Beach Packing List
By the NanoPack team · Updated on · Checked against official sources
What to bring to the beach: sun protection first, an SPF 30+ sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and a cover-up, then plenty of water, a beach towel, and a dry bag for your phone and keys. Bring your own shade if the beach has none. Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after every swim. Where a beach bans chemical sunscreens, as Hawaii and a number of island destinations do, pack a mineral, reef-safe one. And learn the single water-safety rule that matters most: if a rip current pulls you out, do not fight it, stay calm and swim parallel to the shore.
Beach essentials at a glance
- SPF 30+ sunscreen, reapplied every 2 hours
- Hat, sunglasses and a cover-up
- Plenty of drinking water
- A beach towel per person
- A dry bag for phone and keys
- Your own shade if there is none
- A second swimsuit and water shoes
- After-sun for the evening
Show up to the beach underprepared and you pay for it: a burn you feel for a week, sand in everything you own, and a phone that cooks in the heat by noon. The goal is protection and a little comfort, not hauling half the house across the dunes. Get the sun, the water and a dry bag right, and everything else is just small touches you will be glad you brought.
Sun protection
- Sunscreen SPF 30+ · reapply every 2 hours and after every swim
- A mineral, reef-safe sunscreen · required in Hawaii and a number of reef destinations
- Lip balm with SPF
- A wide-brim hat or cap
- Sunglasses with UV protection
- A cover-up or a UV rash guard
- After-sun or aloe for the evening
Beach gear
- A beach towel ×1 per person
- A dry bag · keeps phone, keys and wallet safe and dry
- A beach bag
- Your own shade · an umbrella or pop-up tent if the beach has none
- A beach blanket or sand-free mat
- Folding beach chairs
- A small brush or powder to get sand off skin
In and on the water
- Swimwear ×2 · one is always still wet
- Water shoes · hot sand, rocks and reefs
- Goggles or a snorkel and mask
- A waterproof phone pouch
- A boogie board or inflatable · if you have space
Food and hydration
- Plenty of drinking water · more than you think in the heat
- A cooler with ice
- Snacks that survive the heat
- Reusable bottles and cups
- A trash bag to carry trash home
Health and safety
- First-aid basics: bandages, antiseptic, tweezers
- Any medication
- Hand sanitizer and wet wipes
- A whistle if you have young swimmers
- Vinegar or the local remedy for jellyfish stings · where they are common
For the family
- Spare swimwear and towels for the kids
- Swim diapers for the little ones
- A bucket, spade and beach toys
- Sun-protective swimwear and a shade tent
- Extra snacks and water
Handy extras
- A book or e-reader
- Cash for parking and vendors
- Resealable bags for wet swimwear and phones
- A ball, frisbee or paddles
- A portable speaker · kept low, for your group only
What not to pack
- Chemical sunscreen with oxybenzone or octinoxate · banned in Hawaii and Maui and restricted at many reef destinations; bring a mineral one
- Glass bottles and jars · banned on many beaches and dangerous in the sand
- Valuables and good jewelry · easy to lose in the sand or the water
- Single-use plastics you will leave behind · pack out everything you bring in
Packing tips and mistakes to avoid
Reef-safe sunscreen is the law in some places
Hawaii has banned the sale of sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate statewide since 2021, Maui County allows only mineral sunscreen, and island destinations such as Bonaire, Aruba and the US Virgin Islands restrict them too. A mineral, zinc-based sunscreen protects your skin and is welcome everywhere.
Reapply, do not just apply once
Sunscreen wears off. Reapply a generous layer every two hours, and straight after swimming or towelling off, even if the label says water-resistant. Most sunburn happens because people apply once and forget.
Beat a rip current by not fighting it
If a current pulls you away from the beach, do not swim against it, you will only exhaust yourself. Stay calm, keep your head above water, and swim parallel to the shore. Most rip currents are under 80 feet wide and weaken past the breaking waves, so you can swim out of the side of it and then angle back in. If you cannot escape, float and signal for help.
A dry bag is the most valuable thing you pack
A single waterproof pouch or dry bag for your phone, keys and wallet means you can all go in the water at once without leaving a lookout on the towels.
The things people forget
- A dry bag for your phone, keys and wallet
- Cash for parking and beach vendors
- Resealable bags for wet swimwear
- A trash bag to carry your trash home
What people wish they had packed
- A second swimsuit so one is always dry
- Water shoes for hot sand and rocky entries
- Your own shade on a beach that has none
- More drinking water than you thought you needed
Frequently asked questions
What should you bring to the beach?
Sun protection first: SPF 30+ sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and a cover-up. Then plenty of water, a beach towel each, a dry bag for phone and keys, your own shade if there is none, a second swimsuit, water shoes and after-sun for later.
What sunscreen is banned in Hawaii?
Sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate. Hawaii has banned their sale statewide since 2021 because they harm coral reefs, and Maui County allows only mineral sunscreen. Bring a reef-safe mineral sunscreen, the zinc-oxide kind.
What should you do if caught in a rip current?
Do not fight it. Stay calm, keep your head above water, and swim parallel to the shore rather than towards it. Most rip currents are narrow and weaken past the breakers, so you can swim out of the side and angle back in, or float and signal for help.
What do people always forget for the beach?
A dry bag for valuables, cash for parking and vendors, resealable bags for wet swimwear, enough drinking water, water shoes for hot sand, and after-sun for the evening burn.