The weather’s great at the moment — why are you eating indoors like a schmuck? These six tools will get you out from the kitchen table and around the picnic table.
Weber Q220 Grill
You can’t have cookout without a grill, otherwise it’s just a picnic. And since your full-size grill isn’t exactly portable, you’ll want to take carry along the Weber Q220. Its 12,000 BTU flame heats 1806sqcm of griddle-space (big enough for up to 16 patties) and runs on LP cylinders. $US220.
Picnic at Ascot Eco Picnic Cooler for Four
Grilling is fun, setting up and tearing down is a pain in the arse — you’ve got to make multiple trips to the car, stuff gets lost, chaos ensues. The Eco Picnic Cooler not only has a divided Thermal Shield insulated cooler with separate wine and food sections for your edibles, it also stores your other picnicking essentials; corkscrew, cheese knife, glasses, plates, napkins and flatware. It’s even got a separate drink lid for easy-access sozzling. $US110.
ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent Lantern
Like obnoxious, party-crashing vampires, mosquitoes are the bane of evening events. Keep the little buggers in line with the ThermaCELL repelling lantern. It uses allethrin, a synthetic copy of a natural insecticide found in pyrethrum flowers, to protect a 20sqm area from the most common biting insects. The lantern runs on 4 AA batteries.$US35.
Soulra XL
I’m pretty sure there are laws against grilling without putting music on first. The Soulra XL solar-powered sound system bumps with 22W of output and runs for up to eight hours using a massive 72-sq in solar panel. Its water resistant too so you needn’t worry about it getting splashed poolside. $US250.
Margaritaville DM900 Battery-Powered Frozen-Concoction Maker
This is a margarita maker that plugs into your car’s lighter socket. You need more of a reason than that? It also runs on an 18-volt Ni-Cd battery pack and blends up to 80 drinks per charge. $US300.
Portable Beer Pong Table
Just because it’s not a part of the 2012 Olympic Games doesn’t make it any less legitimate a sport — they’ve got leagues and official-sized tables and everything. And just because you’re going to be outside doesn’t mean you can’t bring your official-sized Beer Pong table right along with you. The 8-foot Pong A Long table collapses down into just a 2-foot square. $US100.