Picnic basket

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A typical picnic setup with picnic basket.

A picnic basket or picnic hamper is a basket intended to hold food and tableware for a picnic meal. Picnic baskets are standard equipment at many picnics.

While the basic concept of a picnic basket is quite simple, some picnic baskets sold by gourmet stores are quite large and elaborate, with insulated compartments to hold hot and cold foods, and dishware including wine glasses and porcelain plates which are secured in pockets along with items of cutlery, condiments, corkscrew etc. Many modern picnic baskets also have a special storage section to hold a bottle of wine, the traditional beverage brought along to intimate picnics. Some modern picnic baskets come with detachable blankets (to sit on) as well.