What should you pack for a picnic?
Short answer: 21 items, from A ball or frisbee for downtime through to torch if you're staying past sunset. The complete Picnic checklist is written out below — and the exact same 21 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The Picnic checklist — all 21 items
- A ball or frisbee for downtime
- Bottle opener or corkscrew
- Bottled water
- Cash for an ice cream van or nearby shop
- Check the weather and a backup wet-weather plan
- Chilly bin packed bottom-up: ice, then drinks, then food
- Cooler bag with ice packs
- First aid basics — plasters and antihistamine
- Hand sanitiser or wet wipes
- Hat for everyone
- Insect repellent
- Napkins or paper towels
- Picnic blanket or rug
- Plates, cups, cutlery that don't need washing
- Portable speaker
- Rubbish bag (pack it in, pack it out)
- Shade — umbrella, gazebo, or picked-in-advance tree spot
- Spare plastic bag for wet togs or muddy shoes
- Sunscreen
- Tablecloth clips for a windy day
- Torch if you're staying past sunset
The picnic is a moveable feast with no kitchen behind it, and its failure modes are legendary in every family: the bottle opener that stayed home, warm drinks because the ice was theoretical, nothing to cut the cheese with, and wasps outnumbering napkins.
This basket list covers the infrastructure that makes the feast work: the chilly bin packed bottom-up with actual ice, plates, cups and cutlery that don't need washing, the bottle opener, rug and shade, wipes and the rubbish bag for leaving no trace, and the frisbee-tier entertainment. Pack against it in ten minutes and let the afternoon be as effortless as picnics pretend to be.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "bottle opener" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
What should you pack for a picnic?
You need 21 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from A ball or frisbee for downtime through to torch if you're staying past sunset — and the same 21 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=picnic opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this Picnic list (21 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.