Tired of scrambling to get a bag put together every morning when you have a boating outing or beach day planned? We are too… we’ve forgotten the sunscreen or left the towels at home more times than we came to admit! After years of forgetting everything but the kitchen sink, we’ve put together a handy guide to packing your own boating and beach kit. In addition to the basics, we’ve added a few items to the list that will make your day on the water way more pleasant and hassle-free. Putting together a bag like this will make anyone’s life easier, but it’s especially great for families with kids and pets and when last-minute outing opportunities present themselves. When you have multiple people to pack for and get out of the house, planning ahead always makes things run more smoothly. Read on to see what’s in our boat & beach bag!
Towel clips: Don’t underestimate the power of towel clips on the boat! Beach towels are expensive and we’ve had more fly off boats than we could count. It’s such a pain to stop the boat and go back to get them. Grab a couple towel clips and never worry about losing them again. You’ll be able to tether them to boat seats, beach chairs, and even stake them into the sand. Bonus tip: towel clips are also great for securely hanging your towels over the boat rails to let them dry on your way back.
Plastic baggies and grocery store bags: These are a must-have on the boat. They’ll serve for a variety of jobs, including as a waterproof case for your phone and other devices, a trash bag, or a place to put small items like jewelry to prevent them from getting lost.
Hand sanitizer: If you plan on eating on the boat, we definitely recommend bringing hand sanitizer to clean up beforehand. Even if you don’t plan on eating, you’ll probably still want to clean your hands at some point, especially if you happen to get gas, oil, or mud on them.
Sunscreen: This one is obvious, but we recommend that you bring an extra container of sunscreen, especially if you use the aerosol variety. Aerosol pumps can randomly stop working and we’ve arrived home miserably burnt because, although we had a full container of sunscreen, the pump quit and we wren’t able to get it out of the can!
Bug repellent: We’re not usually bothered much by bugs at the beach or on the boat, but if we plan on exploring islands and sand bars or being out around sunset, we always make sure we have ample insect repellent on hand.
Paper towels and cleaning wipes: No explanation needed. Messes and spills happen, especially if you plan on having a snack on a moving boat! Make sure you have the right tools to clean up should things go awry. We know, we know: you’ll just hop in the water to clean off, right? Better safe than sorry; no one enjoys riding covered in juice to get to an area where it’s safe to jump in and rinse off.
Water toys: We were always forgetting our bigger water toys, so we invested in some smaller inflatable and collapsible ones that can go right in our boating bag. That way we always have them on hand when we’d rather float around and relax than tread water or step on shells! If you have younger kids, consider putting some smaller toys in your bag too that can be used on or off the boat to keep your little ones entertained. Sand toys are small and cheap!
Hats and sunglasses: Two of the most important items for staying comfortable and sun-safe on the boat are also both incredibly easy to lose. If you’re forever losing your hats and sunglasses or prone to forgetting them, toss a couple extras in your bag so you never have to go without.
Hair ties: There’s nothing more frustrating than needing one and not having it. If you have long or unruly hair, be sure you can put it up while the boat is moving and while you’re in the water. These also don’t take up much space and are handy for small fixes around the boat too (like holding broken water bottle or towel clips together until you get back to shore).
You’ll enjoy your day on the boat or at the beach a lot more if you remember the necessities, and it’s always stressful trying to get them together the morning of. Try out our suggestion of putting a bag together in advance with the above items… we’d be willing to bet that you’ll get out of the house faster and better provisioned than you ever have before, letting you focus on having fun! Remember, if you do forget something important while boating with 321, let us know so we can do our best to accommodate you before you head out.