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Ward off germs, bugs, too much sun on your picnic

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By Amelia Robinson, Staff Writer Updated 5:55 PM Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Remember the old days when all you needed for a picnic was a checkered blanket, cutlery, and a few beverages, sandwiches, chips and salads? You’d unpack your wicker basket and sit on the blanket to enjoy lunch under the sun.

Well, no more.

Modern convenience — or inconvenience depending how you look at it — have made today’s picnic baskets much heavier. You’ll likely need a trip to the store before that picnic.

You just can’t go outside without gear. Here are few essentials you’ll need for a picnic in the park when you are not the least bit interest in roughing it:

Hand sanitizer

Nature sure can be dirty. Many alcohol-based instant sanitizers are considered a good substitute for soap to kill common bacteria and viruses before you dig into lunch. Check the alcohol content on the label. The most effective alcohol-based sanitizers have 60 percent to 95 percent ethanol or isopropanol concentrate, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Travel toilet paper

Charmin To Go bathroom rolls cost about $1 a roll and can come in handy if the squirrels have used all the TP in the park’s rest rooms. Surely you wouldn’t want to have to resort to leaves. And companies like Cottonelle sell flushable moist wipes in travel packs for about $1 for 10 wipes. It might be overkill, but travel toilet seat covers are also available at some drug stores.

Bug repellent

Because of West Nile virus fears and the carriers’ painful bite, some consider mosquitoes enemy number one in the summer. Most experts agree that insect repellents containing DEET offer the best protection against mosquitoes and wicked pests like ticks. A good alternative to a DEET repellent is the DEET-free Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard. The one with SPF 30 sunscreen lotion is regularly about $14 a bottle at Avon.com.

Sunscreen

To help reduce the risk of skin cancer, even on hazy or overcast days, the American Cancer Society recommends the use of sunscreen and lip balm with an SPF of 15 or higher. It also recommends the use of wide-brimmed hats and wrap sunglasses with 99 percent to 100 percent UV absorption. For more advice, visit www.cancer.org.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2384 or arobinson@coxohio.com.

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