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Picnic Basket Buying Advice
Picnic Basket Buying Advice
Picnic Basket buying advice.
Picnic basket buying tips to help you choose your ideal picnic basket.
If you like to enjoy the great outdoors with your loved ones, then there's no better way than to have a picnic. Good organisation and planning are the essentials of a perfect picnic. Having the right Picnic Basket for the occasion is almost as important as the picnic food and the people joining you on your picnic.
We've outlined a few of the essential steps you need to follow when choosing your ideal picnic basket, to help your picnic run perfectly.
Whilst not necessarily cast in stone, we've found these are the most important steps you need to follow to obtaining the ideal picnic basket for your particular needs.
How Much Do You Want to Spend?
You might not have any idea what the current cost of picnic baskets is, but you most likely do have an idea of how much you can spend. And it is important to have an idea of your budget because this can narrow down your choices right at the outset of your search for your ideal picnic basket. For instance there are budget picnic baskets as well as luxury picnic baskets, often made from different materials. Budget picnic baskets will often be made from quite durable yet cheaper materials such as plastic, canvas or even fabric, while luxury picnic baskets or traditional picnic baskets will often be made from natural materials, including reed, wicker, rattan and even wood! Oddly enough, the cheaper materials are often more durable and require less care. |
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How Will You Use Your Picnic Basket?
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If you've taken our advice and decided on your budget, you now need to decide exactly how you are intending using your new picnic basket. Will you be having large family or group picnics, or is your picnic basket destined to be the perfect accompaniment to a romantic picnic for two? Do you have regular ad-hoc picnics with family and friends, or maybe your new basket is destined to be a picnic basket gift for a close friend or relation. Where will you take your picnics? Some people love to picnic at outdoor water parks or on a boating outing. Just as your budget is important, so too is how you are intending using your picnic basket!
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From What Material Should Your Picnic Basket be Manufactured?
If the two factors already covered haven't decided you on your choice of picnic basket material, you will want to consider some other important factors, like the
choice of basket material itself. In the main, picnic baskets are made from two main materials, namely canvas or other natural fibres or wicker, or similar natural materials. There are some plastic picnic bags or holdalls, but generally these fall into the "cool box" category, rather than specifically picnic baskets. Wood and wicker picnic baskets are strong, long lasting as well as being tear resistant. Wicker, by it's very construction permits excellent airflow
and ventilation. Aesthetically, many people prefer the rustic, traditional appearance of natural wicker baskets.
Canvas picnic baskets also have some desirable characteristics, depending of course on the use to which you intend putting your new picnic basket. In general, canvas is a cheaper alternative to wicker as well as being lighter to carry. Add to that the fact that canvas is available in a wide range of colours and styles, as well as being easier to flatten and store away when not in use.
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How big a basket do you need?
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Again, you may already know how big your picnic basket needs to be because you have decided that you are using your basket for quiet romantic "just the two of us" picnics, or indeed for larger family gatherings. It is true to say that picnic baskets are available in all sizes, from large full service
sets for six or more people, right down to small, single service personal use baskets.Also, consider exactly what you intend your basket to contain. As well as the eating and serving implements, you'll also have to decide whether your picnic basket has to contain all the food as well. But you don't want it to be so huge that it becomes unwieldy or unmanageable and thereby defeats its own purpose of being handy for picnics! Big enough to cope with your average usage requirement, but small enough to be convenient.
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Do you need an Insulated Picnic Basket?
Chances are if you are picnicking, you'll be doing it in warm weather, so the need for an insulated picnic basket becomes paramount to keep your food fresh and your drinks cool. Many picnic baskets now have insulated compartments and some are fully lined with insulating material. The added benefit of this is that you no longer need both a cool box and a picnic basket to make your picnic perfect! |
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And Don't Forget The Picnic Blanket!
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The picnic blanket is an
absolute necessity on any picnic. Nowadays, picnic blankets have
evolved from being just like any other old blanket, to being hi-tec
wonders, with waterproof backing, padding and even built in pillows for
that after picnic snooze! Usually available in a wide range of bright
and fashionable colours, they are not just practical and convenient,
they are essential. Many picnic baskets now come with a picnic blanket
included, or with convenient carry straps to hold a picnic blanket.
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How About a Glass of Wine?
Many people enjoy a leisurely glass of wine with their picnic and there's a wide range of options to suit them, from insulated compartments within the picnic basket, to separate wine holders mounted on the outside of the basket. And if your picnic basket is designed to be suitable for carrying wine, almost certainly a wine bottle opener of one sort or another will be included. |
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Empty or Stocked?
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Most
picnic baskets come fully stocked with crockery and cutlery, but you can also buy baskets that have the food included - for a really luxurious treat. The advantage of stocked picnic baskets is that they make preparing a picnic much easier, but they don't offer the versatility and multi-use functionality of picnic baskets where you choose the food content .
Either choice can be right - it all depends on the type of picnic, or your budget or how much time you have to put into preparing your picnics.
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Warranty & Money Back Guarantee
Some picnic baskets come with a decent warranty or money back guarantee. It's particularly worth considering the warranty offered if you are spending a lot of money on your ideal picnic basket.
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I hope these few pointers will help you find the right picnic basket and accessories for your needs.
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