What Items Should I Pack for the Beach? Our Must-Have Beach Items
Here is a guide of all of the things to bring to the beach. As avid beachgoers, we know pretty well what to pack for the beach. In fact, most of this stuff is in our car at all times, which makes it easy! But if I did forget something, I’d love to hear! The links in this article are affiliate links, meaning I get a small percentage of anything you purchase at no additional cost to you.
Beach Chair
We got our beach chairs from Costco last year and the same chairs on Amazon are pretty expensive. We have been through several beach chairs and these are our favorite. They have a little cooler attached to the back of the chair so you can carry your own food and drink without an extra bag and they also have backpack straps. Here is a link to our exact beach chairs and a similar, cheaper version can be found here.
And a matching umbrella
We went to the beach for years without an umbrella and in hindsight, I don’t know how. Once we got an umbrella, we started staying at the beach much longer because it makes such a big difference. I love the sun, but it really beats straight on you at the beach and the umbrella really helps block some of that. Since it’s usually just the two of us at the beach, the umbrella is sufficient, but if you’re going to have a bigger group then this is a really great alternative.
Beach Wagon
I can’t believe we’ve only had our wagon for a year. We asked for it for Christmas and it makes a trip to the beach so much easier. My only regret is not getting it earlier. It has multiple uses and can be used in so many ways, especially if you have kids, but we use it all the time. It’s a little hard to pull on the sand, but we prefer pulling a wagon on sand to carrying bags, chairs, coolers, and everything else that is necessary for a good beach day. We also love this wagon for its fatter wheels, but honestly people with this model struggle with it in the sand just as much as we do so I’m not sure if it makes a difference or not!
Natural Sunscreen
I actually have very sensitive skin and the mixture of extreme Florida heat and sunscreen used to give me an awful reaction. This sunscreen is my favorite but they don’t seem to make it anymore, so now I use sunscreen from Beautycounter. I use this on my face and then I use a cheaper, reef-safe option for the rest of my body.
Sunglasses
These are my favorite and they are on sale often. I have a horrible habit of losing my sunglasses, so they aren’t something that I splurge on.
A good beach bag
My friends bought me my beach bag a really long time ago, before I even lived at the beach! This thing has been through it all, and we love it. It’s still holding up very well even though we have had it for 8 years and go to the beach at least once a week. I think our bag is actually so old that it isn’t being sold anymore (which makes me really sad, I would have definitely bought a backup, I love it that much!) but this beach bag looks like a great alternative.
Something to play good music
While at the beach, one must listen to beach tunes! This is our speaker and we love it! It stays charged forever, gets loud enough, and is small enough to conveniently keep in our beach bag.
Cooler
We don’t bring a cooler to the beach very often anymore because our chairs have built in coolers, but if we are going to be at the beach for a long time, sometimes those coolers aren’t enough. When we do go all day, a cooler is a must.
Goggles and/or Snorkel Equipment
The beaches we typically frequent on the Gulf have beautiful clear waters, which make for great snorkeling as long as the water is smooth. When we first moved here, we used snorkel gear but found that we prefer goggles, honestly.
Garbage Sack
If we are going for a walk on the beach, we will bring a sack similar to this one. Plastic bags work, too, but if you are like me and try to use your reusable grocery bags, then you might not have any laying around.
Ice Water Holder
We each have a Yeti and they are great for beach days. We have the 36 ounce size and it always stays cold the entire time we’re at the beach.
Hat
I really like wearing a hat to the beach because it is an added layer of protection from the sun. I have several hats, but this one is my favorite beach hat for obvious reasons. I have it in grey.
Silicone Rings
We prefer to wear silicone rings. My husband actually lost his original wedding ring about a month after we got married because it slipped off when he was throwing a football on the beach (luckily, his wedding ring was cheap!) Here are silicone rings for women and for men.
