What To Pack In Your Beach Bag This Summer – 6 Essentials For 2019

What To Pack In Your Beach Bag This Summer – 6 Essentials For 2019

If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere (lucky you!) summer is well on its way and holidays are just around the corner for many of you.

If you’re wondering what to pack in your beach bag this summer, look no further, as I have compiled a list of essentials that you shouldn’t miss out on this year.


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We might actually start off with a few items you’ll also need to create the perfect beach day, apart from what’s in your beach bag…

First Of All: You Need The Right Bag!

First of all you will need to find the right bag for this summer. What should the perfect beach bag look like? If you’re anything like me, bags can never be big enough, because I’ll always find something else I’ll have to take.

Therefore, go for a spacious bag, preferably lightweight because you don’t need to carry the extra weight on top of everything else. Make sure your bag doesn’t just look cute, but is functional.

I usually go for bags that have a zipper and are either canvas and can be washed or are made of water-resistant material.

Pockets! I usually want a beach bag to have a spacious main compartment, but small pockets for phone, keys, etc are also needed.

Check out these cute bags:

Original Floral Water Resistant Large Tote Bag

Large size, zipper, pockets! And in many many different designs!

Click on image for price and more information

Large Canvas Beach Bag – Top Zipper Closure – Waterproof Lining

Lots of space, waterproof lining, zipper on top, perfect! 9 different designs!

Click on image for price and more information

Beach Bag XL, Waterproof Lining, Travel Tote Bag

So cute! Another great beach bag with lots of space and zipper and pockets!

Click on image for price and more information

Second: Something To Sit On!

I do realise that the headline reads what to pack into your beach bag, but seriously, you’ll thank me later.

If you’re anything like me you will not even think about where to sit or what to sit on when you’re going to the beach. Usually it’s just the beach towel that you’re drying yourself with, right? Well… If you want to be a bit more comfortable and organised, there are other options.

First of all, the beach chair:

Rio Beach Classic 5 Position Lay Flat Folding Beach Chair

This chair can easily be folded and carried as it’s quite light, weighing only 7.7lbs. It can be folded into 5 different positions, perfect for your all-day sunbathing experience.

(This might not actually fit into your beach bag though.)

Click on image for price and more information
Or maybe you need an extra large beach blanket for the whole family?

WELLAX Sandfree Beach Blanket – Huge Ground Cover 9′ x 10′ for 7 Adults

This large blanket is big enough for 7 adults and is sand proof, as sand won’t stick to it and is easily brushed off. It has corner pockets so it won’t fly away while you’re swimming or getting the well-deserved ice-cream.

Has a carry bag if you don’t want to fit it into your beach bag.

Click on image for price and more information

Or maybe you’re a fan of the good old straw mat that you can fold up and carry over your shoulder:

36″x72″ Large Portable 3 Folds Straw Beach Mat

Foldable and has a carry option if you don’t want to cram it into your beach mat.

Click on image for price and more information

What is next on your list? Do you like to sit in the shade? Or do you want to protect your kids from the dangerous rays?

Shady Options For The Beach

You might be one of the sun lovers who like roasting all day. In that case you can skip this section and move straight on to beach towels.

Here are three options to choose from:

Pacific Breeze Easy Setup Beach Tent Deluxe XL

This easy to set up beach tent has two options, one with an extendable (as pictured) and one without.

It’s easy to carry as it’s only over 6lbs light and folds down to 38 L x 6 W x 6 H. When unpacked it measures 95 L x 52 H x 51 D and fits 3 to 4 people comfortably.

This tent offers UPF50+ sun protection and has 3 windows for ventilation so the heat doesn’t get stuck under it.

Click on image for price and more information

Or maybe you want to enjoy the breeze a bit more but still want to be protected from the sun?

Neso Portable Canopy Sunshade with Sand Anchor – 7′ x 7′

Lightweight at only 4lbs, this sunshade is easy to carry and easy to stow away as it’s only 19.5″. UPF50+ will protect you from the sun all day long.

Click on image for price and more information

Or maybe you’\re a fan of the good old-fashioned beach umbrella? This is also your cheapest option…

AMMSUN Folded Beach Umbrella with Tilt

This beach umbrella stands between 5′ and 6’9″ tall and the canopy has a diameter of 6.5ft. Also comes with UPF50+ sun protection and easily fits in a suitcase after your holiday.

