The equipment I use on location is an Open Box M pochade box on a Bogen tripod. The quick release tripod head is the Bogen 3229 which is the same as the 234RC. Absolutely the most rigid of any tripod head, and yet has a full range of adjustment for tilting and rotating. If you are tired of your pochade box flopping around when you are trying to paint, that is the cure.
I tend to use a less is more approach. I only carry what I know I will need to make a painting depending on where I will be and I am always thinking about carrying less weight. My mixing area is the wood surface of the box itself, and not an added piece of glass. That would only add weight to a box that is designed to be portable and light.
I use the same choice of colors on location as I do in the studio. Ultramarine Blue / Cerulean Blue Hue / Alizarin Crimson / Cad. Red Light / Cad. Yellow Med. / Cad. Yellow Lemon / Titanium White. It's just Red, Blue, and Yellow, with an extreme warm and cool version of each. With this primary palette I can make any color that occurs in nature, with very few exceptions.
I rarely if ever use a stretched canvas on-location. It is too difficult keeping the sun from shining through the back side and it takes up too much space. I use canvas or linen-covered panels that are l/8th in. thick that I make myself or sometimes buy from other various sources. You can carry five canvas panels in the same space as one stretched canvas.
There are many different brands of brushes I use. Two of my favorites are, Robert Simmons Signet, and Trekell Opal. I only use Flats.
If it won't all fit into one bag, then I've got too much stuff. I don't try to carry my whole studio outside just in case I might need something. Instead, I consider where I will be, and how many paintings could I possibly do, and then only carry what will get the job done. It is so much more pleasurable and productive to be on location knowing your equipment is not fighting you and you're not exhausted from carrying a bunch of stuff you won't even use. Remember, you still have to make room for other essentials like food, water, camera, cellphone, etc.
The brush washing container you see clipped to my palette is a Bean Dip can. It weighs virtually nothing.
