please recommend your picnic rug! Plus beach kit questions

[happynappies]

I need a new picnic rug - our old one bought from Argos a few years ago is threadbare and not big enough for the whole family now... I preferably want one that is plastic-backed, large, and not particularly keen on the fleece fabric ones. Anyone recommend theirs?

And while I'm here - do you use your picnic rug on the beach, or do you have something else that you use instead e.g. other blanket, rush-mats etc?

Also - I bought a UV sun-shelter thingy last year when ds was tiny for him to nap in on the beach. We all squeezed in but on warm days it was sweltering - am now wondering do we need a traditional windbreak to make more of an enclosure around the beach shelter... what do people do? What is the ideal beach set-up?

I use fleece blackets so no use to you

if you want shade you need the UV shelter plus a tilting parasol (Lidl £5.99 from Thursday)

if you want privacy and/or wind protection you need a windbreak

I m huntng a solution for sitting down to bf on thebeach wihout a) knackering my back or b) having to carry a chair...

Thanks MrsB - I'll have a look at the parasol, think I need everything! Can't really help with the bf solution - I got dh to carry my folding chair last year... could you lie down?!! Good luck!

mrsbadger... surely you just dig yourself a seat out of sand??

Re picnic blanket we have the stripy water resistant one from GLTC £30.

It's fantastic as it comes in a bag with a pocket(I keep suncream in) and is machine washable (crucial with my dc).

I think it's Australian,we've had ours for ages and it's as good as new,think they did a gingham one last year,they do a spot one this year too. I got fed up with the wooly plastic backed ones as they just decomposed over time in the wash.

Mrs Badger, would a wondawedge work for you?

www.amazon.co.uk/Wondawedge-Lounge-pillow-Relax-wedge/dp/B002FP5HUG

ooh interesting

was looking at this (though ££) or this sort of thing