If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
If we can't get out in the sun right this second then you better believe we’re meticulously crafting the most civilised family picnic you've ever witnessed and stocking up on all the food, drink and outdoor paraphernalia we’ll need for some well-deserved, socially distanced rest and recuperation. Post-lockdown party planning starts here.
When it gets a bit sweatier out, a water fight is the way forward. But the Spyra Water Pistol isn’t just any old water pistol. It’s designed to create the most epic blast of water – from up to 50 feet away – that will have your friends and family running for cover. Grab the SpyraTwo Duel pair and you can challenge your partner to a water fight shoot off to decide who gets to eat the last sausage roll.
Bodum’s Fyrkat is impossible to beat if you’re just after simple charcoal cooking in the garden or the park, trust us. The portable 35cm kettle barbecue has been our top budget BBQ for ages and, alongside silicone clips and a handle to help you lug it around, it’s lovely to sit around, won’t scorch the grass and doubles up as a fire pit, too.
B&O's dinky Beosound A1 is fully waterproof to IP67 and it’ll go and go for 18 hours. It makes our list of the best Bluetooth speakers on account of its refined sound, with deep and authoritative bass and the kind of toe-tapping punch you need for a party vibe. This Gen 2 device really looks the part, too, with its circular, brushed aluminium design and leather carry strap. We also like JBL's Charge 5 (£159) - not only is it a great portable speaker, it's a power bank too. On a real budget? Try Anker’s terrific SoundCore Flare Mini (£40) or Soundcore 2 (£40).
For a hosting app to play your music, try Jukestar - Jukebox for Spotify (free). Available for both iOS or Android, it lets your picnic party get access to the playlist so they can queue up song requests without bothering the host.
Price: £199 | John Lewis | Amazon
If parking yourself on the actual ground is a habit that’s been left pre-pandemic, try the Vango Titan Oversized Chair. It’s ridiculously comfy and can hold up to 180kg, so it’s fine to lean back and eat that extra piece of rocky road. Yeti also does a wonderfully slim Trailhead Camp Chair (£299), with FlexGrid Fabric for a supportive seat, and the Helinox Chair Zero (£110), which weighs just 482g - the weight of say, a football or two hamsters, is another firm favourite at Camp WIRED.
Price: £60 | Vango | Outdoor World Direct
Let’s get the grub sorted: we’d recommend Noble House Prepared’s luxury hampers. Much of the ingredients come frozen so you can keep it in the freezer and get it out to thaw and heat when you’re ready to picnic. With a kitchen led by Owen Sullivan – previously the executive chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze – this is fine dining picnic style, and you can choose from a savoury, sweet or mixed hampers. In the mixed hamper, you’ll find a jumbo sausage roll that looks like a meal in itself, a charcuterie platter from Tempus, Formans smoked salmon, freshly baked focaccia and organic Godminster cheddar and olives. Plus scones, clotted cream and jam and cheesecake for pud.
Price: From £40 | Noble House Prepared
The last time we tested coolers, Decathlon's excellent Inflatable Hiking/Camping Cooler came out on top. The 35L Quechua coolbox is spacious, weighs a reasonable 1.5kg and outperformed much more expensive kit - it was the coldest after 60 minutes of cooling. And did we mention it's self-inflating? You can also pick it up in a 25L size for £35.
Price: £45 | Decathlon
Set your garden up so you’ve got something ready to entertain you into the night. The Capsule Max outdoor projector is compact and works well in low-light environments. It gives you HD viewing, with cutting edge DLP tech to give you a vivid 720p, 200-ANSI-lumen image up to 100 inches. With Android 8.1, you can download and stream Netflix, YouTube and more straight to the projector and link to the Nebula Connect app on your phone to control Netflix.
When dusk falls you can also reach for the handy Balad Portable Light (£79), which will give up to 16 hours of light on a single charge. At just 25cm, the USB-chargeable device is lightweight and easy to be carried, placed on a flat surface or hung outside.
