What To Pack In Your Beach Bag: Must-Have Beach Essentials
Image: Ferran Feixas
There's nothing the team at Places With Palms loves more than a day lounging in the sun. A day spent at the beach listening to the waves crash against the shore is our idea of perfection.
With summer right around the corner, it’s time to start planning your beach adventures. Whether you’re shoreside for a day or a week, these packing tips can help make your vacation more comfortable, convenient, and stress-free.
For all your beach essentials, we've pulled together a go-to guide on what to pack in your beach bag. We’ve also included a few extra tips to help you make the most of sunny seaside days.
Finding The Perfect Beach Bag
First off, you'll want something to carry everything in. Finding the perfect beach bag can be a tough task - especially if you're looking for something that's both stylish and spacious. Not to worry though, we've done the hard work for you and hunted down the top 5 picks for this summer's best beach bags.
Cult Gaia: Samira Woven Tote Bag
Our top pick is the Cult Gaia Samira woven tote bag. This roomy and stylish bag is perfect for carrying all your beach essentials, and it even has a small zip-pocket to keep valuables safe and secure. The gold handle is durable and hard-wearing, meaning you can stack it to the brim without straining the bag.
What we love about it: Classic gold and black styling makes the Samira bag an elegant accessory for any occasion. Great to pack for a vacation when you want a versatile yet stylish bag that can take you from the beach club to the bar.
Prada: Raffia Tote Bag
We couldn't skip this season's must-have Prada bag off the list. A timeless raffia tote that's sophisticated but practical and on everyone’s hit list. Made in Italy, the carry-all is the perfect accessory for any summer outfit.
What we love about it: Prada's summer 22' raffia tote was a sell-out. This year's sturdier version of the raffia tote, with its luxurious craftsmanship and attention to detail, is sure to be a cult classic. Get in quick and don't miss your chance to own a piece of Prada history.
L*SPACE: Summer Days Backpack
The Summer Days backpack from L*Space is perfect for people on the go. The woven straw bag has adjustable straps as well as handles and can be worn as a backpack. The drawstring top makes it easy to close up, so you don’t have to worry about sand sneaking its way into every crease.
What we love about it: Aside from the versatile design, we like that it’s an absolute steal at $130.
Ballen - The Paz Basket
The Paz basket from Ballen is crafted in collaboration with the Guangi Indigenous community from Colombia. It is a luxurious, hand-woven basket perfect for the beach to the city. The tropical design features a top leather strap, tie closure, and gorgeous açai seed handle.
What we love about it: As well as being understated and chic, it’s traditionally made and supports local Colombian craftsmanship.
Casablanca: Bamboo Handle Tote
If summer was a bag it would be Casablanca’s bamboo handle tote. The sunny yellow canvas bag is the epitome of Italian Summer style. Pair it with a Summer dress and some white sunglasses and you’ll be transported straight to the Amalfi coast.
What we love about it: The length is perfect for packing your towel and a few bottles of wine. Saluti!
What to pack in your beach bag: Your must-have beach bag essentials
The right beach bag can make all the difference - but what's inside it is even more important. I like to pack a selection of basics that make my day at the beach more comfortable, so I can spend all-day by the ocean.
Sunscreen is an absolute must, of course. But I also like to have a chic cover-up for when the sun gets too strong or I want to take a break from lying in the sand. A beautiful kaftan or maxi dress is perfect for this. I always pack a large beach towel - not just for lying on, but for picnics, makeshift shade, and drying off after a dip in the sea. And I always make sure I have a good book to read - there’s nothing better than reading by the sea.
Below I’ve listed the top 10 essentials for the perfect day at the beach. You can pin the picture below for quick reference and it will save the list to Pinterest.
What to pack in your beach bag:
A water bottle
Beach towel
Flip flops or waterproof slides
Swimwear
Sunglasses
Hat
Hair clip
Cover-up
Waterproof phone pouch or water-resistant dry bag
A good book
You can’t go past this stainless-steel and glass water bottle from Glacce. It’s a great size, refillable, and made using toxin-free materials.
