Everybody loves a picnic, but it takes a little bit of planning and common sense to ensure that a picnic goes smoothly, as there are any number of things that could potentially ruin your picnic experience. Weather, insects, improper food packing, forgetting things, or bringing too much can all be a cause of a picnic gone bad. Follow the tips below for a great picnic.
First, make a list of everything you plan to bring to the picnic. This will ensure you don’t forget anything, and also show you if you are bringing too much. You can also find ways to pack a bit lighter. If you plan on bringing condiments, instead of taking big condiment containers, try squeezing out just what you might need into smaller Tupperware containers, or even better, use some of the packets from fast food restaurants. If you’re having a barbecue at the picnic site, it might not be necessary to bring the entire bag of hot dog or hamburger rolls either. Remove what you won’t use and just take the rest.
Consider other items you might need besides the food. Sunscreen, bug spray, and fun items such as frisbees or a football are all objects you might want or need. Additionally, if there are a lot of you, especially some children, you might want to bring some first aid items as well, such as bandaids.
Be prepared for the weather. If it’s especially hot, put ice packs in coolers, they tend to last a bit longer than ice; a combination of the two is great. Also, freeze drinks the night before. They will quickly defrost in the heat, but stay cooler a lot longer than normally. If the forecast calls for a chance of rain, you might want to bring a large umbrella or a tarp to cover food should the rain start in the middle of the picnic. The tarp can also be used to cover wet grass.