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Maybe it's worth investing in a vintage picnic basket that has places to secure all the dishes and silverware so that they don't get broken. I had a nice little suitcase-sized box that had everything, even places for salt and pepper.

Picnic for two - why not?

Picnic for 10 - no way.

I have a little picnic basket for two that has a large table cloth that can but used as a blanket, two real plates, two real glasses (stemmed wine glasses which can double for non alcoholic beverages), a set of flatware, and a corkscrew. I keep a couple of very large ziplock bags in there where I can put dirty dishes to be taken home and washed later. It's great! We picnic a lot more since I assembled it.

We were given a great canvas/aluminum frame picnic basket for a first anniversary present. It came with wineglasses and plates, but we also added our car camping plates for serving dishes. We can easily feed up to 4 or 5 people from this basket. (including food and ice packs). It's well-constructed, so it's very easy to carry.

If more than that want to come to the picnic, it's time to start thinking potluck. Each person brings their own plates, and we all bring a dish to share.

I have a set of light weight melamine dishes I got last summer. They are just as light as paper plates but reusable. I use them all the time for picnics. I think they're a great substitute. Plus they wont break.

Suggest some sources! We are picnicing weekly with out little girl and her friends, and I am hunting for lightweight reusables that can be tossed in a backpack or tote. There are some cute and pricey options out there, but I need something recession-priced. Anybody got a favorite source?

I've got an old-timey picnic basket with enough re-usables for four and I used it last week for a picnic for two with the pup in tow! http://kitchengraffiti.blogspot.com/2009/05/summer-picnic.html

A friend gave all of us bridesmaids a picnic backpack as a gift! It's fabulous, and much easier to tote up the hill than a basket. It came with a set of 4 plates, glasses, silverware, and napkins, a tablecloth, and a special insulated section and a insulated pouch for a wine bottle. Everything is tied down with elastic straps so it doesn't bang around. It makes going on a picnic so easy.

If needed I supplement with re-usable lightweight camping/backpacking gear. I have some seriously old-skool silverware from the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts that are designed with pegs and holes so it all sticks together. Backpacking and camping gear is usually lightweight aluminum. You can often find it at garage/porch sales, flea markets or thrift stores.

My mom and her partner have a suitcase-style basket with lots of space and the straps to secure everything down and place setting for four. There's lots of room for food and other stuff in the basket as the dishes/silverware secure to the lid. They also have this neat collapsible aluminum picnic table that fits in a bag with a strap for carrying.

I split the difference by getting a bunch of reusable Recycline Preserve plates & cups for a 20 person BBQ I was hosting. They're great b/c you can buy a large quantity (I found them at Whole Foods), they're light but not flimsy, they're washable/reusable, and ultimately you can recycle them. http://www.preserveproducts.com/products/tableware.html

I got my reusables at cost plus world market on sale. I think even regularly they are pretty cheap though and come in packs of four.