What to Pack for Your Next Chill Beach Vacay
Dudes, I know that this blog post title sounds pretty lame. BUT - hear me out - the best kind of beach trip is a chill beach trip. And it is the only kind of beach vacay that I can give you packing tips for because you will never catch me on a stressed beach vacay. (Bye).
Dusky shore; Emerald Isle, NC 2019
1) Effective Towel(s)
Before you even think about whether or not you have a swimsuit that you don’t hate (am I projecting?), you need to ask yourself: do you have an effective towel??? Like ACTUALLY. Because that threadbare floral terrycloth towel that your Mom gave you in high school is not gonna cut it. You want something that’s a) big enough to lay on and b) relatively absorbent.*
Do not settle for a skimpy towel that barely encompasses the length/width of your torso!! Get yourself a luxurious-ass extra-large beach towel that can accommodate you, your water bottle, your books, your sunscreen, and your beach coverup. (At the least!)
*Relatively because a camp towel that will dry quickly and be easier to pack does not feel good on your skin and involves a prolonged dab-and-swipe method that never leaves you feeling properly dry. But you do get dry enough and then you can quickly pack up and move on. Which can be worth it.
2) Obvious Essentials
This section really requires minimal elaboration. Pack your dang swimsuit(s), your sunglasses, your sunscreen, some aloe, and maybe a sunhat (if it won’t be too windy). Protect yourself from the sun and wear swim gear. These are the obvious things you should pack for your beach trip. I am sorry to even waste time mentioning such things.
My typical beach essentials; Emerald Isle, NC 2022
3) Sandals
Bring! Sandals! Wear sandals! On the beach! Do not pretend to be brave and scorch your feet at 2 PM as you walk back to your accommodation when the sand has absorbed the heat of a thousand suns. Your sandals will keep your tender feet from pain. WEAR THEM. Take this from me, a Florida gal who pretends that she’s a beach expert. I hate shoes but I hate burning my feet on the sand even more.
If you’re on a volcanic beach with black sand??? Well, you’re totally screwed without sandals. I am sorry about your second-degree burns.
4) Reusable Water Bottle
Baking in the sun on your towel? Snoozing in the sand? Bobbing in the waves? I’m sorry to inform you of this truth but - you’re going to be at least mildly dehydrated. Please bring some freaking water so that you don’t dry up into a crispy shell of yourself and pass out. That is not chill.
Emmett and I reading on the beach; Emerald Isle, NC 2021
5) Some High-Quality Reading Material
Ok, this category is very subjective. I personally pick weird shit as my beach reading material. I’ll do anything from some serious non-fic, to some commercial chick-lit, to literary novels I never read in college, to poetry collections. Whatever floats your boat! If it’s on your to-be-read list, bring that book with you and subject it to your sunscreen-greased paws and every iota of sand on the beach. You’ll never forget how you read Dune on the beach in New Zealand.
6) A Cooler
Whether you like to imbibe in alcoholic beverages or not, a cooler is a solid choice. Keep your ESSENTIAL water bottle in your cooler, throw in some juioce, sodas (or some brews!) and you are ready to hang all day. Drink all you want; the ocean is your toilet, babies.
Cheers to chilling; Emerald Isle, NC 2021
7) A shirt
Full disclosure: I like to strut down the boardwalk in my swimsuit only. It is hot and I don’t want to wear clothes. Isn’t that the point of going to the beach??? But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t bring a shirt. Though I have an olive skintone, I still burn at least once or twice a year and I will need that shirt to keep me from worsening my burn as I read in the sand or walk in the spindrift.
8) Fun Sh*t
So many things can fall into this category. I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll just dump my ideas in a list of suggestions:
CAMERA(S) // Possible options: A GoPro for action-heavy underwater shots and vids, Instax for the vibes, DSLR for those forever mems, your phone camera for when you can’t be arsed to bring anything else… Grab whatever camera you prefer to capture your specific beach vacay feels. Different occasions require different pics. It’s cool - there’s no pressure. This is a chill beach vacay after all. ;)
BLUETOOTH SPEAKER // Sometimes serenity is the name of the game. You’re just trying to lay down, hear the waves and listen to the gulls shriek. Othertimes, you have that perfect playlist that you just can’t wait to play while you soak up the sun. Bring a water-resistant bluetooth speaker for your phone and you will be set for some cruisey tunes.
DRINK FLOATIES // I recently got some of these bad boys for my 30th birthday party and they were a hit. These floaties are perfect when you’re at a beach with more placid waters. Say a big lake, a beach along a sheltered bay, or anywhere along the Gulf of Mexico. Plus they’re cute as hell and cheap, to boot.