When it comes to packing a beach towel, I prefer a lighter fabric so that I can take an oversized towel and roll it tightly into my bag, like this Slowtide Turkish towel. Slowtide also does a Morrocan version of this, which doubles as a gorgeous picnic blanket.
Flip flops or sandals are a no-brainer for your summer kit, we recommend these durable Arizona Birkenstocks. They have a durable sole that can withstand climbing rocks and rugged environments but work with almost any outfit for an understated casual beach look.
When it comes to hats, you can’t go past the classic bucket hat. It’s easy to fold up and slip into your bag. We’ll be pre-ordering the Jacquemus Le Bob Gadjo hat for this Summer’s shade.
For a cover-up, go for something with natural fiber that breathes easily. A look that can take you through to the evening is ideal, so you can maximize your day at the beach and head out to dinner without having to have a change of clothes. Sir The Label’s trending silk sets from their Resort 23’ collection are perfect for this as they are light and breezy, but still dressy enough for the evening. Twist up your post-swim hair into a Balmain hair clip for an effortless dinner look.
For a carefree day, a small dry bag or phone pouch for the beach is a game-changer. You can paddleboard, swim, and snorkel while keeping all your valuables with you. We recommend this small Filson dry bag. It’s big enough to fit your phone, wallet, and car keys while you are in the water, but can roll up small enough to pack into your beach bag.
Image: Harper Sunday
A few extra items to pack for the beach to make the most of your day
Sun Protection
Shade is essential, but not all beaches have a shady palapa or tree, available. We prefer to be prepared by taking out our own beach tent. Check out these Instagram-worthy tents and umbrellas from Business & Pleasure co.
What we like about it: Easy to pack and carry on the go, the bag comes with a shoulder strap that makes transport fuss-free and it’s really simple to put together.
Action Camera
Beach days for us usually involve some sort of watersports. From diving to surfing, we want to capture the action, but hate fussing around with expensive camera's and camera equipment at the beach. Action cameras have come a long way in the last couple of years with some even capable of filming in 8k. Our favorite is the go pro hero 8.
What we like about it: Durable enough that you don’t have to worry about it in the waves, yet good enough quality to capture the stunning underwater life in high definition.
Skincare & Hair Oil
When I'm on vacation I love maxing out my time at the beach, so I try to pack my beach bag with a few hair care and skin care products that will allow me to go straight from the beach out to dinner or a cocktail bar. All of these items are easy to use on the go and can make you look pulled together in minutes.
Tower 28 Beauty Beach Please Lip + Cheek Cream Blush
Ere Perez Waterproof Mascara
Channel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream
Gisou Hair oil - Before heading to the beach put a few drops of Gisou hair oil in your hair then brush it back into a low-maintenance bun. Bring this with a Tangle Teezer brush if you need to redo the bun before dinner.
Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler
What we like about them: All of these items are summer vacation must-haves. Think of this set as It’s your low maintenance Summer glow kit for fuss-free make-up and hair styling that can be done in an instant.
Snorkel Mask
We love traveling with our own snorkel mask. It gives you an opportunity to free dive and see the coral reefs on your vacation without having to find a dive store. You also have the added bonus of knowing that your kit is fitted to your face and is high quality. There are some great masks out there that are compact and light for traveling so packing them for your vacation is a no-brainer. We recommend the Aqua Lung range.
What we like about them: Aqua Lung makes some of the most comfortable snorkel gear on the market. Pack it in your bag and if the waters clear, you’re ready to go.
Thanks for readingLet us know what your favorite beach essentials are in the comments below. If there’s any classics we’ve missed we’ll give them a try and if we like them, we’ll add them to our list.
For more tips and tricks on packing read more from our What To Pack column: