Picnic hikes could be a good way to spend a summer season afternoon enjoyable by an alpine lake or get pleasure from a sundown out of your favourite overlook. However should you’ve by no means packed up a meal for the backcountry, chances are you’ll be questioning what to pack for a picnic hike.
It’s all about discovering the suitable stability between what you want for the hike itself and what you want for the picnic, all whereas conserving it as light-weight and manageable as attainable.
On this submit, we stroll you thru the method of packing on your picnic hike and provide ideas and recommendations to make your expertise as satisfying as attainable.
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How To Plan Your Picnic Hike
Earlier than you begin packing your climbing backpack, it’s important to get a transparent plan in place on your picnic hike – identical to another hike you would possibly go on.
Your plan ought to account for a wide range of components, which is able to finally dictate what it is advisable pack. Right here’s what it’s best to think about:
Meals Concepts for Picnic Hikes
So that you’ve picked out a terrific path with a pleasant picnic spot, however what do you have to pack to eat?
The basic is a PB&J, however should you’re studying this, likelihood is you need one thing a bit extra refined.
When packing on your picnic lunch, select meals which are comparatively light-weight, can face up to some jostling round, and gained’t soften or perish in a number of hours. At all times search for objects that don’t create a ton of mess or require elaborate setup.
Listed below are our prime picks for what to pack for a picnic hike:
Have extra concepts? Share your favourite picnic hikes lunches within the feedback!
Tip: Take away as a lot extra packaging and plastic earlier than heading out in your hike so you narrow down on the trash you’re needing to pack out!
What To Pack For A Picnic Hike
Along with the 10 essentials you should pack on every hike, there’s a number of issues it is advisable elevate your climbing recreation on a picnic hike.
You may in all probability cobble collectively all the pieces you want on your picnic hike with what you may have in your kitchen and kit closet, however should you’re trying to make your expertise additional particular, listed here are our favourite objects for a pleasant picnic on the path:
1. Picnic blanket
Whether or not you’re headed to a distant seaside or a rocky peak, the REI Co-op Outdoor Blanket is the proper picnic companion. It weighs only a pound and a half and may simply be stuffed into your day pack.
The underside layer has a waterproof end to maintain you dry whereas the highest is made of sentimental microfleece, nice for having fun with a post-picnic nap.
Store the REI Out of doors Blanket at:
2. Swiss Military Knife
Each out of doors adventurer ought to have a great Swiss military knife. They come in useful on picnics when it is advisable slice a block of cheese, pop that half bottle of wine, lower open a bundle, and even decide a pesky morsel of meals out of your tooth with a toothpick.
The Swiss Military Camper Knife options a wide range of helpful instruments whereas nonetheless being compact and light-weight.
Store the Swiss Military Camper Knife at:
3. Hydro Flask Cooler Cup
The Hydro Flask Cooler Cup is a intelligent design that retains drinks chilly in your hike in after which doubles as a cup when it’s time to drink them.
For added chill issue, refrigerate the containers the evening earlier than so that they’re additional chilly if you head out.
Store the Hydro Flask Cooler Cup at:
4. Picnic Flatware
Elevate your picnic expertise by bringing stainless-steel flatware as an alternative of low-cost plastic utensils.
This flatware set by Hydro Flask comes with its personal carry sleeve that retains your forks, knives, and spoons organized and simple to seek out.
Store the Hydro Flask Flatware Set at:
5. Plates
You should utilize any non-breakable plates on your picnic hike, however if you need a set that cleans up effectively and appears good, take a look at the stainless steel Hydro Flask camp plate.
Store the Hydro Flask Camp Plate at:
6. Bee’s Wrap
I’m all the time looking for methods to reduce single-use plastics, so I used to be actually excited to find Bee’s Wrap, which can be utilized in lieu of plastic wrap.
These sheets are coated with a skinny layer of beeswax and can be utilized to wrap up sandwiches, cheeses, veggies, fruits, or another meals objects you may have deliberate on your picnic.
To scrub them, merely rinse them with cool water and allow them to dry earlier than reusing them!
7. Stasher baggage
These reusable silicone Stasher Bags are good for carrying picnic goodies like chopped fruits and veggies, sandwiches, path combine, or different picnic provides.
Not like regular ziplock baggage, these are supposed to be reused, so merely rinse them out and repeat!
8. Loopy Creek Chair
For a picnic social gathering, my Crazy Creek is my go-to chair. It takes about 5 seconds to place collectively and supplies greater than ample again assist. It additionally has hook-and-loop straps to connect to your backpack so that you could be hands-free in your hike.
This chair can also be good for out of doors concert events and films and particularly useful on river journeys the place you’re sitting upright in a ship all day.
Store Loopy Creek Camp Chair at:
9. Moist Wipes
Moist wipes are all the time helpful to have round. They’re nice for cleansing up post-picnic when it is advisable wipe off soiled utensils or plates. These Surviveware moist wipes are good and thick and enormous sufficient so that you solely want to make use of 1 or 2.
Please bear in mind to pack out all used moist wipes and eliminate them in a trash can, even when they are saying biodegradable.
Store Surviveware Moist Wipes at:
10. Hand sanitizer
Deliver a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you to scrub your arms earlier than you eat your picnic. I like this travel-sized bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Hand Sanitizer.
Store Dr. Bronner’s Hand Sanitizer at:
11. Bug repellant
Nothing can smash a pleasant picnic quicker than a swarm of mosquitos or pesky gnats. Be ready to fend off bugs with some good bug repellant.
Natrapel is a plant-based, non-toxic bug repellant that works fairly effectively. Nonetheless, if you already know biting bugs will likely be an issue, you would possibly wish to go together with one thing that accommodates DEET.
Store Natrapel Insect Repellant at:
Learn Extra
Extra Picnic Hike Gear Suggestions
Go away No Hint on Picnic Hikes
It’s necessary to say the 7 Go away No Hint rules so you’ll be able to comply with good environmental practices in your picnic hike.
They’re:
- Plan forward and put together
- Journey and camp on sturdy surfaces
- Eliminate waste correctly
- Go away what you discover
- Decrease campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be thoughtful to different guests
You may learn extra concerning the 7 Rules and discover examples in our Leave No Trace blog post.
Have a terrific hike!
In search of extra out of doors journey concepts? Try these associated weblog posts:
We hope this submit helps you intend a memorable picnic hike! What are your greatest picnic hike ideas and necessities? Do you may have a favourite hike or expertise to share? Tell us within the feedback!
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