Forget the Base Lodge Cafeteria, and Pack Your Own Ski-Picnic Feast

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- Of all the things Covid-19 is changing about our winter vacations, cramming into a base lodge cafeteria for self-serve burgers and chicken fingers is what we’ll miss the least.

Here’s a more memorable alternative, ideal for hosting a slopeside picnic or bringing the alpine experience indoors. We chose the finest mail-order products around, but consider it inspiration for your local grocer, too.

1. EKOBO Go Picnic serving set
Made of bamboo, this colorful 10-piece set nests into a neat bundle, with a lid that doubles as an anti-slip tray. $65 for a set of 10

2. Weatherproof Tech Roll-Top backpack
At just 2.4 pounds, this bag is easy to wear while you schuss down a mountain. It’s also made of a technical fabric that withstands moisture and bumps, in case you wipe out. $179

3. Teakwood Eats two-in-one food bowl
The same triple-walled thermal technology that keeps your drinks hot or cold for hours is shrunk into a cute, packable bowl. Use it for soup or (fruit) salad. $50

4. Mrs. London’s Bakery creamy tomato soup
Smooth tomato soup accompanied by lightly charred fire bread, courtesy of the beloved specialty bakery in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. $64 for 2½ quarts

5. Aahle Worscht pork salami
Based on a German cured salami, this Wisconsin-made sausage is produced from heritage breed pork, with a splash of rum and a warm, spicy flavor. $25

6. Cave-aged Rupert reserve cheese
A hard, additionally aged cow’s-milk cheese from a Vermont farm more than 150 years old gives off enticing flavors of bacon and butterscotch. $40 per pound

7. Gold cheese knives
Teak handles make this dainty trio feel especially sturdy—perfect for firm alpine cheeses. $45 for a set of three

8. Scotch eggs
From a Michigan-based gourmet store that specializes in Scottish products, this is upscale bar food: hard-boiled eggs wrapped in handmade sausage, with a cornflake crust. $24 for a pack of four

9. Soft, compostable bamboo napkins
A meal surrounded by nature should have such eco-minded touches as these biodegradable linens. From $32

10. Rosemary and thyme Tortas de Aceite crackers
These oversized crackers, handmade in Seville, Spain, are exceedingly light and flaky and flavored with herbs and olive oil. $16.95 for a pack of 12

11. Water-resistant Roll‑Up Blanket
The wool side keeps you warm if you set it on the snow, while the nylon backing is easy to wipe down. Roll it up, attach its leather handle to a carabiner, and put it on your backpack for all-day portability—even on the slopes. $149

12. Pecan crisps
Made in North Carolina, these crispy, buttery cookies evoke a bite-sized pecan pie. Owner Tonya Council also makes chocolate- and white chocolate-drizzled options. $9 for 6 ounces

13. La Parisienne drinking chocolate
Unconventional confectioner Vosges makes this deeply flavored, vanilla-accented hot chocolate. There’s also a Mexican-spiced version. $18 for 8 ounces

14. Sowden insulated bottle
Leave it to Danish designers to create a thermos that doesn’t look pulled out of the ‘90s. It’ll keeps your beverage hot for a full 12 hours. $35

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