This is without doubt the finest English picnic ever.
Can be delicately sliced (despite your earlier comments about plastic knives look for Swedish ‘Light My Fire’ Sporks) and seasoned with mustard of just bitten into.

If you really want the ice cream, pack it separately in a small igloo cooler and pack dry ice around it (Ralphs Grocery Stores sells it, but you have to ask for it specificly, it’s locked up. And don’t touch it, it will burn). The stuff lasts for hours. Plus when your done with it, throw it in water for bubbly fun. A trip to the ice cream shop after a day in the sun is work and while everyone has had a great time, they’re a little tired and ready to go home.

Also, I disagree on the tuna and egg salad sami’s. These are my family’s favorites, just wait to assemble them once you’re at your destination like Mer said so that your bread doesn’t get soggy and your cheese doesn’t melt. I also pack lots of different fixins so that everyone can build their own the way they like it. Avacado, tomatos, lettuce, sliced olives, pickles, cheese, all pre prepped in their own containers are great for a larger group so that everyone is happy.

Another no mention (GASP) for those remote bbq’s….steak and shrimp shish kabobs, throw on some pineaple, sweet onion, and bell pepers in between the meat and drench with bbq sauce. Pile them up all preped and ready to cook (3 per person) and take a fish griller with you if you aren’t sure whether there’s an actual grill. Deeeeelish :)

Of course as Mer said, I always pack my food in an ice chest with wheels so I don’t really worry about my food going bad but I also don’t leave it out. I’m a, “It’s lunch time, come eat now or forever hold your piece” sort. I also freeze a few waters per person so that as the day goes on they can still have a nice cold drink. Happy picnicing!

A pasta salad with antipasto ingredients is another favorite, with cheeses, salami, olives, marinated artichokes, peppers, etc.

A picnic without watermelon is a travesty. But just about any kind of fruit (except bananas probably) is good.

And on and on. I like the sound of your bean and corn salad — my contribution to the next pot luck event, no doubt.

Yours sounds delicious too–maybe I’ll go for that one next time!

I agree that bean salad is a winner; I make it much as described, usually, and it can be eaten with chips or wrapped in a tortilla. I also make slaws out of whatever crunchy vegetables I have at the moment, just run them through the food processor and mix with basic dressing ingredients, seasonally. I like them better than lettuce for sandwiches, which we rarely make ahead of time, preferring to assemble on the spot.