If you need a coffee to soak up any cheeky cocktails after a long session, an insulated bottle will be invaluable. The Contigo Matterhorn water bottle has a thermalock vacuum-insulated stainless-steel construction that will keep your drinks hot for up to 10 hours, for example. Fill it with hot water or coffee and enjoy a hot drink to accompany your scones. It features a tethered lid that is leak-proof with a spout that twists off easily for easy access and can also keep drinks icy cold for up to 24 hours so you can use it to store ice cubes for your G&T, too, should you wish.
Price: from £18 | Amazon | Contigo
These achingly cool sunglasses work with pretty much any face shape with superbly built titanium, bridge-free frames and the lenses to match: ‘Land’ for tackling glare and improving depth perception, ‘Sea’ for full polarisation and ‘Air’ for enhanced colour and contrast.
If you’re after more of a talking point, turn up wearing Fauna’s range of audio sunglasses. The Spiro Transparent Brown (£249) comes equipped with two mics and four micro speakers in the temples for music and phone calls.
Price: £310 | DITA
Send the kids off with the Moon Ball (£6), a gravity-defying ‘hyper bouncing’ ball, that can reach up to 100 feet in the air and makes a unique pop sound when it hits the ground.
The Wingman (from £5) is another good bet for running around trying to catch its unique aerodynamic design that flies over 130 feet. The colourful silicone disc is easy to fold away in your pocket after use.
For a more gentle quintessential garden game, the Bigjigs Garden Croquet Set (£45) is a safe bet and beautifully crafted from wood. Use it to keep the kids entertained while you sit back and scoff all the scones in peace.
This summer, WIRED will also be playing glow-in-the-dark Capture The Flag Redux (£45) and park beer pong with Bucketball (£130). We suggest you do the same.
If you’d prefer to keep a clear head, fill up with a selection of alcohol-free drinks. Savyll is just one of the many companies offering genuinely tasty alcohol-free versions of classic party drinks such as the Mojito, Tequila, Bellini and G&Ts, as well as harder drinks such as Whiskey Sour and Old Cuban.
If you’re not quite ready to give up the booze, you can opt for a low-alcohol sparkling wine instead. Try Wildlife Botanicals for its English bubbly crafted in Cornwall and infused with vitamins. At 0.5% ABV it is less than 35 calories a glass, which is a bonus.
Savyll: £12 (pack of 6) | Savyll
Wildlife Botanicals: From £15 (75cl bottle) | Wildlife Botanicals
If you’re travelling by bike, consider a practical bag option, such as the Hoy Travel & Cycle Green Backpack in Army Green by Ally Cappelino. With a depth of 16cm it’s roomy enough to hold a little picnic paraphernalia, while the reflective strip and D-ring for bike light will help keep you safe on the road.
Price: £195 | Ally Capellino
For stylish and sustainable lunch boxes, plates, tumblers, salad bowls and more, Emilie O’Connor Homestore sells an eye-catching range that will score you top marks for presentation. The Melbourne-based designer’s range of bamboo picnicware is inspired by Australian land and seascapes – with an emphasis on eco-friendly living. For a lunchbox design that will vacuum pack your food also consider Zwilling’s Fresh & Save (£14). It slows down oxidation, which means your food with remain fresher for longer.
Price: From $10.50 (bamboo cup) | Emilie O’Connor
Yes, canned wine is not only A Thing but it’s one that’s growing in popularity at that. Not only are cans practical and durable, but many of the latest vintage wines in a can taste (almost) as good as if they were poured directly from a sommelier. We love the vegan-friendly Grenache Rosé from Canned Wine, which has soft aromas of butterscotch, wild strawberry and clementine.
Also try Kiss of Wine, which sources quality wines from independent winemakers across Europe – its zesty Riesling is delicious. Or, for a craft beer, try Four Pure’s latest flavours. Based on Bermondsey’s Beer Mile in London, the company is known for creating innovative brews and the Citrus IPA is particularly refreshing.
Four Pure: From £2.50 (1 can) | Four Pure
Canned Wine: £15 (pack of 3) | Canned Wine
Kiss of Wine: From £25 (pack of 6) | Kiss of Wine
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
