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Planting a Tree

Beach Day Packing List: Everything You Need for a Day at the Lake

Ready for a day out in the sun? Here’s what to pack to make sure it’s as fun as it sounds.

From our favorite sunscreen to beach bags and on-the-go snacks, here's our fam's packing list for spending a day at the (lake) beach.


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Here’s the full list. Click something for more inspiration and suggestions from our family.



Waterproof Beach Bag

Whether you’re hanging out in a boat or on the shore, a day at the lake means a day around water. Keep your towel, phone, snacks, and other belongings dry while you dip your toes in the sand.


We love this colorful waterproof beach bag with zipper. It comes in several color options and holds everything you need for the day.


If you really want to make sure your belongings don’t get wet (going on a boating or float trip), a dry bag is an essential must-have item. Here’s the one we bought a while back on Amazon. We use it every time we play in the water and have never had a single leak.



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Travel Beach Towels

You could of course, just take any towel out of your closet. Or, you could invest in some XL quick-dry Dock & Bay beach towels. These things are super absorbent, designed to wick sand and shed moisture quickly, and are lightweight. Bonus, they come with a carrying bag to keep them compact for a day on the go. And, there are lots of colors and styles to choose.


Sunscreen & Shade

This one’s kind of a no brainer. Most people have their favorite go-to sunscreen. Here are some of our favorites: 


Snacks & Water

It’s no secret that swimming works up an appetite. Here are our go-to dry snacks to pack in individual baggies:


Keep your drinks and some fresh fruit like grapes cool by storing them in a lunchbox with an ice pack or an insulated picnic tote. Pro tip, freeze a couple bottles of water the night before and use them as your ice packs inside your insulated bag.



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It seems like a great idea to buy one of those coolers with wheels on it...but, trust us, it's not. Sand and wheels do not go well together. You are much better off choosing something that's designed to be carried with comfort.


Portable Battery Pack & Music

Never run out of battery or have to run to your car to charge your phone. Take along this mini Jackery. It has the juice to keep your phone and more charged while you enjoy the sun. Along those lines, we don’t have enough good things to say about our Bose Soundlink Mini speaker. It packs a lot of sound into a little package and holds a charge for the long haul.


Wipes & Dispenser

Even though our kids have outgrown diapers, we still buy wipes on the regular. We’ve got them stashed around the house and that’s not it. We have portable wipe dispensers that we take basically everywhere we go. It’s a must have for cleaning your hands before & after snacking at the beach.


Also, don't forget to a pack a simple first aid kit with essentials. The minute you forget to bring some antiseptic and band-aids, you will certainly need to fix up a scrape.


Don't Forget Your Beach Day Packing List Essentials

Whether you'll be spending a day at the lake or venturing out to your favorite swimming hole, this beach day packing list will help you be prepared for just about anything that might come up!


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