Cool Gear for an Autumn Picnic

Early autumn and Indian summer are great opportunities to enjoy the outdoors one last time this year, basking under the warm sun. To make your picnic comfortable, cozy, and vibrant, modern advancements in the tourism industry come to the rescue.

Smokeless Fire

Photo: Solo Stove Ranger 2.0

Who doesn't love gathering around a bonfire with friends on a weekend, enjoying cocktails and tasty snacks? But not everyone enjoys the aftermath of smelling like smoke on their clothes and hair. In this case, a smokeless fire solution like the Solo Stove Ranger 2.0 can be a game-changer. While burning wood, it generates a 360-degree airflow that burns away most of the smoke before it escapes. Ultimately, only fine ash remains in the ash pan.

With this device, there's no need to constantly shift around chairs to avoid smoke due to changing winds. You won't need to rub your watery eyes. And after returning home, you won't have to wash your clothes two or three times with conditioner to get rid of the distinct "campfire" smell. Additionally, you can purchase an enhanced heat reflector (perfect for chilly evenings), a protective structure for safe relaxation for children and pets, and even a cast iron cooking surface for preparing food.

Insect Repellent

Photo: Insect Repellent

When there's no smoke from a bonfire during the picnic, the number of pesky insects around multiplies. Of course, if mosquitoes are bothering you, you could just play Russian rap on a Bluetooth speaker – and they will all rush to the lake, forgetting about their lunch. However, that's not a very effective solution, as it will annoy you as well. Creams and sprays aren't the best option either, as they sometimes work and sometimes don't. What's guaranteed to keep mosquitoes away is a portable ultrasonic insect repellent. Modern models run on batteries or USB charging, weigh less than 100 grams, create an insect-free zone within a radius of up to 50 meters, and are harmless to health.

Vacuum Marinator

Photo: Vacuum Marinator

If you plan a resort vacation well in advance (because you need to take time off work, buy plane or train tickets, book a hotel, etc.), picnics are usually spontaneous. Especially in autumn. For instance, after a week of rain, the sun suddenly comes out for a couple of days – and you suddenly feel the urge to make the most of it. But there's no time to prepare. So instead of marinating meat for a barbecue for hours, people often end up buying some sausages from the nearest supermarket to make do for the outdoor meal. This dilemma is effectively solved by a vacuum marinator. With its help, the food fibers seem to "open up" and absorb marinade much faster. So instead of waiting for hours for everything to properly soak in, the process takes no more than half an hour. That's for meat. Vegetables will only need 10 minutes.

Chemical Cookware

Photo: Chemical Cookware

Not all picnic spots allow you to light a fire. It's not a big deal for a summer picnic, as you can manage with cold snacks. However, in autumn, you might still crave something hot outdoors, especially in the evening when it gets chilly after sunset. The solution here is the so-called "chemical cookware" made by the Korean company Barocook.

The flameless cooking system consists of two containers. The first one is plastic, where you pour water from a lake or river, and then add a special powder. A chemical reaction quickly heats the water to 98 degrees Celsius. Another container, aluminum this time, is placed inside the plastic one, with the food – and it's all covered with a lid. Thanks to this "chemical cookware," you can heat or cook dinner without fire, wood, charcoal, smoke, or matches.

Portable Coffee Maker

Photo: Portable Coffee Maker

Sure, you can prepare espresso at home, transfer it to a thermos, and take it with you on a picnic. But for coffee enthusiasts who appreciate only freshly made beverages, the portable coffee maker Wacaco Nanopresso can be an intriguing solution. It operates using a manual pump that pushes hot water through coffee with a pressure of up to 18 bars (your hands won't tire, as the gadget does most of the work). About 30 seconds, and you have aromatic coffee with crema and a delightful mood in the great outdoors.

Filtered Water Bottle

Photo: Filtered Water Bottle

Of course, when preparing for a picnic, you can bring not only coffee but also clean water. However, it's convenient only when traveling by car. If it's a bike or hiking trip, why burden yourself with extra weight? It's better to go for a water bottle with a filter. An ideal option is the UltraPress Ti. The gadget might cost around $200, but it will prove its worth.

Using electroadsorption technology and ultra-powdered activated carbon, this bottle purifies half a liter of water from any water source in just 10 seconds (eliminating 99.99% of viruses and 99.9999% of bacteria, as well as pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals). Additionally, the bottle itself is ultralight, made of titanium, and equipped with butterfly handles so you can hang it over charcoal or an open fire to boil water for tea or that portable coffee maker. The only drawback of the bottle is its non-permanent cartridge filter, which needs replacement after every 300 cleaning cycles.

Inflatable Chair

Photo: Inflatable Chair

The centerpiece of a summer picnic is the picnic blanket, where everything takes place. But in autumn, sitting or lying on cold ground can be risky. Typically, during the chilly season, people bring folding fishing chairs to the outdoors. This isn't always the best option, as even when folded, they take up a lot of space, and they can also be quite rigid and uncomfortable. So, why not try an inflatable chair? It packs into a small shoulder bag and inflates without a pump – just grab both sides of the opening, spread it open, and, like a scoop, gently fill it with air. Then seal the opening, and the chair is ready.

Portable Toilet

Photo: Portable Toilet

Proctologists recommend that we do our business while sitting in a squatting position. This is natural, anatomically and physiologically correct for humans. Some people even buy special footrests to simulate this position while using a regular toilet seat. So, picnicking or any outdoor trip seems like a perfect opportunity to perform our less poetic duties just as doctors advise.

However, individuals accustomed to urban comfort are often horrified by the idea of heading into unfamiliar bushes to do their private business. The solution lies in the plastic camping toilet Happypie. When packed, it's easy to carry on your shoulder for a picnic. And if you also purchase a portable toilet tent, you'll have a complete tourist restroom that even refined individuals will appreciate.

Dog Tracker

Photo: Dog Tracker

If your dog chases after a squirrel and gets lost in an unfamiliar forest, your peaceful nature getaway can quickly turn into a feverish search and rescue operation. To avoid such risks, it's a good idea to get your furry friend a GPS tracker collar. It will constantly determine your dog's location using GSM/GPRS coordinates and send this information to an app on your smartphone every few seconds. Additionally, you can set up a safe walking zone radius. So, if while you're roasting marshmallows and sharing jokes with friends, your self-entertaining pup starts wandering beyond that boundary, you'll receive an instant notification.

Polaroid Go

Photo: Polaroid Go

Someone might ask: why bother using instant cameras when everyone has a smartphone in their pocket today? Firstly, this retro toy adds a cozy nostalgic touch to any picnic with friends. Secondly, the Polaroid Go is perfect for outdoor outings, as this mini version of the classic Polaroid Now camera weighs only 242 grams. Thirdly, a cartridge with 16 sheets of photo paper costs around $16. Therefore, you won't be taking snapshots to quickly fill up your storage with monotonous and uninteresting photos. Instead, you'll carefully choose angles, subjects, and compositions for each shot.

But the main charm of the Polaroid Go lies in that dopamine rush you experience when the photo is taken, and you have to wait for 10 minutes for the card with its signature white borders to fully develop, revealing the beautifully captured moment.

If you're planning to extend your summer by heading to warm southern countries, you'll definitely benefit from checking out the list of the coolest summer gadgets from a special selection by The Gaze.