Click on image for price and more information

Okay, now, finally we’ll get onto what should be IN your beach bag. I know, it took me a while to get there, but I didn’t want you to forget some of the essentials for your beach day.

Beautiful Beach Towels

I know when on holiday, many people just take the towels provided by the hotel. Personally I prefer a towel that I’ll be able to recognise easily on a full beach. And then there are the easy-dry options too…

Beautifully Designed Beach Towels 71×37 inches Oversized

This Microfiber beach towel is sooo pretty! And it dries 3x faster than your regular towel, not giving bacteria any chance to grow. It comes in 8 different designs and has a travel mesh pouch.

Click on image for price and more information

And if you want something that’ll stand out even more, check out these round beach towels:

Dawhud Direct Microfiber Round Beach Towel Blanket, 60″ D with Fringe

There’s really not much else to say but sooo pretty! This gorgeous round beach towel is also a super fast dry microfiber, easy to care for and comes in 6 different designs.

Click on image for price and more information

Next we’re moving on to one of the most important things in your beach bag, sunscreen! Not only does your skin need protection from the sun, your hair does too! And don’t forget the after sun care when you’re back in the hotel!

Protect Yourself From UV

Protect your skin:

Surface Dry Touch Spray Sunscreen

Ultra light and clean feeling, Reef safe, SPF50+, Hypoallergenic, Water resistant

Remember to re-apply often!

Click on image for price and more information

Protect your hair:

Quintessence Q-Sunshade Leave In Hair Conditioner and Scalp Protectant SPF 30

This is not only going to protect your hair, but also your scalp from the sun!

Click on image for price and more information

Protect your lips:

Sun Bum SPF30 Lip Balm Mango, Lime, Watermelon 3-Pack

I’m loving that this comes in a 3 pack with 3 different flavours. It has soothing cocoa butter and it 100% vegan and gluten free.

Click on image for price and more information

Protect your head:

Cotton Sun Hat with Neck Cover Cord

This hat is really versatile, it has an adjustable and detachable chin strap, it can be worn with a pony tail as it comes with a built-in pony tail hole. It is lightweight and quick dry material and therefore perfect for the beach.

It’s a free size and adjustable at the back.

Click on image for price and more information

And of course, protect your eyes:

Now, I’m not going to recommend any specific sunglasses as that is really up to your personal style and there are so many to choose from, but I’m going to say this:

Buy some cheaper sunnies just for going to the beach as many people lose their expensive sunglasses at the beach or in the water!

There are some cheap options though to make sure you won’t lose your sunnies:

Ukes Premium Sunglass Strap

Durable and soft neoprene floating sunglass straps. Such an easy way to make sure you still have your sunnies after going for a swim.

Click on image for price and more information

Now that you’re all safe in the sun, we can move on to the entertainment part of your beach day. I know, right, finally!

Let Me Entertain You

I don’t know about you, but I don’t need music at the beach to keep me entertained. I love just soaking up the sun and breathing in the fresh and salty air. I do love a good book though:

Summer of ’69

This book even looks like it’s the perfect read for the beach. This #1 New York Times Bestseller will keep you entertained for sure, as it has been named “the beach read of the summer”.

“Four siblings experience the drama, intrigue, and upheaval of a summer when everything changed, in New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand’s first historical novel.”

Available for Kindle, as Paperback, Hardback and Audiobook.

Click on image for price and more information

Or how about the newest book from our beloved Eat Pray Love author?

City of Girls: A Novel

This new novel is set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s and is told from the perspective of a now 90-year old woman looking back on her youth; “a spellbinding novel about love, freedom and finding your own happiness”.

Click on image for price and more information

Or maybe you’re more of an active person or have children to entertain as well?

This one is an oldie, but can be seen at a lot of beaches this year:

Aneco Paddle Catch Ball and Toss Game Set

Comes with 4 paddles, 6 balls (4 big and 2 small), plus 1 black drawstring storage bag.

Click on image for price and more information

Or how about this one? Lighter than your usual flying disc and therefore won’t hurt small hands and fingers.

