly solution in a compact form. This versatile product comes as a pack of 2, use one in your studio, one for Plein Air painting, or gift one to a friend.
- STUDIO AND PLEIN AIR COMPANION: Our artist water cup for painting easily folds down into a flat, compact shape for convenient storage. You can take it anywhere, thanks to its carabiner clip. Simply attach it to your art bag or easel for quick access, whether you're heading to a plein air session or working in a busy studio.
- MATERIALS: Our Silver Essentials collapsible cup is made from silicone rubber and is free from harmful chemicals such as BPA and phthalates. This silicone cup is both stain-resistant and odor-resistant. It is easy to clean and maintain through handwashing. It should not be used with solvents or in dishwashers to ensure its longevity.
- SUSTAINABLE CHOICE: Our painting water cup is highly flexible and resistant to chipping, cracking, and breaking. Its durability makes it reusable, recyclable, and long-lasting, which reduces waste compared to disposable alternatives. This makes it a sustainable choice for environmentally conscious artists.
- OUR STORY: Silver Brush Limited is the premier supplier of fine artist supplies in the United States. We have created a remarkable collection of superior artist brushes. We believe that high-quality brushes lead to higher-quality art.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, selecting the right backpack for plein air painting can significantly enhance your outdoor painting experience. We carefully curated this list of the best backpacks for plein air painting by considering factors such as durability, comfort, storage capacity, and ease of access to your painting supplies. Each product was evaluated based on real user feedback and expert recommendations, ensuring that the choices are practical and reliable for artists of all levels.
By following our list, you will be equipped with a backpack that caters specifically to the needs of plein air painting, allowing you to focus on your creativity rather than worrying about your gear. Whether you’re a seasoned artist looking for a versatile pack or a beginner needing something lightweight and easy to carry, our selection provides options that will facilitate a smooth and enjoyable painting experience outdoors. Choose one of these top 10 products, and embrace the freedom of painting in nature with confidence and convenience.
