Entertaining

The Ultimate Picnic Backpack

Combine style and adventure with the crowd-sourced Excursion Co Ultimate Picnic Backpack.

By Josie Gleave
The Ultimate Picnic Backpack
It was a love of the outdoors that led Surry Hills marketer-turned-designer Ben Juzwin to launch a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign for his Excursion Co brand's first product, The Ultimate Picnic Backpack. "The idea for Excursion Co came about through frustration with the lack of options for practical and cool gear that I personally want to use," says Juzwin. The result is a durable, stylish and, at 4.2kgs, lightweight picnic set designed with ease in mind.
The Ultimate Picnic Backpack
With a background in design, branding and strategy, Juzwin spotted a gap in the market and developed a good-looking backpack incorporating an 18-litre cold storage compartment with moveable dividers for storing all kinds of picnic drinks and food, a woven waterproof-backed rug, a pair of hand-dipped enamel plates and tumblers, sturdy cutlery, a cheese knife, a bottle opener and a beechwood serving board that also lends structure to the back of the pack.
When you're ready to head home, washable sleeves allow you to pack away dirty dishes with minimal mess. And to withstand picnics for years to come, Juzwin used durable, water-resistant waxed canvas for the bag, which he says will age with grace. "The more you use it the better it looks."
The Ultimate Picnic Backpack
Of all the features in the pack, Juzwin is particularly proud of the washable canvas cutlery roll, which protects the cutlery, keeping the inside of the pack clean, and also doubles as a tea towel.
The Ultimate Picnic Backpack will be available in camel or navy - just add cheese, baguettes and wine, and you're good to go. 
Excursion Co's Ultimate Picnic Backpack, $349, excursionco.com