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    The ultimate picnic gear for a staycation

    By | Shine Food – Tue, Jul 1, 2008 6:50 PM EDT

    Not enough time or gas money to go away for July Fourth? Take a "staycation" by throwing a relaxed picnic. Epicurious has over 90,000 recipes to choose from, as well as some very healthy picnic ideas, but how to get it there in style and in good shape? Here are some of our favorite picnic gear products.

    A Classic Basket Case: The Whitney Design Woven Willow Two-Person Basket is an elegant basket with service for two (plates, utensils, glasses, etc), plus a convenient handle and strap for toting. $50



    The Fully-Loaded Picnic Basket: The igourmet.com Picnic for Two Backpack comes pre-packed with plates, utensils, glasses, as well as high-end cheeses, sausages, pates, crackers, and chocolates. The only thing it lacks is wine, although it does have a wine holder. $130





    A Cooler with Hot Tunes: Want to turn your picnic into a party? Hook your MP3 player (safely stored in a waterproof compartment) up to speakers contained in the Igloo Playmate Icy Tunes Gripper. The small cooler holds enough for a picnic for two. $66







    Pack N' Play: The Mini Rolling Picnic Table/Cooler is half food storage, half picnic table. The cooler part holds enough food for two and it's a deal at $60. Available at CSN stores and Sam's Club.








    A Dry Blanket: Nothing spoils an outdoor meal like a wet blanket. The Square Picnic Mat by Ascot is waterproof on one side and ultra-suede on the other. $34.






    Screaming for Ice Cream: Ice treats are ideal for a summer picnic, but it melts before you've even unpacked. Prepara Ice Cream Cold Keeper ensures cold ice cream for up to two hours. $10





    Trash and Carry: It's important to always take out the garbage you've brought to any picnic. A favorite of backpackers, the Sea to Summit Trash Dry Sack is a reusable sack that seals in liquids and odors. The lining in the sack can be thrown in a picnic basket and disposed of once you get home. $25.










    Tanya Wenman Steel is Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning Epicurious.com, the premier food Web site. Before joining Epicurious, Steel was an editor at Bon Appétit for ten years, where she won the prestigious James Beard Foundation Journalism Award for Magazine Restaurant Review or Critique (2003). Prior to Bon Appétit, she was an editor at Diversion, Food & Wine, and Mademoiselle magazines. She is a member of the American Society of Magazine Editors and a James Beard Restaurant judge. Steel has written extensively for myriad publications, including many articles for The New York Times, as well as New YorkMagazine, Child, and Travel & Leisure. She appears on television frequently for Epicurious.

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