It's that time of year again, when the weather heats up and the beach starts calling your name with its siren song of soft sand, fresh air, and bright, warm sun. But what can you bring with you to make sure that you have theÂ
ultimate day at the beach? What can your humble,
locally owned gear shop set you up with to make it trulyÂ
ultimate? Read our carefully curated list of these 13 essential items to find out:
1. The Outdoor Tech Big Turtle Shell
What day at the beach is complete without your favorite tunes? Now, we're not advocating inflicting any avant-garde burbling and wailing on your fellow beachgoers, so be mindful of theÂ
Big Turtle Shell's impressive 110 dB output. Keep it a little more easy-listening, more...
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes, lessÂ
Centipede Hz.
2. ENO DoubleNest Hammock
Provided you're at a beach with trees around, nothing says "true, unadulterated relaxation" quite like lounging in a hammock.
ENO's DoubleNest is packable enough to take with you wherever go, roomy enough for you and a friend, and comfortable enough to nap the day away. Transforms any beach trip into a vacation in Maldives.
3. Icemule Pro Drypack Cooler
If your favorite beach spot requires a bit of a hike to get to, look no further than the
Icemule Pro to keep your snacks and beverages chilled in a super handy rolltop backpack. A ventilated back-panel keeps you cool when the sun starts to beat down and the walk gets strenuous, while the PolarLayer insulation keeps your picnic sundries ice cold.
4. The Primus Onja 2-Burner Stove
This has to be the most insufferably hip camping stove ever made. For the walk to the water, sling the
Onja around your back, messenger bag-style, then utilize the solid oak (!) lid as a cutting board or plate once you've made it to your impromptu kitchen. Running off of isobutane canisters instead of propane keeps this stove compact, and its folding design makes the Onja sit with superb stability when set up.
5. Your Chacos
Get your Chaco strap tan nice and pronounced on your beach excursion; after all, summer's here and you're not taking them off for the duration--if you're anything like most of us at Outdoor Gear Exchange. The
Classic ZX2's offer the comfort and support that Chaco has made synonymous with their name, with attractive double straps that will look timeless summer after summer.
6. Trekking Poles And A Frisbee
Trekking poles at the beach? That's right, and I'll tell you why.Â
Polish Horseshoes. Simply stick your trusty poles into the sand, balance a can or bottle on the handle, and try to knock said can or bottle off with a
frisbee. Remember, it's against the rules to not be holding a drink in your free hand!
7. A Sunshade
Sometimes the sun can start to oppress, and it is at that time you can retreat to the cool comfort of
Kelty's Shade Maker Shelter. Easily set up and broken down, it'll keep the pastier members of your party safe from the unforgiving onslaught of UV radiation.
8. Alite Meadow Rest
Alite Designs combined two of their most popular products, the
Meadow Mat and the
Mayfly Chair, to bring us perhaps the ultimate in lounging technology: The
Meadow Rest. Without the aluminum poles, it's a waterproof picnic blanket; with them, it's an ultra-comfortable, chaise-style lounge chair. You can even roll it up into its stuff sack and use it as a pillow.
9. The Burton Double Beeracuda
Ah, Burton. No other company makes such a concerted effort to appeal to the dirtbag that lives within all of us. Their
Double Beeracuda is a purpose-built beverage hauling system, capable of keeping 11 adult beverages chilled within it and a 12th holstered securely in the koozie on the front.
10. Your favorite pair of sunglasses
Everybody wants to look cool. Better still is looking cool while shielding your eyeballs from that bright yellow orb in the sky.
Sunski's Dipseas pack full UVA/UVB protection and lightweight durability into a bold, classic style.
11. An Inflatable Sleeping Pad (or two!)
Not just for sleeping, some of the more robust inflatable pads on the market can be used for relaxing on the water just like a pool float.
Big Agnes' Green Ridge sleeping pad is an obvious choice for such a purpose, with 3.75 inches of height and a highly durable inflation valve that makes it super-easy to inflate and deflate.
12. AÂ Slackline
Though another item that is contingent upon your beach having trees or some other anchor points close by, having a slackline around is something that can elevate your beach day to the next level. Walk, do some yoga, maybe even try
tricklining with a more advanced, trampoline-like webbing; the sand on the beach is soft and will welcome you as you crash to the ground in an embarrassed heap.
13. Goal Zero Battery Pack and Solar Panel
Keeping all of your electronics in working order shouldn't necessarily be your top priority when you're spending a day at the beach, but let's be honest: bluetooth speakers and the phones supplying your tunes will run out of juice by the end of the day. Use a battery pack like the one inÂ
Goal Zero's Venture 30Â solar charging kit to re-up the power supply on your rechargeable goods. Then use theÂ
power of the sun to get the battery pack back up to capacity with the included solar panel.
Shop the rest of our collection of beach-ready items here!
It's that time of year again, when the weather heats up and the beach starts calling your name with its siren song of soft sand, fresh air, and bright, warm sun. But what can you bring with you to make sure that you have the ultimate day at the beach? What can your humble, locally owned gear shop set you up with to make it truly ultimate? Read our carefully curated list of these 13 essential items to find out:
