The 13 Beach Bag Essentials You Don't Want to Forget!

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Beach Bag Essentials

I recently polled my best beach-going friends and asked them to answer this question, “I’m going to the beach and I will cry if I forget to toss _________ in my beach bag!! So before you hit the beach this year, take a look through this list of Beach Bag Essentials and pack your beach bag accordingly.

Pair of Sunglasses

1. Sunglasses – Sure, sounds like a no-brainer, until you forget to pack them. I have done this before and let’s just say it took my beach enjoyment from optimal to the pits. Sunny beach days pretty much require sunglasses.

Hat

2. Hat – Baseball or floppy or any style in between, hats give wonderful protection from the sun. Toss a hat into your beach bag for extra coverage for your head.

Flip Flops or Sandals

3. Flip Flops or Sandals – Protect your feet from the hot sand and sidewalk with shoes that are lightweight and water proof. My top pick? Custom Fit Sandals from Fit My Foot! Why? We have all suffered through summers of cheap, flat flip flops and sandals that offer absolutely zero arch support for our feet. Experience the ultimate summer shoe that looks super cute while supporting your feet. Fit My Foot Custom Fit Sandals are designed with custom arch support measured to your exact feet.

If you don’t want to go the custom route but still crave supportive flip flops with nice arch support, I love Vionic brand and Archie’s footwear flip flops. I have 1 pair of Vionics and 3 pairs of Archies!!

Baby Powder for Easy Sand Removal

4. Baby Powder – No, I’m not talking about chafing! Did you know that regular old baby powder helps to remove sand from your skin? This hack works great for all ages.

Lip Balm or Chapstick

5. Lip Balm – That salty sea air sure does smell good. It also does a number on your skin, including your lips. Always make sure you throw some lip balm in your beach bag.

Insulated Water Bottle

6. Water bottle with VERY cold water – Have you tried these stainless steel vacuum insulated water bottles yet? They are fantastic! They really do a great job keeping water nice and chilly.

Sunscreen

7. Sunscreen – Pick your poison and lather up every couple of hours. I usually apply my first coat before heading to the beach, then re-apply as necessary once I’m there.

Snacks

8. SNACKS!! What are your fave snacks to take to the beach? I love fresh fruit and then usually something salty like chips or pretzels.

Reading Material

9. Books, magazines and/or Kindle Reader – Don’t forget that if you have Amazon Prime, you can download free books from their massive Prime Library!! (If you don’t have Prime, you can get a FREE 30-day no obligation trial here.)

Air Pods or Headphones

10. Headphones – Bring some headphones so you can take in the scenery while listening to your favorite jams on your phone.

Large Beach Towel

11. Oversized Beach Towel – Even if you bring a chair to the beach to sit on, towels come in handy for all sorts of things. The bigger the better!

Plastic Bags for snacks, wet bags, and keeping things safe from the water

12. Plastic Bags – If you have followed any of my travel posts over the years, you know that I puffy heart Ziploc bags in a variety of sizes. Beach trips are no exception! Pack some gallon bags for wet bags to hold wet bathing suits and goggles. Pack some sandwich size bags to portion out snacks or even to hold your phone or other items you want to keep safe from sand and water.

Hair brush and ponytail holders

13. Hair Brush and Extra Hair Ties – Have a brush on hand for those sea swept tangles! I highly recommend a Wet Brush – they are consistently the only brushes that can tackle my and Lily’s thick hair.

BONUS item: Evian Mineral Water Facial Spray – Oh. If you have not tried this, it is an absolute MUST! Our Concierge Host on our last Disney Cruise introduced me to this spray and let me assure you – after a day spent soaking in the sun, this spray is the most glorious pick-me-up out there!! LOVE!