The Well-Equipped Guide to Eating Outside
Eating outside can take many forms. It can be chomping cheese and crackers while listening to the symphony in the park. It can be peacefully watching the stars while eating pasta on your front porch. It can be trying to avoid getting sand on your oceanside crudité. And sometimes it means not eating but being eaten by all the mosquitoes in your backyard.
In other words, a picnic in the park isn't always a picnic in the park. The cooler is too heavy, the ground is uncomfortable to sit on, you forgot the bottle opener. And there are bugs, always bugs.
But we will not be swayed! Pleasant picnics—whether they're at the beach or the park or on the moon—are possible when you come prepared. Which is why we've done all of the preparation for you. In our latest Well Equipped Guide, we've reviewed the best picnic blankets and cooler bags, found the ultimate cups and bottles for drinking under the radar of the park ranger, and collected the gear that will ensure picnicking doesn't use any of those dreaded single-use plastics. Read on, and your picnics in the park will be exactly that.
Photo by Joseph De Leo1/8Take a Seat
Have you ever worn your chic summer head-to-toe white look to an outdoor gathering and then lost friends because you were a total diva and wouldn't sit on the ground?
It turns out, to remain chic but also look like a low-maintenance Chill Gal, all you really need is a good picnic blanket.
We've rounded up the cutest picnic blankets on the planet, including natural-fiber specimens and cushy, waterproof throws. Put on those white jeans and read our full picnic blanket reviews here.
Photo by Joseph De Leo2/8Pour Yourself a (Secret) Drink
Unless you live in one of the few areas in the U.S. with lax open container laws, your summer park picnics and trips to the beach probably demand covert drinking. Of course, paper cups can serve as picnic wine glasses of sorts—but in the interest of creating less waste (and having something less flimsy to sip from) we set out to find the best reusable containers and totes for wine, beer, and cocktails.
Beyond being discreet, a good bottle or cup for the park is fit for the elements: not easily breakable, with an easy-to-grip surface. It's also durable, functional, and stylish enough to be used beyond the park.
Tall order. But several vessels make the cut. Find our favorite picks for discreet sipping here.
Photo by Joseph De Leo3/8Stay Cool
When it comes to picnicking, a koozie is an essential item. And while it's true that few people intentionally buy koozies—instead, koozies tend to accumulate in your drawers, keepsakes from that charity 5K you did (once)—we think they're worth the small investment. Read why here.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova4/8Like, Really Cool
Of all the things that can kill the buzz of the beach, a cooler that doesn’t keep the food cold (or is a pain to schlep around) (or leaks!) is a particularly strong offender. So we tested seven coolers, from the cheap to the crème de le crème, to find the one that worked best.
For this test, we looked at soft, portable coolers with shoulder straps—not the hard plastic varieties that you load into your car. Read here to find out which ones took the pain out of schlepping cheese and watermelon to the park.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Styling by Joseph De Leo5/8Grill a Burger—On the Go
Grilling isn't just for the backyard. There are a number of options for small, easy-to-use gas and charcoal grills that you can throw in the back of your car, or even cart a short distance in your arms.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle6/8Grab a Plate
Essentially a fancy form of plastic, melamine is an organic industrial compound created by combining melamine resin with strengthening materials. The sturdy, lightweight plates are nearly indestructible, insanely inexpensive, and, it turns out, pretty damn cute.
Photo by Joseph De Leo7/8Kick Out the Party Crashers
Hands down the worst part of eating outside—the absolute quickest way to kill the joyful poolside/watermelon/margarita vibe—is to be eaten alive by mosquitos. That's why we tested all of the tools for keeping bugs at bay.
Which gadget got rid of the mosquitos? Find out here.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova8/8Keep It Eco-Friendly
You've got the blankets and the plates and the beverages, but picnicking responsibly in 2019 means no single-use plastics whatsoever.
