So this one isn’t so much about what’s in the basket as it is about the basket (or actually the bag) that all your picnic provisions are in.

A basket looks chic, nostalgic, appropriate…It just feels like the right thing to do in terms of packing up a picnic. But it’s not always the sturdiest of enterprises. It is, more often than not, a decidedly form over function situation. And while (much to the chagrin of my husband) I tend to go for form over function 99.9% of the time, in the case of a picnic, function wins.

To that end, my go-to picnic bag is the crazy sturdy L.L. Bean Hunter’s Tote. It comes in a classic olive green, black, or (my personal favorite) camouflage. You can nab it in medium or large, with a zip or open top. Plus you can make things extra special with a little monogramming action. My family has two of the smaller ones, one for our drinks and cold stuff (we use those reusable ice packs, and things stay nice and easy to clean, as the inside of the tote is water-resistant) and one for bread and cheese and other tasty picnic friendly foodstuffs.

In fact we’re planning on packing them up for our trip out to the Asleep at the Wheel concert at the Arboretum tonight… See you there?