Beach-Day Essentials to Pack in the Car
With temperatures heating up and the school year close to being done, you might be thinking it’s time to plan a day or days at the beach. Before you get swept away in fun-in-the sun daydreams, you should pause and focus on some boring logistics, like planning and packing for your adventure.
Fill a cooler with snacks and drinks
All the fun you and your family are going to have in the sun will surely zap everyone’s energy (probably faster than you thought possible). Help prevent meltdowns from hunger with plenty of snacks and drinks. Water, juice, or other favorite drinks will stay cold in a cooler. Pack sandwiches, fruit, and your family’s favorite snacks so you can minimize expensive trips to the snack shop or cutting your adventure short to go get food.
Pack a beach bag with the essentials
Fill your beach bag to the brim with health- and safety-focused items such as sunglasses, sunscreen, sun hats, and a first aid kit. Water shoes or sandals can help protect your feet on hot sand or rocky shorelines. Don’t forget towels and cover ups. A beach blanket, beach chairs, and a portable umbrella or tent can help you create a comfortable oasis in the sand.
To make sure items that can’t get wet don’t, pack a separate dry bag if your beach bag doesn’t have a special section, advises U.S. News & World Report writer Holly Johnson.
Tote some entertaining items
Make the most of playing in the sand with a few toys like pails, shovels, and molds. A Frisbee or ball is great for catch in the water or near the water’s edge. For downtime, tote along your e-reader or favorite book or magazine.
Prep the car with emergency kit
In addition to the standard emergency equipment like jumper cables, cell phone battery, portable charger, first aid kit, and tools, make sure your vehicle’s emergency kit is stocked with seasonal-specific items. You’ll want to restock non-perishables, bottled water, rainwear, and sunscreen.
Make sure your day at the beach is fun, safe, and memorable with some pre-planning and smart packing.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.