Secondhand Pochade?
 

Maybe try Craigslist or Ebay? I hear what you're saying: I'd love to have a similar thing but don't want to shell out hundreds of dollars. Can you let me know if you have any luck?

Nancy,
Do you have a tripod? It's easy to make a plein air easel from it. If you are curious I can post the addition I made to make it serve as an easel.

I'd like to see that too!

I will take some pictures of the details when it gets light again.

That gorgeous landscape!!! Is that out your front door?

Wow, what a great setup. I also have a french half easel, but sometimes it is too bulky and heavy to be practical.

I have rigged up a few systems using old cigar boxes or simply a piece of masonite (I use sturdy clamps to attach the panel I paint on), that screw to the tripod, but I particularly love your shelf below. It must be very convenient to have somewhere to put your brushes, palette and oil when using your tripod setup. Outdoor painting has enough challenges - dealing with wind, bugs, dust, curious passersby - without having to juggle equipment too.

Are you able to give some close up photos or a description so we can understand how you made it?

By the way, I love your plein air pieces of those gorgeous vistas!

Wow
 

Hi everyone;

Wow, thanks for showing us your cool system Allan! Truly impressive. I actually do already have a home-made system I use for outdoor painting that is not too a distant trek from house or car...but I am interested in a pochade system for hiking a good distance carrying a small and light plein air system. Which is what the pochade systems are for, specifically.

I have tried Craigslist and Ebay as yet to no avail. Plenty of people trying to sell their French easels ,but I've had no luck with finding secondhand pochades. I even emailed one of the pochade manufacturers which runs a newsy/folksy plein air newsletter asking if they might include a "Classified" section where people trading up to the next level could sell their used system. Perhaps this was a bit ingenuous, as I received no reply.

Please keep me in mind if you hear of a source? And thanks again for all the interest in and response to my query!

Nancy Bae,
Here are the details, I hope it illustrates how everything is made.

The first picture is all the peaces you need to make an easel out of a photo tripod, if you hold the palette in the hand.

The easel is as lightweight as the pochade system and it takes canvas up to 30 " in the hight. I put it into a backpack. The only thing you will have to carry in hand is the finished painting.

Julie and Laurel,
Thanks, the landscapes are from Geilo, Norway.

More pics.