10 Summer Beach Bag Essentials

Before heading to the lake, ocean, or swimming pool, fi ll your favorite tote with these fun-inthe-sun necessities.

BY JILL SCHILDHOUSE

Fresh air, family, friends, and fun—that’s what summers are all about. Make sure you’re prepared for whatever a day in the sun or sand has in store by stocking up on these beach basics:

1. Hydro Flask reusable water bottle

No matter how hot the temps get outside, the Hydro Flask stainless steel water bottle will keep your beverage of choice cold for up to 24 hours. The wide-mouth version makes adding ice a breeze, and it’s BPA-free and dishwasher safe, which means easy clean-up after a long day. The best part? You won’t be contributing to the 500 billion single-use plastic bottles used each year around the world.

2. Portland Bee Balm

Sea breezes and salty air sure do feel good, but they can do a number on delicate lip skin. When you’re feeling chapped, reach for Portland Bee Balm, a beeswax-based lip balm handmade by beekeepers in Portland, Ore., and wrapped in real wood instead of processed paper. The brand uses other locally sourced ingredients (such as Oregon peppermint essential oil) and donates 1 percent of sales to the Portland Urban Beekeepers Association.

3. Hydrant electrolyte powder

Spending the day sweating in the sun can quickly deplete your body of some of its most precious resources: sodium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Instead of reaching for a sugar-fi lled sports drink, choose travel-friendly packets of Hydrant’s Hydrate electrolyte drink mix. It’s fl avored with real fruit juice powder, skips the artifi cial sweeteners and stevia, and comes in a variety of tropical fl avors (like Watermelonade, Blood Orange, and Pink Grapefruit).

4. Shameless Pets dog treats

Bringing your best friend to the beach? Or perhaps you just want to lure everyone else’s doggies over to your blanket for snuggles? Make sure to have a bag of Shameless Pets treats on hand (Bananas for Bacon fl avor is guaranteed to please any pooch). These healthy dog and cat treats are made from upcycled misfi t and surplus ingredients.

5. Psi Bands acupressure wrist bands

Prone to motion sickness, but still want to head out on a boat, standup paddleboard, or jet ski? Waterproof Psi Bands have your back—just pop one on each wrist and your queasiness will be quelled. The drug-free bands are a clinically proven medical device for nausea relief (acupressure has been around for more than 5,000 years!) that won’t make you drowsy.

6. Stasher reusable storage bags

No day at the beach is complete without your favorite snacks in tow—but packing them in single-use plastic bags that could easily blow away and end up polluting the ocean is sooo 2005. Stasher is made from platinum silicone (read: BPA- and phthalate-free) and is safe for the freezer, microwave, oven, and dishwasher. The bags come in a wide array of sizes and colors, and the brand donates 1 percent of profi ts to organizations working to protect the planet.

7. FlexSafe portable safe

There’s no quicker way to ruin a beach day than by coming back in from the water only to discover that a thief has struck. Avoid this scenario and gain peace of mind by securing your valuables (passport, wallet, phone, and keys) in a slash-resistant and portable FlexSafe. It secures to any fi xed object—lounge chairs, boat railings, bicycles—and unlocks only with your own unique code.

8. REEF sandals

Keep your tootsies safe from rocks, glass, or other harmful items lurking on the beach with a pair of REEF sandals. This popular surf-inspired fl ip fl op brand crafts many of its sandals with an eye on sustainability, using eco-friendly resources such as 100-percent recycled PET from post-consumer plastic bottles, renewable sugarcane, and recycled paper. Plus, many of REEF’s sandals are made with Eco-One, an organic additive that enhances the biodegradation process when disposed of in a biologically active landfi ll.

9. Earth Mama Organics mineral sunscreen

It’s our responsibility to protect delicate marine ecosystems, so reduce your carbon footprint by choosing a reef-friendly mineral sunscreen like Earth Mama Organics. This cruelty-free line (designed by a mother and nurse) was also formulated for babies, kids, and adults with sensitive skin—it’s dermatologisttested for irritation, and contains no artifi cial fragrance, dimethicone, or nanoparticles.

10. Quantum Health Buzz Away Extreme insect repellent

Mosquitoes sure know how to ruin a good time, and the beach is one of their favorite places to nibble on unsuspecting sun worshipers. Outsmart these little buggers with DEET-free Buzz Away Extreme, from Quantum Health. This spray contains oils from citronella, geranium, lemongrass, and cedarwood to naturally repel mosquitoes and ticks.