Activ Life Best Kid’s Flying Rings [2 Pack]

Click on image for price and more information

And maybe you do like to listen to music at the beach, so I won’t withhold these great options from you:

COMISO Waterproof Bluetooth Speakers

This outdoor wireless speaker has 20 hours playtime and offers great sound for when you’re at the beach or camping or anywhere outside enjoying yourself.

Click on image for price and more information

What else could you need at the beach? Well… Also don’t forget to pack some water or your favourite beverage, a light snack, a cooling bag for your drinks and snack, some wipes for sticky hands, and of course, a waterproof camera!

Nikon Coolpix W100 Wi-Fi Shock & Waterproof Digital Camera

This camera is simply amazing, as it comes with 11 pieces in total!

The camera of course, a 32GB SD card, a spare battery and a hard shell camera case, a tripod, a floating camera strap so you won’t lose it, a card reader, a memory card case, a cleaning kit, screen protectors and recovery software.

It is waterproof down to 33ft, shockproof to 5.9ft and dust proof as well. It also takes pretty good pictures 🙂

Click on image for price and more information

If you are looking for a more inexpensive camera, you might like this one, as have many others:

Waterproof Digital Camera Full HD 1080P

Not only is this a full HD camera but it will also capture smooth digital video. It can be submersed down to 10ft.

Click on image for price and more information

Did I miss anything that should definitely go into your beach bag this summer? What’s in your beach bag? Please let me know in your comments below. I’ll be sure to get back to you soon.

Enjoy your summer travels!

Bags And Suitcases is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

This is at no extra cost to you.

8 Replies to “What To Pack In Your Beach Bag This Summer – 6 Essentials For 2019”

  1. Excellent post from you. 

    You have covered everything possible to think of whenever one is headed for the beach especially in the summer time to enjoy the beauty of the summer. 

    I cannot just think up another thing to add to the list, you have covered it all up and I cannot agree less with you in your selection of materials ranging from bags to books and many others. It’s the little things that makes the big difference for me when I’m on the beach. 

    I will have to go shop for a few of those now!

  2. It is always a hectic last 30 minutes to an hour before beach trips it seems, as when you have a group over 1 or 2 people, as I normally have, it is like herding cats to get them to gather all the things they will need and get ready to go to the beach. I shudder just thinking about the hassle. What to pack in the beach bag is always an issue for these summer trips.

    Inevitably, things are forgotten when these beach days happen. This is why I was so interested in this post and was hoping to get some sort of a system and list for these trips. You have done an admirable job in mentioning these 6 essential items for a happy beach outing.

    I have made some notes as I was reading through, and will be creating a checklist for our next trip. I want to see if this kind of organization will help. There are some items that I need to buy to have what I need (thanks for the advice on products), and there are also a few items that I will add that apply only to our group (i.e. medicines), but now I have a list! Thanks so much… 

  3. I like how you put together all the necessary things needed for a beach getaway. Oftentimes, we forget one of the most important things because we get distracted of putting in so much in our bags that we don’t actually need. One can never go wrong with the basic selection of items that can make beach life more fun and worry free. 

    What really caught my attention is the round towel. The design is so pretty and fab. One thing that I will never forget to bring is the Sunscreen spray mist. I like it’s dual purpose of sun protection and cooling effect for our hot weather. Be it with family or friends, music is a must to chill around or sing together. Having a waterproof camera is very much needed to capture fun and wacky memories at the beach and of course dramatic photo ops wearing your sexy beach OOTDs. Thanks for all these nice suggestions.  

    1. You are very welcome and I’m glad you found something you liked. Those round towels are so popular at the moment! I expect to see them everywhere soon. 

  4. I love being outdoors and near the water, but I can’t take being in the direct sun very long. So for me the “Shady Options” would be essential. 

    I’m with you on “entertainment,” I don’t need music – just a good book or two. Thanks for the recommendations. If I do bring music it’ll be quiet soothing music playing softly enough that it won’t distract my reading.

    These are some great ideas – I’d love to see some pictures of your suggestions.

    1. You’re welcome. If you’re having trouble seeing images, you might want to check your ad settings for the page. Thanks for stopping by. 

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