CUTE FLOATIES // In the same vein as drink floaties. My fab sister-in-law, CJ, got me an amazing XL holographic seashell floatie that makes me feel like a disco mermaid. I haven’t tried it in the ocean but that’s because I’ve only been to the Atlantic recently and those shores are not floaty-friendly. They are tumble-in-the-waves-and-don’t-lose-your-suit-but-yes-gain-sand-in-every-orifice shores. I won’t bring my fab floaty. But when I go back home to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico??? Hell yes, catch me floating off of Sanibel Island all day.
COOZIES/ STUBBY HOLDERS // First things first, I will admit that I wanted an excuse to use the term “stubby holder” because it’s one of my favorite Aussie slang terms. Now that that’s out of the way: when you go to a beach that’s not conducive to drink floaties OR if you don’t vibe with drink floaties, be sure to pack some coozies for your bevvies.
SAND CASTLE BUILDING TOOLS // Please channel your inner child and at least dig a hole in the sand and pretend it’s a hot tub. If you’re more adventurous, build a sand palace and have absolutely no shame. Sand castles are cool!!! If you build one, you will not only feel proud and like a creative god/goddess but also, you will make friends with all the neighboring families and that’s pretty cute.
A KITE // Kites are kind of a big deal in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, especially because the kite shop chain Kitty Hawk Kites is a local institution. But! Never fear, you don’t have to be in the OBX to fly a kite. You just need any ole breezy beach, and you can fly your kite all day. In fact, tie your kite down and you’ll have a very easily-viewable spot marker for your specific pile of towels on the beach.
BIG TENT // I don’t know about you but a big tent is not in my budget. But if you are prone to sun damage (I see you fair-skinned friends!) or have enough funds, buy a tent and stay in the shade. You get all the beach benefits without skin damage.
Emerald Isle, NC 2018
9) Fancy Shmancy Skin and Hair Care Stuff
When I’m backpacking, fancy shmancy stuff does not exist to me. I’m living out of my station wagon, do you think I’ve thought about my skincare routine at all? I haven’t washed my face in days. Sorry, not sorry.
When I’m going on an extended beach vacation back home in the States, though. I try to take better care of my skin and hair. I am not particularly high maintenance, so this usually just involves packing a moisturizer that brands itself as super-hydrating and then using a leave-in conditioner. Apparently, leave-in conditioner and/or hair oil will protect your hair from getting super dry after sea swims. (Much in the same way your super-hydrating moisturizer will replenish your thirsty face.) That may not be news to you, but as someone who low-key neglects their hair, I am trying to remember to keep it healthy(-ish).
Last but not least, a fun self-care item to pack for a girl’s beach vacay would be a tub of some sort of hydrating face mask goop for all of you to share. You know they exist. Just please stop buying those individually wrapped masks. They are such a waste. :(
10) Rainy Day Contingencies
Puzzles. Board games. Playing cards. DVDs or a streaming queue. Word Searches.
It might rain and you might want to entertain yourself. Just a thought.
Storm Brewing; Emerald Isle, NC 2020
11) Flashlight
The beach at night is maybe even more alluring and exciting than the beach during the day. Bring a flashlight and try and spot all the ghost crabs and other critters. Get in tune with the local wildlife to get a better sense of the ecosystem at large. (Shut up! Just do it.)
12) Big Beach Blanket or Pile of Towels for Stargazing
You might not know this, but the beach is often one of the best places to stargaze. If you get a clear night, head out to the sand and see what you can. Three of my favorite beach memories involve stars at night. The first time I ever saw a shooting star was above the beach at the lagoon at Duck Key Resort in the Florida Keys at age 12. It was unreal and surprising for this suburban Florida-raised baby. When I was in Costa Rica in 2013, I saw a mama green sea turtle return to the waves as a shooting star streaked overhead. I still feel incredibly blessed to have seen that kind of magic in real life. Lastly, more recently, I watched the Perseid meteor shower over Emerald Isle, North Carolina with my in-laws as Emmett sang “This Must Be the Place” and I nearly cried.
Basically, please try and see some beach stars. Worst case scenario, you just enjoy a peaceful beach night.
13) Snacks
Out on the beach all day? Have no shame about sandy fingers touching your food? Bring some chips or nuts - or a sandwich. Whatever you desire! Fill your tum while you hydrate. No one likes a hangry baby.
14) Beach Chairs
While I am more of a towel-laying lazy lady, I do appreciate a good beach chair. Consider this vibe, which is one of my faves: late afternoon, the golden hour. The tide is coming in. You scooch your beach chair up to where the waves hit and let the sea run over your feet. Sandpipers scurry around you, eating sand fleas and detritus. You forget everything but the sound of the surf. Peace has never been known to you until now. Beach chair.
CJ with her beach essentials; Emerald Isle, NC 2021
