With the Fourth of July less than 24 hours away, people across the country are gearing up for family picnics and backyard barbecues - events as characteristic of the summer holiday as fireworks blasting into the night sky. But with friends, uncles and uninvited guests on the prowl for salads, dips and brew, it’s important to have the right supplies to keep your Fourth of July party cool.
A good place to start is at keepyourcooler.com , a Web site packed to the gills with all types of novel coolers. For wilder Fourth of July crowds, the Radio Speaker Cooler Bag (pictured) might be the way to go. Reminiscent of an 80s boom box, this cooler features two large speakers and a jack that allows a person to connect a CD or MP3 player. The cooler also includes a small pocket for storage of an iPod. With a 20-can capacity, a good host can carry this puppy on a shoulder while serving up cocktails and a little Run-D.M.C. For a cooler with a radio option, there’s also the Musicooler from California Innovations. This cooler comes in a number of different sizes and styles – including collapsible and rolling versions.
A slightly quieter cooler for all the grill masters out there is the Barbecue Cooler with Accessories . Not just a cooler, this unit also includes a pocket that contains three stainless-steel BBQ tools, along with a cutting board, cheese knife, corkscrew, salt and pepper shakers, and a protective mitt. But if you plan on doing your Fourth of July grilling in a parking lot before a baseball game, you might want to grab the Tailgating Cooler with Grill instead. This cooler actually includes a fold-out grill that fits inside. It also comes with a large spatula, tongs and a BBQ fork.
For more low-key holiday revelers, there’s the Picnic Backpack Cooler for 4 . Perfect for a romantic evening watching fireworks, this easy-to-carry, pretty-to-look-at, blue-denim cooler has an insulated main compartment for food and beverages and a wine pouch on the side. The front of this cooler opens to reveal a full picnic set, including plates, silverware, glasses, napkins, a corkscrew and salt and pepper shakers. And, for those looking to relax in the pool all day, the clear choice is the Big Bobber Floating Cooler . Shaped like, you guessed it, a fishing bobber, this insulated cooler can hold 12 cans and will hover on the surface of the water keeping ice-cold beverages at your fingertips.
