Picnic 101: Pro tips for the perfect picnic
Picnics are the essential summer bucket list to-do. We interviewed the picnic pros (yes, these are the people who literally wrote the books on picnicking) who provided us with the perfect checklists so you can raise your picnic up a notch and have the best. Picnic. Ever.
Must haves:
INSULATED BAG
It’s important to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, said DeeDee Stovel, California-based author of Picnic. But, Stovel said, she also brings other fancier picnic baskets for the other items. “For many picnics, I bring an antique market basket lined with a pretty dishtowel for all the non-perishable items,” she said. “If a little hike is involved, a picnic backpack containing dishes with insulated pockets for food is great.”
REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE
You’re sitting on the earth, so you should show it some love. Lori Popkewitz Alper, founder and editor-in-chief of Groovy Green Livin, a website dedicated to sharing green ideas based just outside of Boston, said she’s been using Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottles (price varies at Kleankanteen.com) for years, but she also likes the Lifefactory water bottles (starts at $14.99 for a 9-ounce bottle at Lifefactory.com) which are made of high quality soda lime glass, and are wrapped in a protective silicone sleeve.
REUSABLE NAPKINS
Not only do they reduce paper waste, but they also make your picnic look so much fancier. Alper said she’s found great ones on Etsy.
FREEZER PACK
You spent the time cooking (or shopping), and you want the food to taste good. Alper recommended the non-toxic ice packs from Kids Konserve ($9.95 at Amazon.com), which come with a sweat-free cover.
BANDANAS
These become makeshift hats, napkins, splits, diapers, SOS flats, wine stoppers, props for Capture the Flat and even an air-conditioner if you wet one and put it around your neck, said Hilary Heminway, of Heminway Interiors in Stonington, Conn.
COVER THE KNIFE
If you’re tossing sharp objects into the basket like knives and corkscrews, make sure they’re covered with a shield of some sort to protect you when you stick you hand in to reach for them, Stovel said.
INDIVIDUAL LUNCH BOX
Fill each one ahead of time, zip it up and place it into the picnic basket, ready to be handed out to guests, Heminway said, recommending that you skip the adorable wicker baskets, which look cute but invite ants to join the picnic.
TABLECLOTH, FLOWERS AND CANDLES
These always adds a festive touch, and go a long way toward setting the mood of the picnic, Heminway said.
Other picnic essential tips:
CHOOSING A SPOT
Sit by a stream, a lake or a shore, and use the water as a fridge for the drinks, Heminway said.
KEEP A BAG READY TO GO
Sometimes, the best picnics are those that are planned on the spur of the moment. “I have a picnic basket in the garage filled with tablecloths, ground cover, tableware and dishes that I can just grab for a picnic any time instead of rummaging around the house looking for things to pack,” Stovel said.