Scotland / Preparations: Packing

Do I take the down coat, or not?

Here’s what I’m taking for art gear. (See text.) I’ve also taped a business card to the inside of my watercolor journal…just in case. Also, I don’t think I’ll need that biggest brush, but who knows?

Everything will fit in this convenient bag, except for my 12x16 backboard.

---

[Over the next weeks, I will post about my month-long trip to Scotland for gathering visual references for studio work and my upcoming book. I plan to post whenever possible on Substack, but if you want a more regular dose of imagery—although without the commentary—please follow me on Instagram. And you can support my adventure! Also, I've scheduled my regular Sunday, non-travel posts to be published while I'm away.]

---

Most important for my Scotland trip is my art gear. After two previous trips to Scotland, I've decided to take only gouache—oil and pastel are just too weighty and cumbersome—and a very minimal set up. Another reason for gouache is that it I prefer it for making color reference sketches, even though I admit the Caran d'Ache palette edges toward the hallucinogenic. This isn't a problem for me, because the sketches serve more as a point of departure for studio work rather than something I would copy precisely.

Here, then, are the contents of my gear bag:

• Caran d'Ache Classic 15 Gouache Studio (14 pan colors + a 10ml tube of white and a small brush)

• Pentalic Aqua Journal (48 pages of 160 gsm hot-press watercolor paper)

• Artify brush kit (a variety of ten short-handled brushes in a carrying case)

• Prismacolor Watercolor Pencil (violet, and I keep this in the brush case)

• Foldable Water Pot (yes, looks like a rubber flower pot, about 4" across and 3" wide)

• Spring Clamps (a set of four small ones)

• plus a 12"x16" board I can clamp the gouache kit and journal to

Once I get to Scotland, I'll buy some paper towels ("kitchen rolls" in the UK) plus a water bottle. I plan to sit to sketch, and for that, I usually pack a gardener's knee pad, but this time I'll be borrowing a folding camp stool from one of our art friends.

I suppose I should mention clothes and other personal items. This is important, since I am doing all my sketches on-location, and I'm sure the weather will be variable. Although September can be a delightful month, I expect just about anything: hopefully lots of sunshine, but perhaps also gale-force winds, drenching rain, and mist and mizzle. Layers and waterproof gear are important. Did I mention that gouache doesn't work well in the rain? It can dry very slowly. But I will have a small umbrella to hold over my work—should I insist in painting in that kind of weather. (Without wind, of course!)

So, here's the non-art list:

Technology

• Smartphone, cable, Bluetooth headband (for movies and music)

• Tablet, cable, Bluetooth keyboard (for reading books and writing the journal)

• Smart watch + cable (it's hard to give up my Pixel watch)

• Power adapters for UK (rather than a converter, since all my devices can handle 110/220V)

Travel Documents

• Air tickets, hotel reservations, other transportation reservations (ferry to Arran)

• Folder w/ contacts, maps, addresses of places staying + phone numbers (for customs)

• ATM card + credit card that doesn't charge a fee on the currency exchange

• Passport

Clothes

• 3 pairs of pants, 3 shirts and a broad selection of undies and socks

• Layers – windbreaker, down vest, fleece jacket, turtleneck shirt (haven't quite discounted the down coat yet)

• Gore-Tex raincoat + waterproof trousers

• 2 pair shoes (one Gore-Tex)

• Hats: toque, baseball cap, sun hat, tweed flat cap

• Glove liners for warmth (maybe glomitts, too, but I'm undecided)

Personal Items such a toothbrush, etc.

By the way, one thing that's not on the list this time is British currency. Most everyone will take credit cards in the UK, and all my lodging and transportation have been pre-paid, except for a possible taxi or bus. One thing to note: a few toilets in the UK are "pay toilets," especially at bus and railway stations. Some take credit cards; others, coins.

Speaking of apps, here's what I'm packing on my phone specifically for the trip:

• Met Office (UK weather app)

• Tides (for tidal information)

• ScotRail (in case I take a train)

• Traveline (a general transportation app)

• Walk Highlands (for finding and following trails)

• Ramblers (same)

• Flush (for help in finding public toilets, free and otherwise)

Communication will be vital on this trip. Both of us have Google Fi phones, which have worked well in Scotland in the past. Most of my Scottish contacts seem to rely on WhatsApp, so I've installed that in case the usual texting/calling doesn't work. (Fi gives me free texts in the UK, but calls will be 20¢/min.)

So, will this all fit in a carry-on bag and "one personal item"? I was thinking about checking a bag, but Trina reminded me that the last time we flew WestJet, they lost my bag on the return flight—and it literally took TEN DAYS for it to arrive. So, no checked bag this time.

Here's a photo:

One for the overhead bin, one for under the seat in front of me. It’ll be a tight fit, and I suppose I’ll just stick my feet…somewhere…for 6 hours.

That's all for now. We fly out tomorrow night on a red-eye overnight from Halifax to Edinburgh. I'm looking forward to sharing our upcoming days with you, so stay tuned!