Picnic Basket Connection

In the summertime, the memories of our greatest adventures and simplest joyful moments all seem to come back to the things we did while spending time in the outdoors. Whenever summer comes around, our imagination takes us out there again, making us want to relive those experiences. Open spaces, trees, nature, blue sunny skies and warm gentle breezes – all these things stir up our desire to be enjoying life beyond the confines of our walls, windows, ceilings and doors. We remember going for a hike, sunbathing at the beach or just strolling through the park, then think about doing it all over again this summer. But what really makes these activities worthwhile is when they are spent with the people we care about and love.

Wherever we go and whatever activities we plan to do, it is always better and more memorable when we do it in style. One of the most quintessential summer activities is, of course, the picnic. As children, many of us vividly remember running around and chasing each other in the park while our parents chilled out in the shade of a nearby tree. After playing, it would always be time to do our next favorite activity – eating! The joy of eating was always enhanced by the beauty of the outdoors but it was also frustrating when something that should have been brought was forgotten at home. Sometimes, even little mistakes like that were enough to ruin what would otherwise have been a perfect day.

So in planning a picnic, one must pay close attention to having all the things needed to make the trip to the park memorable for all the right reasons. The most important thing to bring is obviously the food. The amount should ideally be slightly more than enough for everyone. Crackers, biscuits and sandwiches are perfect. Fried chicken and other dry food items are also favorites. Pasta and noodles can also be options but these need to be packed properly as they tend to spoil more easily. Dishes with sauces and soups aren’t practical. Bottled juices and water are also essential, especially since there needs to be precaution against heat-related illnesses and hydration is the best way to guard against these conditions.

Lastly, you will have to find something to put all of the stuff into. An excellent item to use is a picnic hamper. A regular picnic basket is great too, but a picnic hamper is much larger and usually can contain everything you need for a fun picnic including all the food, plates, utensils, bottles, glasses or cups, place mats and napkins.  But because of its large size, there have to be at least two people carrying it.

Picnic hampers come in all kinds of designs, but to truly go in style, the most elegant ones are the vintage or traditional hampers. These were usually made of wicker or woven from wood strips like maple or willow. There are also hampers made out of metal like tin or aluminum. Modern hampers may be made of nylon and should theoretically provide lasting durability. But authentic antique or vintage picnic hampers are also most certainly crafted finely and with great quality, thereby ensuring durability as well.

Vintage picnic hampers can be found in antique shops, garage sales, estate sales, flea markets and online. The prices are as highly variable as their sources are, but there is one website that sells them for around $200. Whatever the price, these charming things will most definitely make your summer picnic another truly memorable outdoor experience.