Beach Bag Essentials

Whether you are planning to camp out on the beach allll day long, or come and go from your designated spot, you want to be prepared! So today, I am going to share my beach bag essentials with you! Over the years of our beach vacations, I have decided that these items are what make a good beach bag….so let’s take a look!

1. A Good Beach Bag. Everyone has a different definition of what a good bag is. My bag needs to have large, sturdy shoulder straps so I can carry it easily. I also prefer a larger bag, so I can distribute the weight easily. I adore my Large Organizing Bag from thirty-one. It’s huge and has a hard rimmed top so that it doesn’t fall in on itself. Also, I can fit A LOT of stuff in this bag! Paring it down to one bag is essential for me.  These bags also wipe off easily, and the sand doesn’t stick to them.

2. Beach Towels. I love the super plush, super-sized towels, but no one else in my family seems to care. Good towels are important because I typically use one to cover my chair when I am sitting in it. Also, our kiddos like to have picnics, and sit down to grab a quick snack on the beach.  This gives them plenty of space to all sit, relax, and then head off to have more fun. I also find them to be handy when you have littles, and you need to create a place for them to rest under the beach umbrella and keep them out of the sun.

3. A Zippered Pouch or Ziploc Type Bags. Our local stores carry large pouches made for swimsuits. They sort of look like oversized pencil pouches! While these are great, I find that gallon ziplocs work as well. I keep smaller essentials in these, such as sunblock, aspirin, mints, band aids, etc.  It keeps it all in one place, and if necessary, I have something to put wet or messy clothes in at the end of the day.  My kids even find so many “treasures” on the beach…and ziploc bags are a great way to corral those to bring back to the beach house.

4. Sunscreen/Sunblock and Aloe. This probably goes without saying, but it is always in our beach bag.  Lathering up with sunscreen before leaving the beach house is great, but it doesn’t last all day. We reapply every few hours. And, I also have a few SPF levels in our bag, if I feel we need more intense protection. Being in and out of the water, using towels, and just general exposure to the elements causes your sunblock to lose its protection, so I make sure it is in our bag at all times. Also, I tend to use different SPF on different family members.  Or, when the kids were babies, I used different sunblock than they did.

If we have a long day at the beach, I inevitably miss a spot or forget to reapply. Having a cooling gel of some sort is always handy. Also, when we are taking a small break under an umbrella, it is a good way to replenish our skin before adding more sunblock for the remainder of the day.

5. Cell Phone Necessities. If we have a long day at the beach, I inevitably am using my phone to take photos, post to social, or read. Make sure you pack an external charger and your charging cord for your phone.  Otherwise, you’ll be going back with a dead battery!

6. Baby Powder. My secret weapon. Baby powder gets rid of sand stuck in every crevice with ease! I’m amazed how much sand gets stuck on the kids, or when they were little….in their swim diapers. It works to get sand out from between your toes, too.

7. Sunglasses or a Sun Hat. Even if I’m reading a book, sunglasses are essential for me.  I never, ever leave the beach house without them.  My husband prefers to not have the “raccoon” look from wearing sunglasses, So, sometimes he will wear a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun off his face. Plus, they are so darn cute on the babies, who can’t keep sunglasses on their faces!

8. Sand Toys. Buckets, shovels, cups, molds….all these fun things go into the beach bag. Regardless of age, at one time or another our kids are burying each other or otherwise playing in the sand.  Along with goggles and boogie boards, we make sure there is something fun to play with!

9. Cover Up. To help stay warm and cover up some, my girls and I all have a swim cover up. The house my parents choose to rent is very close to a small ice cream shop and a diner.  So we will often find ourselves headed to one of those while on the beach.  I like to have cover ups handy for my daughter and I, as well as t-shirts for the boys so we can cover up a bit before we enter the ice cream shop or diner.  Also, often our cover ups will have small sleeves on them, so our shoulders are covered and we can get a little extra relief from the sun.

10. Hair Care. I always pack a sun protectant/detangler as well as a comb. We aren’t trying to be super models, but keeping my hair brushed and out of my face makes it easier to take care of later in the day.  Plus, we take pictures while on the beach ~ and I at least want us to look somewhat presentable.  Also, having a few hair ties helps us keep our hair out of our face when we are walking on the beach and it is windy.

What are your must have beach bag essentials?