What You'll Need For The Perfect Beach Picnic

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Anybody who's had to brush sand off a sandwich knows that beach picnics can be tough without the right tools. If you want to enjoy a meal on the sand, whether it's a rambunctious lunch with the kids or a romantic dinner with your sweetie, good gear makes a big difference.

Pick the right beach blanket. While you may be able to get by with that old blanket in the park, beaches have sand, water, and other inconveniences a blanket designed for the beach, with waterproofing and easy-care dirt removal, can handle that it can't. Beach blankets with a handy or that fold into a case for easy transport will also spare you a little frustration.

An insulated basket helps keep food cold or warm. Baskets are more portable, and just as convenient, as coolers and will ensure that rack of PB&Js, or that cold chicken with white wine just for two, will stay at both a safe and appetizing temperature, without any of the attendant frustrations of water leaching into the food or hunting down ice.

Insulated tumblers will make for a more pleasant picnic as well. While keeping drinks cold or hot isn't too complicated in the hauling, keeping them the right temperature while enjoying them is a little tougher. Insulated tumblers will limit how much ice you need to bring, and if they're not elegant stemware, it's the company that matters on a picnic, after all.