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5 Beach Day Essentials

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A photo of a woman in the water on a pool float.

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All you want to do is lay out on a beach, take a dip in the water and have a nice relaxing beach getaway. Sounds easy, but a fun weekend can have a few snags if you’re not prepared. If you think sand is coarse, rough, irritating and gets everywhere, you’re not living your best beach life. No need to get all burned up when you could have had your chosen getaway with a little help. Here are some tips that will make your beach trip a cool and refreshing adventure.

1) Sunscreen, Hat, Sunglasses, Zinc, Aloe

Protect your skin! A great day can turn into a painful one if you don’t take the time to cover up. Nothing is worse than having to go on a search engine to find out if oatmeal will help make the sun burn go away. Take time to make sure if you don’t have a cover-up and/or hat, that you have sunscreen. I know I sound like a parent but trust me, no one gets a bad sunburn8 then has a great evening on vacation. So be safe with your skin and carry some Aloe to soothe and moisturize. It is not just for sunburn. Now that we have gone over the important stuff we can get to the fun stuff.

2) Beach Towels, Chairs or Blankets

Here’s a shocking thing to find out, sand gets hot. The floor might feel like lava but that doesn’t mean you can’t lay out and enjoy the sun. Make sure you have your towels for drying off, something to lay on (chair, blanket, towels) and extras because you know as well as I do, one of the good towels is going to get wet. The biggest goal for laying down is to put as much space between the burning sand and you. After you get comfy and start on your tan, remember the sand is still hot, so no one will judge you running on your tiptoes, we all do it.

3) Flip Flops

So simple, but so important for the beach. Whether traveling to get hot dogs or showering off all the sand, you need a good pair of flip flops. It’s what takes you from running across the sand to calmly walking across the entire beach, that is until your flipflop flies off your foot and you have to hop on one leg to grab the other. For a bonus tip, keep an extra pair of shoes in an airtight plastic bag in, so you have a sand free pair of shoes for the walk off the beach.

4) Cooler or cooler bag

If you’re on the beach, it’s probably a hot day. It’s important to stay hydrated, and if you want the coolest drinks possible, you’re going to need a good cooler or cooler bag. A cooler bag is great for, not only drinks, but keeping snacks and food cool during your trip. If you are out in the heat running, swimming and sunbathing you’re going to need a kick of energy so make sure you have snacks and sandwiches ready for lunchtime.

5) Toys and Games

Some of the best vacation memories are having fun on the beach. Having beach balls to throw around, shovels and buckets to create sandcastles, or even a ball or frisbee to throw around and turn a day of relaxing into a fun day for the whole family. Getting a tan and taking a dip in the water is great but what makes a beach weekend the most memorable is the time you have with the people around you. Take these moments to create memories and have fun.

Make sure to double check for everything you need for your beach trip before you go. Sit back enjoy the sun and try and get there early so you get a good spot on the sand.

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JR Perez

Written by

JR Perez

Jr. Perez is from The Bronx, NY and grew up on public transit. He loves traveling the U.S looking for good food and vintage action figures.