Andrew James Picnic Set 4 Person Picnic Bag Backpack
Andrew James Picnic Set 4 Person Picnic Bag Backpack Rucksack with Bottle Cooler & Blanket with Waterproof Backing | 27 Piece Accessories Set Includes Plates Cutlery Glasses & Bottle Opener (Grey)
What’s Included With This Picnic Set?
This large, spacious 4 person picnic hamper backpack measures 30cm x 40cm x 20cm and has a 22L capacity. It includes:
- 4 Cutlery Sets consisting of a knife, fork and tablespoon made from stainless steel with blue plastic handles
- 4 durable plastic plates
- 4 plastic wine glasses
- 4 Napkins, Salt & pepper shakers, Butter Box
- Corkscrew / bottle opener
- Chopping Board
- Bottle cooler bag
- Fleece picnic blanket
What Else Can You Put In This Bag?
This rucksack has plenty of room for your picnic set and your food. The middle section contains pockets and straps to keep all your accessories organised and secure with a place for everything. The back section is ideal for storing your food and has plenty of space for your own food storage boxes and sandwiches bags. And when it comes to cleaning up afterwards, the zipped front section is ideal for storing hand wipes and tissues. You could even use the corded front to hold your map or walking guide to its easy to grab when you need to check directions.
| Weight: | 2.75 kg |
| Dimensions: | 30.5 x 19.5 x 41.5 cm; 2.75 Kilograms |
| Brand: | Andrew james |
| Model: | AJ001640 |
| Colour: | Grey |
| Dimensions: | 30.5 x 19.5 x 41.5 cm; 2.75 Kilograms |
We’ve been meaning to get one of these little rucksack hamper things for a while, and though we’ve not been able to use it due to weather so far this year, now the sun is starting to appear I think it’ll be getting plenty of use over the next couple of months.
It seems to have mixed reviews from 1 to 5 stars, so here’s my thoughts.
Initially I went to give it 5 stars. I like the feel of the rucksack, it felt sturdy and well made. And still does/. There were no obvious faults or bad stitching of seams or anything like that. The zips all work properly, nothing catches anywhere. So I’m happy with that part.
In my haste of “hamper” I hadn’t bargained on the tiny plates. Smaller than a standard side plate. Didn’t cross my mind, but then it’s advertised as a wine cooler rather than a hamper. So with that in mind I guess this isn’t really a picnic hamper, you’d probably use the plates to have some light snacks with your alcohol. You know the sort of thing – vol-au-vent – blini – cocktail sausage – that sort of affair. You certainly won’t be eating more than half a sandwich a couple of crisps from it in one sitting.
What you get in the set are 2 small plates, 2 knives, forks & spoons, a bottle opener/corkscew, salt & pepper shakers, 2 napkins and a blanket.
I haven’t measured the blanket, but it’s easily big enough for two people to sit comfortably on. It’s not the fluffiest of blankets, more feels like a felt blanket. but I pulled it and walked on it and jumped on and off of it on our lawn and it held up. It’s a little stiff but am sure I’ll soften up with use or a wash.
The crockery and cutlery feels durable. You’d have to apply a bit of pressure to bend the metal of the cutlery, so unless you’re cutting in to the toughest of pies you should be alright.
So why only 4 stars? Well, here it is for me – There’s a divider inside the bag so you can safely carry 2 bottles of wine or beverage of choice without them hitting each other. This however means there’s no room inside for the blanket. Thankfully there are two straps on the side of the bag so you can secure the blanket to the outside. And here’s where my frustrations began. The straps aren’t quite long enough, even with the blanket as tightly rolled as I could get it I had to fight with the straps to get them secured around the blanket, and when I did finally do it the straps are too short so they pull the blanket in to the bag, misshaping the bag and reducing the space within. Not impossible, but I know the blanket will end up living in the boot of the car and being carried.
You could fit one bottle in the rucksack with the blanket, but that seems to defeat the object of the coolbag element. Even if you wanted to pack some food with one bottle you’d still be limited. With two bottles of wine you wouldn’t get much food in there, but i reckon I could slide a slim ice pack in there with some cocktail sausage rolls and a scotch egg or two! It’s not a massive issue at all, I’m just impatient and I’d like to be able to use the bag as it’s clearly intended. Another 3-4 inches on those side straps and it would have been marvellous. But that’s lost it a star for me.
This little bag has a nice premium feel and includes plates, glasses (albeit plastic), cutlery and salt/pepper shakers, napkins and most importantly a bottle opener/corkscrew so you have everything you need for a small picnic. The quality is reasonable for the price although the corkscrew feels a little cheap and I’d worry might break if tackling a particularly challenging bottle. The cool section has space for a couple of bottles or maybe one bottle and a small picnic. It’s not really big enough for a lot of food – but it’s not advertised as such – just about right for 2 people. The picnic rug is decent enough with a waterproof backing and rolls up so can be attached to the side of the bag with the loops provided. All in, good value and nicely made.