Toby- Toby
Summer Picnic Essentials 2020
Summer is here for the UK, and what better way to celebrate the weather with a lovely al fresco dining experience. Whether you're heading to the beach, out with the family or on a romantic date, nothing beats a picnic! We hope you enjoy this blog, which will explore the picnic essentials.
1) Picnic Blanket
An absolute essential for picnics is a blanket. This 100% polyester blanket from AmazonBasics is perfect for any outdoor ventures. The blanket is well designed and thick enough that it provides protection and comfort. The product also comes in two size options (150cmx195cm and 200cm x 200cm). An absolute bargain!
Alternatively, if you wanted something thicker, then Good Gain make a beautifully designed thick blanket which is made from natural wool. This however is not water resistance like Amazons.
2) Picnic Basket
This very traditional picnic basket is perfect for any couple. The design benefits from a sturdy but light basket, which we found to be very spacious. The basket even includes your cutlery (plates, glasses, knife, fork, spoon, salt, pepper) and a cushion to sit on. However, this isn't good for storing cold drinks and cold food or families.
3) Picnic Bag
If you did want to store cold food and drinks, then we would recommend using a cooler bag. This example from Lifewit is Amazon's #1 best seller, and generously holds 24L. This thermal bag is perfect for a family day out, and comes in 4 different colour options. However, we did find that if the bag is heavy, it can hurt your back / shoulder.
To remedy this pain, a cooler bag which can be worn like a backpack is perfect. For that, we would recommend Estarer's leakproof insulated rucksack. This bag can hold 32L, which is enough to hold about 20-30 cans. The bag benefits from super thick insulation and can easily keep food and drinks cold for 10 hours. The bag even has a bottle opener built in.
4) Drinks Cooler Bag
If you want to enjoy a nice ice cold beer then you'll definitely want to purchase a drinks cooler bag. This specific bag from Livivio can hold up to 60 cans and will keep your drinks cold for hours. The bag is well designed, with strong handles too.
5) Wine Cooler Bag
If you would prefer a chilled bottle of wine on your adventures and don't want to carry around a full drinks cooler then Greenfield's deluxe wine cooler bag is perfect. This product comes in 5 colour variants, and can keep bottles cold for 7 hours. This high quality backpack is really portable and lightweight, but the bottle isn't included ;)
Alternatively, if you want to drink more than one bottle, this bag from Kato Tirriinia is perfect. The bag is also insulated and leakproof, but can hold up to 6 bottles. The bag also benefits from a strong handle and shoulder strap. This can be ordered in black or grey.
6) Picnic portable Cutlery Set
In order to devour your wonderfully prepared (or bought) food you'll want nice cutlery which is small and portable. HaWare have created exactly that. Their stainless steel cutlery set comes with 9 pieces (fork, knife, spoon, chopsticks, brush, two straws, a case and a mesh) and can be attached outside your bag via a clip if you need to.
7) Frozen Blocks
In order to keep food and drinks cold, it's a good idea to use freezer blocks. Ice blocks allow temperatures to be kept cold all day, and are reusable! Our favourite is Anstore's 6 pack. Another bargain!
8) Portable BBQ
For those more adventurous or fellow meat eaters, a portable barbecue might be perfect for your picnic. Our favourite is Valiant's portable BBQ. This lightweight barbecue is just 3.3kg, and allows for easy travel because of its clever folding mechanism. As a result, this can be used on beaches and parks for picnics, and benefits a generous cooking size. Just be careful when you use this, as some parts of the UK prohibit the use of barbecues.
Our Verdict
Overall, we think picnics are great fun and definitely worth while, especially when the weather is nice. Our favourite from this list is the Estarer's leakproof insulated rucksack which makes carrying easy!
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