8 Easy-to-Pack Picnic Supplies for Travel

The Cutting Board

"It's just a flesh wound" is a statement that should never be uttered at a picnic. But mishaps from freestyle knife use are all too common among picnickers who insist on a super-minimalist approach to alfresco meal prep. There are plenty of surprisingly lightweight cutting surfaces that tuck easily into a bag, are large enough to hold a nice variety of cheeses or meats, and can even double as eating surfaces. The Norpro Cut-N-Slice Flexible Cutting Board set comes with three colorful 14 x 9.5-inch surfaces. Each weighs about five ounces and is essentially a flexible mat for cutting. MIU's Flexible Cutting Boards are slightly heavier, and while they're also made to bend, they're a bit more rigid, which can be good when you're passing one around as a serving platter.

The Knife

It's true: If you're traveling with just a carry-on, you're going to have to buy a knife at your destination or settle for the plastic knives available at most carry-out food shops. But if you can toss a small picnic knife in your checked bag for the flight, there will be no cheese, no meat, and no fruit too daunting for your picnic prowess. Dreamfarm's Oni Knife is ready for all picnic eventualities, with a plastic-wrap cutter integrated into the handle, a spreading tip, a stainless steel blade, and a carrying sheath for transport.

The Blanket

Could you just sit on the grass, or build a makeshift blanket out of sweaters and determination? Sure, but part of the fun of a picnic is the blanket, that square of fabric that tells the world that this is where the party is. And while most picnic blankets are too bulky to earn a place in the light packer's suitcase, we found a handy solve by looking to ultralight backpacking supplies for inspiration. The small-folding All-Weather Blanket by SPACE is a laminate of fiber scrim and aluminized plastic and weighs just 12 ounces. And while it's not going to offer the plush comfort of bulkier picnic blankets, it's waterproof, it's relatively durable, and it comes in a variety of colors.

The Corkscrew

If you've ever attempted to open a wine bottle by (a) pushing the cork through with the sharp end of a high heel or (b) using a stick or other item foraged from the ground, then you know the vital importance of a proper corkscrew. Victorinox's Waiter Swiss Army Knife packs serious picnic value into a classic three-inch package. You'll get a corkscrew, a cap lifter (beer drinkers, rejoice, and stop trying to pop the cap off on that sharp rock), and a knife blade, plus a few other handy tools.

The Cup

If you must embrace hobo-chic, do it with your choice of bag, not by settling for a swig-and-pass approach to picnic beverages. The smallest options are telescopic collapsible cups, such as Sea to Summit's silicone X-Cup. For a larger cup that can hold both hot and cold drinks, the FoFoCup is an intriguing foldable option. And travelers who want to civilize the outdoors can choose from durable stemless or stemmed (the stem nests in the glass for easy packing) BPA-free plastic wine glasses from GSI Outdoors.

The Insulated Wine Tote

There's no arguing with thermodynamics; on a hot summer day, it's a cold truth of physics that chilled whites warm up quickly. But an insulated wine tote keeps cool bottles cold and does a bang-up job protecting drinks in transit. The genius Origami Wine Tote from Built NY weighs almost nothing, compresses nearly flat when not in use, and insulates one-liter bottles of wine, water, or any other tipple with ease. And it's by far the most attractive wine tote we've ever seen, insulating or not.

The Plate

When it comes to eating surfaces, creativity is king. A cutting board can double as a plate, or you can pack a light but reusable plastic option such as Preserve's On the Go plates. There are also a number of foldable "origami" plates that store flat, including options from Coleman and Fozzils. And Sea to Summit's X Plate has low sides that collapse for flat packing and a surface that's cut-resistant for cutlery or chopping.

The Utensils

If you travel with a fork, you'll always be ready to eat. And if you travel with a knife and spoon too, there will be simply no stopping you. Light, packable utensils make spur-of-the-moment picnics a breeze. They come in all sorts of combinations; people who prefer the performance of stainless steel might like Zelco's Mangia three-piece set, while travelers looking for something very lightweight should consider Bambu's Out N About Travel Set. And there are always single-piece super-utensil options such as Light My Fire's line of sporks.

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