September 6, 2022
You can almost feel the fresh seabreeze kiss your cheek – vacation is just a short wait away. If you’re anything like me, your beach bag might as well be trucked down with a mini-Uhaul trailer. But, over the years, I’ve learned that maybe not all of that stuff is necessary. So, I’ve picked out our top 10 beach bag essentials (plus maybe a few more things we couldn’t pass up!)
"Isn’t it strange, the way time moves? I could stand here and watch the sea crash beneath me for hours and it would feel like only minutes had passed." - Sjana Elise Earp
The Bogg® bag is hands down one of my favorite investments of all time. I have 2 different sizes and have found that if it’s just me going to the beach for a few hours, the small Baby Bogg® is plenty fine. However, if we’re loading up the family, the big Original Bogg® is first up. First off, quality – this bag can handle a load like something you’ve never seen. It’s not your typical grocery bag that will rip and tear by the time you walk 20 steps. It’s durable AND it is so stinkin’ easy to clean! When I get home, I empty the contents and run the bag under the water spigot outside to wash off all the sand. Buyer beware: there are some knock-off brands for this bag that may not have the same quality. We love supporting this small business – read their story here.
We once overlooked this small amenity often, and after a few day trips, it easily became a staple in our beach bag. Whether you bring a few standard garbage bags, or even some grocery bags from the store, you’ll use them. Remember, for the safety of our marine wildlife and experience for other humans just like you, it’s important we keep our beaches clean, dark, and flat.
Even if you don’t have children with you, baby wipes can be an awesome essential for the beach. Clean up spills, wipe the chips off your fingers, and even make sure your face is sand and lunch-free with these little wipes. I’ll be honest, we travel with baby wipes everywhere we go, even if it’s not the beach!
As a child, I loathed when my parents would turn me white as a ghost with this awkward-smelling spray/lotion. I felt like an alien running around with a highly-visible shield all over me. Fast-forward to adulthood, and now I won’t spend more than 15 minutes on the beach without sunscreen. But, I made sure to find some great-smelling product that’s also not harmful to humans – Sun Bum. They have all sorts of products from true sunscreen, to tanning lotion, hair lightener, lip balm, and hair products. It smells like vacation, and often, the bold smell of bananas makes me want to lick the air right after I give myself a good spray down. Safety first – remember, if you burn on day 1, the rest of your vacation will be painful. Literally.
Nothing is better than popping up your feet and kicking back to your favorite jams. Remember to be respectful of other families around you – not everyone loves country charm or reggae rock. We have a few different speakers, all small in size. My favorites are JBL’s ones that have clips so they don’t actually take up any space in the bag and can easily move around without getting tossed in the sand. Getting sand out of every other place imaginable is already enough fun.
The sun is hot (news alert!), and so will your phone be after a short while. The sun will drain your battery quicker, especially if you have jams on and are posting epic photos of your BE vacation. Any back-up charger will do, but I especially love our HALO charger that doubles as a car charger in the event your battery dies – another Pro Travel Tip from our own vacations!
Say no more. They can hold snacks and phone chargers; they can serve as a barrier so your phone doesn’t get sand and water dripped all over it (think of your phone at the bottom of your Bogg® bagg with the kiddos lurking overhead – salty hair dripping into the depths of the bag, and without doubt, sandy hands digging in to find treasure. Or, maybe you want to take a few seashells home without getting lost and crushed. Seriously, zip lock bags are a lifesaver.
No, you don’t need to bring 50 thousand toys – kids can be entertained with just a few simple items. Whether it’s a football or sand castle set, a magazine, or a book, bring something that all ages can get into. Or, if you’re like me, just sleep!
This is a weird one, I know, but it seriously works. Paintbrushes get the sand out of all the little crevices so much quicker than anything else. You can also use baby powder. Check out this blog post from Swim Guide for more vacation tips.
Last but not least, no day at the beach is complete without a beach towel. I’m personally not a fan of the normal towels and prefer something that’s more compact, quicker to dry, and downright super cute: the Tesalate towel. They come in 2 different sizes, and since I somehow always roll in the sand, I purchased the XL one. The colors are so vibrant, and it’s seriously so easy to shake off, fold, and roll before heading in.
And, that’s a wrap! I can load up my backpack beach chair, my cooler and my Bogg® beach bag, and be set for the day. I hope these little hacks help you and your family. If you have any cool additions to the list, please share!
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