Look outside traditional ceramics sources to find a special-use backpack that is an ideal piece of equipment for taking a handful of pieces to events and exhibitions.
Two years ago, as I was getting ready to go to the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference, I found myself facing the familiar challenge of how I was going to carry my pots around.
The previous year, I used a small case I found online. It said it was for makeup artists and had adjustable, firm, padded dividers inside. I thought it was pretty good, but the main problem was it was quite small. When I posted a video of it online, someone commented that it looked like a camera case. That little offhand remark stuck with me.
Going Down a Rabbit Hole
Over the following year, that idea marinated in the back of my mind. Eventually, I started looking into actual camera gear cases, and wow, I had no idea how many options were out there! At first, I went down a rabbit hole of rolling camera suitcases. While tempting, they felt a little too bulky. I thought these would be perfect for transporting pottery, especially if the pieces were really fragile. I wanted something I could easily wear while walking around a conference all day, not something I’d need to drag behind me. That’s when I realized there are camera backpacks, too. The really great thing about these camera backpacks is that there are so many styles, shapes, and sizes to choose from, most designed with padded, modular interiors and comfortable straps.
Finding the Perfect Backpack
After spending what may have been an obscene amount of time online, reading reviews, and looking at measurements, I decided on a K and F Concepts camera backpack for about $85. One feature I love is that the main compartment unzips fully from the front, so you can see and access everything inside at once (1).
Inside, it came with several Velcro-secured dividers that could be repositioned to fit the shape and size of what I was carrying. I even bought a few extra insert panels online to create more compartments to fit more mugs inside. And even better, since they are just Velcro, you can rearrange them easily on the spot. While I may not want to ship them like that, I feel my pieces are completely safe inside.
Another feature I like is that the top section of the bag functions like a standard daypack, which has also come in handy. On the plane, I had my essential travel items; then during the conference, I used it to carry a smaller pouch for my jewelry, business cards, and stickers (2). There are side pockets, pockets inside pockets, and a flat back pocket you can open from the side that would fit a laptop. I usually stash some paper for wrapping up pieces under the pots and in the back compartment. I even put some small boxes, folded flat, in the laptop spot for a few of my more fragile pieces to get packed up.
Possibly my favorite part of the setup is the string of battery-operated fairy lights I added to the inside of the main compartment. I attached them with small safety pins. Opening the bag up and turning on the lights is just so much fun! It may not be super functional, but it creates a little bit of magic.
If you’re someone who needs to transport ceramics regularly to events, exhibitions, classes, or even just from your home to your studio, I would highly recommend looking into camera bags. These bags are designed specifically to protect fragile cargo and to be able to reconfigure depending on what you’re carrying. Perfect for pots!
The beauty of repurposing tools from other fields is that they often solve problems we didn’t even realize could be solved. I never knew I could love a backpack so much (3)!
the author Maya Rumsey is from Toledo, Ohio, and graduated with a BFA from Bowling Green State University in 2008. She now lives with her husband and two daughters in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where she works out of her backyard studio built in 2024. To learn more, visit melissa-maya-pottery.myshopify.comor follow her on Instagram @mayamelissapottery.
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Look outside traditional ceramics sources to find a special-use backpack that is an ideal piece of equipment for taking a handful of pieces to events and exhibitions.
Two years ago, as I was getting ready to go to the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference, I found myself facing the familiar challenge of how I was going to carry my pots around.
The previous year, I used a small case I found online. It said it was for makeup artists and had adjustable, firm, padded dividers inside. I thought it was pretty good, but the main problem was it was quite small. When I posted a video of it online, someone commented that it looked like a camera case. That little offhand remark stuck with me.
Going Down a Rabbit Hole
Over the following year, that idea marinated in the back of my mind. Eventually, I started looking into actual camera gear cases, and wow, I had no idea how many options were out there! At first, I went down a rabbit hole of rolling camera suitcases. While tempting, they felt a little too bulky. I thought these would be perfect for transporting pottery, especially if the pieces were really fragile. I wanted something I could easily wear while walking around a conference all day, not something I’d need to drag behind me. That’s when I realized there are camera backpacks, too. The really great thing about these camera backpacks is that there are so many styles, shapes, and sizes to choose from, most designed with padded, modular interiors and comfortable straps.
Finding the Perfect Backpack
After spending what may have been an obscene amount of time online, reading reviews, and looking at measurements, I decided on a K and F Concepts camera backpack for about $85. One feature I love is that the main compartment unzips fully from the front, so you can see and access everything inside at once (1).
Inside, it came with several Velcro-secured dividers that could be repositioned to fit the shape and size of what I was carrying. I even bought a few extra insert panels online to create more compartments to fit more mugs inside. And even better, since they are just Velcro, you can rearrange them easily on the spot. While I may not want to ship them like that, I feel my pieces are completely safe inside.
Another feature I like is that the top section of the bag functions like a standard daypack, which has also come in handy. On the plane, I had my essential travel items; then during the conference, I used it to carry a smaller pouch for my jewelry, business cards, and stickers (2). There are side pockets, pockets inside pockets, and a flat back pocket you can open from the side that would fit a laptop. I usually stash some paper for wrapping up pieces under the pots and in the back compartment. I even put some small boxes, folded flat, in the laptop spot for a few of my more fragile pieces to get packed up.
Possibly my favorite part of the setup is the string of battery-operated fairy lights I added to the inside of the main compartment. I attached them with small safety pins. Opening the bag up and turning on the lights is just so much fun! It may not be super functional, but it creates a little bit of magic.
If you’re someone who needs to transport ceramics regularly to events, exhibitions, classes, or even just from your home to your studio, I would highly recommend looking into camera bags. These bags are designed specifically to protect fragile cargo and to be able to reconfigure depending on what you’re carrying. Perfect for pots!
The beauty of repurposing tools from other fields is that they often solve problems we didn’t even realize could be solved. I never knew I could love a backpack so much (3)!
the author Maya Rumsey is from Toledo, Ohio, and graduated with a BFA from Bowling Green State University in 2008. She now lives with her husband and two daughters in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where she works out of her backyard studio built in 2024. To learn more, visit melissa-maya-pottery.myshopify.com or follow her on Instagram @mayamelissapottery.
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