How to create the perfect picnic: the best rugs, baskets, coolers
It’s a summer essential required for any picnic or beach gathering and there’s a reason this top-selling cooler has over a thousand glowing 5-star reviews.
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We’ve well and truly entered picnic season and with restrictions eased around the country, the outdoor pastime is set to be more popular than ever.
Founder of The Festive Co, Alexis Teasdale, says that when preparing for a picnic, there’s one crucial thing to consider when choosing what items to pack.
“Make it easily transportable,” she tells news.com.au. “You want to pack fairly sturdy food – sandwiches, sausage rolls, mini quiches – that you can pop into containers or straight into the Esky – and in an ideal world you want to skip anything that involves a lot of cutlery.”
So, food aside, what else will up your picnic game this sunny season? Your cheat sheet for the perfect picnic is below.
THE VERSATILE ESKY
Hap Tim Reusable Collapsible Travel Cooler, Amazon, $39.99
With over 1,000 glowing 5-star reviews, you can be sure this best-selling cooler is the perfect option for keeping all the food and beverages required for your picnic cool. Extremely lightweight, this cooler can hold up to 30 litres of volume – that’s around 40 cans of drink, plus ice. It features a leak-proof insulated interior, a handy built-in bottle opener on the side of the bag and an easy to open and fasten lid. One happy reviewer said they were so impressed with the bag, they’ll likely purchase another: “I bought this cooler about a week ago and used it for the first time today for a BBQ party and I think I need to purchase a second one … It definitely does its job of keeping items cold for several hours.”
THE WASHABLE PICNIC RUG
Country Road Sade Picnic Blanket, $149
If you’ve found it impossible to find a versatile picnic blanket that’s also easy on the eye, Country Road has you covered with this beautiful round option. The Sade Picnic Banket is a decent size, with a diameter of 150cm, plus it features a waterproof coating on the reverse to keep you and your fellow picnic goers dry. It’s machine washable, features a removable strap for easy transportation and features a beautiful classic striped design.
THE HAS-IT-ALL PICNIC BASKET
HappyPicnic Huntsman Willow Persons Picnic Basket, Amazon, $335
No, it’s not the cheapest picnic basket on the market but this one purchase will set you up with absolutely everything you require for picnicking forevermore. Aside from its sturdy and chic exterior, it boasts a stainless steel tableware set featuring four knives, forks and spoons, four melamine plates, four wine glasses and four matching cotton napkins. You can keep your food cool with its special cooler compartment, made from waterproof, food-safe PEVA and thick insulated PE foam laminated with aluminium foil. Did we mention it also features a free waterproof picnic blanket? Yes, there’s that, too.
THE LEAKPROOF FOOD CONTAINERS
GlassLock 4 Piece rectangular Container Set, Catch, $39.95
Glass containers might not feel like the most natural fit for picnicking but this set is created from shock-resistant, stain-proof and odour-free glass. Plus, they boast snaplock lids so you can be rest assured they won’t spill their contents throughout your cooler bag or picnic basket.
THE PORTABLE BBQ
Heston Blumenthal Portable Charcoal Barbecue in Stone, Bing Lee, $229
The deluxe addition to your next outdoor gathering? This portable barbecue created by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal. Measuring a compact 42.5 centimetres by 34.7 centimetres and featuring an integrated bamboo preparation board and storage tray, you can throw some sausages or prawns on the barbie with minimal fuss.
THE PORTABLE SPEAKER
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Harvey Norman, $98
What’s a picnic with friends and family without a soundtrack? Set the mood at your next get-together with this portable speaker that easily connects to your phone. Its battery will last for up to 13 hours and you’re guaranteed great sound – it carries for up to 33 metres.
THE KEEP-IT-COLD DRINKS FLASK
Thermos Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Flask 2 Litres, Myer, $89.95
There’s nothing quite as deflating as finding that your once cool flask of punch or water has gone luke warm in the sun. Ensure your beverages stay ice cold with this Thermos flask that, thanks to its vacuum insulation technology and stainless steel exterior, keeps cold drinks chilled and hot drinks toasty for up to 24-hours. Plus, with a two litre capacity, it can hold enough for you and your crew.
THE COVERS THAT KEEP FLIES AWAY
Set Of 3 Pop Up Food Covers, Catch, $6.99
This budget and unassuming product boasts over 1,000 four and five-star reviews and it’s easy to see why, these pop-up food covers will ensure pesky flies and insects stay well away from your food spread. Coming in three different sizes, they’re collapsible, so won’t take up much space in your picnic basket. One reviewer said: “Perfect for indoor/outdoor food protection from flies at a great price.”
THE COMFY SEAT
Artiss Flor Camping Portable Recliner Chair, Myer, $65.95
Don’t fancy sitting flush on the picnic rug? Up your comfort levels with this portable recliner chair that transports easily in its carry bag before folding out into a padded, high-density foam chair. Choose how much back support you’d like by adjusting it to your preference.
THE PORTABLE GAZEBO
Oztrail 3 Metre Hydroflow Gazebo, Bunnings, $199
If you’ve arrived late to your preferred picnic spot and there’s not a shred of shade left for you, this is your saviour. An easy-to-assemble gazebo, this one will provide you with all the shade you need. Measuring three metres by three metres and boasting three adjustable heights – 193cm, 208cm and 223cm – you’ll have a breezy, cool option to take refuge from the sun underneath.
WHY ARE PICNICS A GREAT OPTION FOR SUMMER SOCIALISING?
“Whether it’s in your backyard, the local park or beach, a picnic is a classic Aussie summer pastime,” says Alexis. “And seeing as we’ve all become really good at creating fun close to home this year, picnics will be a great way to get together as a family or with friends, to enjoy the glorious weather. Outdoor options with lots of fresh air are always a good idea at the moment too, so picnic ticks lots of boxes.”
WHAT ARE THE BEST FOODS TO INCLUDE IN A PICNIC?
Alexis recommends packing food that won’t spill and can be eaten without cumbersome cutlery. “Sandwiches, sausage rolls, mini quiches and brownies make great options,” she says. “Look for food that can be eaten cold. If you’re keen on salads, bring along individual plastic bowls, because salad loves to slip and slide around paper plates and straight onto the picnic rug. But an even better version would be rice paper rolls, so you get all the fresh green goodness in a neat, easy to eat package. As for drinks, regardless of your bevvies of choice, pack plenty of water. Summer picnics can be a hot activity, no matter how much shade you find.”
WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIALS TO PACK FOR A PICNIC?
“A really great picnic rug or two, of course – don’t underestimate how much space food takes up once it’s unpacked,” Alexis recommends. “Always a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent. Nothing spoils a picnic faster than sunburn and mozzie bites. And don’t forget a portable speaker for some tunes. For a classic picnic in the park, a frisbee or cricket set won’t go astray, or for a fancier party-type atmosphere, a bocce set is always entertaining.
If you’ll have little kids at the picnic, pack a few bubble wands. They’re always a hit!”
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