Picnic Baskets for Summer

Just a few tips here when packing a picnic basket or cooler for your picnic. There are two basic rules to pack by:

1. Keep the items you need first on top
2. Keep the items that need to be coldest on bottom

Picnic foods need to be kept at a safe temperature. Perishable items like dairy products, meats, and so forth should be kept at 40 degrees F or lower. Therefore, you can put ice packs in the bottom and then perishables next. Preferrably in crush-proof containers rather than plastic bags.

When salads or sandwiches are involved, it's best to make these on the spot. Combining a salad ahead of time often results in a wilted salad. Constructing a sandwich in advance can result in a soggy sandwich.

Beverages can be toted in outside pockets sometimes, but in some instances, such as with water bottles, you can freeze them in advance and stow them in the top of the picnic basket. This way they stay cold for a long time, help to keep the other contents cold, and are quick and easy to access when you want them...even before you're ready to unpack the food.

Don't forget to take along items for clean up: trash bags, a cloth in case there are spills, plastic bags to put dirty utensils in, and so forth.

This picnic basket has room for food and utensils for 2, or 3, or 4, or more people. It's surprisingly roomy for a fairly compact basket. It offers insulation for keeping chilled foods chilled and warm foods warm. It also has a zippered pocket on the side for stowing important things like keys, cell phones, and utensils if needed. It has a plate holder and is fully expandable with a drawstring on top.

The aluminum frame makes it sturdy and the polyester canvas exterior makes it durable. The matching velcro canvas straps help you keep the handles tucked together when you're carrying it and it's fully collapsible design make it easy to store. The interior is waterproof so spills or melted ice won't be a problem.

This basket is available in a variety of colors and patterns.

This wheeled picnic basket is perfect in urban, suburban, and even rural settings. It is made of durable 600 denier polycanvas (Olive/Tweed) and offers a waterproof interior for beverages. It allows you to keep dringks on ice while keeping other foods dry and warm with the divided compartment. The zippered opening gives users easy access to beverages at all times.

This basket provides a service for 4. It includes a corkscrew, hardwood cutting board with juice groove, cheese knife, wooden salt and pepper shakers with non-spill tops, acrylic wine glasses, coordinating melamine plates, stainless steel flatware, and cotton napkins.

It's easy to take your picnic anywhere with this 13" x 18" x 13" basket.

These aren't traditional picnic baskets but a modern version. The Solano offers an adjustable shoulder strap that makes it very portable. It's made of durable 600 Denier polyester canvas and is fully insulated keeping warm foods warm and beverages cold. It has an 18 can capacity and can hold enough food for a typical picnic for four individuals.

This tote also comes with picnicware for four. It includes four 9" plastic plates, four stainless steel forks, knives, and spoons, four plastic 10 ounce tumblers, four 100% cotton napkins, one stainless steel corkscrew, one 5 1/2" hardwood cutting board, 1 set of salt and pepper shakers, and one stainless steel cheese knife. Elastic straps and mesh keep everything secure while you trasport your picnic.

The Malibu picnic tote is built to accommodate a picnic for two. It's insulated and has a removable water-resistant liner for the food storage area. The side compartment can accommodate two bottles of wine. It comes with picnic service for two, including two 9" plastic plates, napkins, stainless steel utensils, acrylic tumblers, a hardwood cutting board, a stainless steel cheese knife with wooden handle, and a corkscrew.

Wicker and rattan picnic baskets are very traditional. The Chardonnay measures 12" x 8" x 10" and can easily accommodate a picnic for two. Both a red/white checked or Hunter Green and Grape motif can be selected for the interior and napkins. It comes with service for two including 8 ounce wine glasses, a stainless steel corkscrew, and cotton napkins.

The barrel design basket is another one that's perfect for two. Made of willow, it's sturdy as well as attractive and includes faux leather accept straps and handles. Lined with canvas, it's available with a variety of themes/patterns: Pine Green, Hunter Green, St. Tropex, and Botanica. It comes with two 9" melamine plates, 8 ounce wine glasses, cotton napkins, stainless forks, knives, spoons, and corkscrew, salt and pepper shakers, and one 45" cotton table cloth.

The Terazzo offers high quality in a casual design. It provides service and space for four. It comes with a picnic recipe book. The handcrafted Amish picnic basket is perfect for families and for shopping. The woven basket includes a wood divider which allows you to separate items in the bottom (a pie for instance) from items on top. It includes wood carry handles and a lid. It measures 20.25" L x 10.25" W x 9.5" H.

The Sunrise picnic basket is also of willow construction and offers coordinated cotton liner, napkins, and service for 4 (plates, cups, and utensils). The Farmhouse basket provides enough space and service for 4 and it provides upgraded accessories like 4" x 7" ceramic plates, 4 stainless and wood knives, forks, spoons, a corkscrew, cheese knife, and plastic salt and pepper shakers. This basket measures 18.5" H x 17" W x 14" D and comes with a 100% lifetime warranty.

Backpack style picnic baskets are perfect for active people. If you have to hike or bike any distance to your picnic location, these totes are ideal. The Excalibur provides service for 4 (plates, glasses, napkins, a bottle opener, utensils, a cutting board, salt and pepper shakers, a corkscrew, and so forth). The bag offers a pouch for a bottle and pockets for smaller items in addition to a compartment for your food. You also get a blanket to set up the perfect picnic.

The second backpack picnic tote offers service for 4 as well and a similar design, but, without the blanket. It measures 15" W x 6 1/2" D x 17" H. The Fiesta on the otherhand, is a sling type picnic tote. It's comfortable to carry and offers space and service for two. It has a thermal foil insulated food compartment as well as mesh front and side pockets for bottles and accessories. It measures 10" W x 9" D x 18" H and is available in many cheerful colors.