Growing up, my family absolutely loved the beach, whereas I mostly associated it with lugging a lot of gear and eating sand-filled sandwiches. Now that I have my own kids, and I see how much they enjoy collecting seashells, digging for creatures, and splashing in the waves, I’ve gained slightly more appreciation for sun and sand. We still schlep all of the standards: chairs, coolers, umbrellas, and so on, but I’ve found that it’s truly the little things that make the biggest difference.
Hair ties
Why is it that something that costs just pennies is the most crucial item to bring? Many people with long hair hate having a hot mess on the back of their neck on a 100-degree day. I always have several Goody Ouchless Braided Hair Elastics, one of my staff favorites from our favorite hair ties roundup, in my bag because my kids will inevitably need one as well.
Ice-filled water bottle
I carry two double-walled tumblers to the beach: one filled with water and one filled with ice. That way, I can access clean cubes whenever I need them instead of that loose ice that’s knocking around a dirty cooler. The Takeya Actives (22 ounce), one of our top picks from our water bottle guide (or better yet, the 40- or 64-ounce version) has a wide mouth so you can fill it to the brim with cubes, and it will keep its contents cold for hours.
Sun hat
I used to be partial to visors so I could top-knot my hair and keep it off my neck, but after one-too-many hairline burns and the resulting dandruff-like flaking, I now grab whatever hat is around to protect my precious scalp. The Columbia Bora Bora II Booney has UPF 50 fabric, a 3-inch brim, and a sweatband was among the most breathable we tested, according to our guide to sun hats for hikers.
Portable phone charger
Trying to find your friends on a crowded beach is an exercise in frustration. Trying to find your friends on a crowded beach with a dead cell phone is nearly impossible. Our top pick Zendure SuperMini 20W from our guide to portable chargers is the smallest and lightest 10,000 mAh power bank we’ve tested, has multiple ports and comes in multiple fun colors. I keep my charger in a plastic bag to keep the sand out.
Phone lanyard
It’s ironic that this Hiearcool Universal Waterproof Phone Case lanyard, which comes with a locking top to protect your phone from sand and salt, has cool in the name because I feel decidedly uncool when I wear it. But that doesn’t matter because it helps keep my $800 electronics damage-free. For more gear our staff loves, see favorite things to bring to the beach.
This article was edited by Christine Ryan and Ben Frumin.
