So, when it comes to picnic season, I don’t suddenly become one of those people who’s got a perfect checkered blanket and a color-coded cooler ready to go. That’s not my vibe. But I do like being prepared in a way that still feels easy. Like, I don’t want to be flustered packing up food to take outside—whether it’s the park, the porch, or just opening the windows and pretending I went somewhere.

Everything I’m sharing here is stuff I’ve actually used and liked. It’s not a random list. I picked each thing based on what I’ve needed when I’m trying to make summer food feel a little less chaotic. I don’t buy pre-packaged snacks, so a lot of this is about containers and tools that help me bring my own stuff without everything leaking, crumbling, or making me feel like I need ten hands just to carry it all.

And I’m not lugging giant coolers around either—I go for small, foldable, functional things. The goal is to feel put together without overdoing it. Like, reusable snack bags that don’t take up space, a jar that won’t spill dressing all over your bag, or even just a tiny cast iron pan that I can throw something in and pop in the oven earlier in the day and pack it up later without a mess. I like pieces that move easily from kitchen to outside without needing a whole system to make them work.

These are all products that I’ve used myself, things I know make sense for the way I prep, bake, and pack food. If you’re looking for stuff that doesn’t make picnic season feel like a full production, these are the five I’d recommend starting with.