Keep it Cold. One thing I love to use for keeping food cold is frozen water bottles–especially if you are going to be out for a while. They keep food cold and slowly melt so you still have nice cold drinking water at the end of the day. We used these every day on our winter trip to Florida and they worked like a charm. Gotta love a multi-purpose ice pack!
Keep it Clean. I love to bring along a picnic blanket–this is obviously great to sit on but it also works as a makeshift tablecloth in the event the birds enjoyed the picnic table before you;) Along with the picnic blanket, I keep a set of reusable plastic plates and cutlery in my picnic bag. When we get home, I wash them and put them right back in. I’ve had a few picnics where I’ve forgotten plates and we’ve all been huddled around the cooler lid–I love knowing we are all set. Another thing that always comes along is napkins and wipes. Wipes are great for washing hands before we eat and after! And we can use them to wipe down anything else that might need it.
Keep it Light. Only bring what you really think you will eat–especially when hiking–or you’ll be carrying the extras the rest of the day. We love to bring simple sandwiches or salads, fruit and individually wrapped desserts. While ants like just about everything, they really seem to go for the sweets so I love to bring Brownie Bites and Madeleines from Sugar Bowl Bakery. Each is individually wrapped and they are both small and light. They aren’t sticky and they don’t need climate control. So they meet all picnic criteria! And they are always a hit with kids and adults alike.
Do you have any great tips for successful picnics?