Civic Holiday Monday picnics

London, Ontario, Canada is known for its love of picnics. London began celebrating an August Civic holiday in 1856 (according to thecanadianencyclopedia.ca) in London, Ontario. It was a day when merchants along Richmond Street, in what’s now called Richmond Row, closed their shops. Many people took the paddle steamers down the Thames River from Downtown London to Springbank Park in the separate town of Byron, Ontario. The fun of a picnic day holiday became so popular that it spread throughout Ontario. To commemorate this, we have assembled the best gear so that you can have the ultimate picnic.

We are going to start our picnic gear guide by defending our perimeter. Let’s let nature’s creatures have their space just away from ours. We start with getting a screen tent with rain flaps around our chosen picnic table. The mesh screen lets us enjoy breezes while keeping mosquitoes, flies, and other insects out. This is important because insects like the simple house fly have carried serious diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery, salmonella, anthrax, and tuberculosis. They have also been known to transmit the eggs of parasitic worms. The flaps give us a defense against rain and direct sunlight.

Now we want to take a look at our picnic table. Being exposed to the elements may mean that it may have been hit by bird bombings. We suggest wiping these off with paper towel and some water or using a moist towelette. Then cover the table top with a tablecloth. Vinyl material works well as it cleans up better than cotton. This is especially important if you plan to bring messy foods like ribs or just have people that are prone to spilling their drinks. Also, no ironing!

Now before you put anything on that tablecloth, you should secure it to the picnic table. Why? Well, if you have young children, they often tug at that tablecloth when trying to get up to the table. Things can get messy. All those perfectly poured glasses of orange juice can get sent tumbling over in a hurry. A set of 6 Coghlan’s metal tablecloth clamps can help secure the foundation of your picnic. These can be found at surplus stores for around $2.

Next we need something to keep our food cool. Coolers can do the job, but if you want to maximize your cooler space, consider a 12 volt cooler. The power from that operates a fan to keep the inside of the cooler cold. No need to deal with grabbing ice from the store, melting ice getting your sandwiches wet, or dumping out the cooler afterward.

Next is dishes. Paper and Styrofoam plates offer the convenience of being disposable. The downside is that these one-time solutions aren’t great for the environment. China plates are too delicate to take on a picnic. The best options we have found are reusable plastic/melamine or metal plates/enamelware. Some kits you will find come with carry bags that allow you to pack everything up once you’re done.

Some people bring pop to picnics, which can stay cool in cans. For those that prefer other beverages, we suggest getting a couple of vacuum flasks. One flask can allow you to enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee, while another one can carry fruit juice or iced tea. In our testing, our vacuum flask kept coffee hot for 8 hours. The secret is the vacuum seal and the double wall construction. The inner wall keeps the beverage at the original temperature, while the outside wall will become a little warmer or cooler than room temperature, depending on whether the beverage inside was poured in hot or cold. Using flasks can also help you save time and money. No need to stand in long lines at the donut store waiting or having to pay $2 plus dollars for a coffee when you brew a pot of coffee at home for a fraction of the price.

The last step is having some fun in the park. Whether it’s playing on the playground or having a family game of pickup soccer, you can have a lot of fun on a day like this. Be sure to wear sunscreen and insect repellents to protect you from sunburns and bug bites. As it is messy to put sunscreen on your scalp. we suggest a wide brimmed hat. The wide brim also protects your face, so you don’t need to put sunscreen on your forehead. That seems to always drip into the eyes, which can sting.

Remember at the end of the day to have fun. This is a great time for family bonding. Make the most of this time with your loved ones. Spilled juice may still happen, but do your best to laugh off these goof-ups as they will make great stories later on.