Beach Vacation Packing List: What to Bring (and What to Leave Home)

For a beach vacation, pack two swimsuits, a cover-up, a rash guard or long-sleeve sun shirt, a wide-brim hat, polarized sunglasses, reef-safe mineral sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, after-sun aloe, water shoes, a packable beach bag, a reusable water bottle and a dry bag or waterproof phone pouch. Add light layers for evenings and one nicer outfit for dinner. Leave the beach chairs, big umbrellas and boogie boards at home; rent or buy them at your destination. Pack the sun protection before anything else.

Beach trips look simple to pack for: swimsuit, flip-flops, done. Then you arrive with three bags of clothes you never wear and no hat, and you spend day two sunburned and buying $30 sunscreen at the hotel shop. A good beach packing list is mostly about sun, sand and water, with a few safety items most people forget. Here is ours, built from too many trips to Gulf Coast, Florida, Hawaii and California beaches. It is organized by category so you can tick it off as you pack, followed by advice for specific beaches, what to rent instead of carry and the safety basics that matter most. Print it, screenshot it or copy it into your notes app.

• SPF 30+Minimum sunscreen, reapplied every 2 hours
• 2Swimsuits, so one can dry
• Reef-safeRequired in Hawaii for many sunscreens
• RentChairs and umbrellas at your destination

Sun protection: pack this first

Sunburn is the number one way beach vacations go wrong. Ocean and sand reflect UV rays, and a breeze makes you feel cooler than you are. In Florida, the Gulf Coast or Hawaii, you can burn in 15 minutes at midday.

• Broad-spectrum sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher. Water-resistant. Bring more than you think: a full-body application for an adult is about an ounce, roughly a shot glass.
• Reef-safe mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, especially for Hawaii, where sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate are banned from sale to protect coral reefs.
• Sunscreen stick for faces and ears, and an SPF lip balm.
• Rash guard or UPF sun shirt. The best sun protection is fabric. It means less sunscreen and fewer missed spots on your back.
• Wide-brim hat that ties under the chin for windy days.
• Polarized sunglasses to cut glare off the water.
• After-sun gel with aloe, just in case.

Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours and after swimming or toweling off. Seek shade between about 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV is strongest. Check the UV index in your weather app. At 8 or higher, which is common at Southern beaches in summer, unprotected skin can burn in well under half an hour. Cloudy days don’t protect you either; most UV rays pass right through thin clouds.

Clothes

Beach trips need fewer clothes than you think. Lightweight, quick-drying fabrics, like linen, cotton blends and athletic materials, work best.

• Two or three swimsuits, so one is always dry
• A cover-up or sarong for walking to lunch
• Shorts and tank tops or T-shirts
• A sundress or button-down shirt for dinner
• A light sweater or long-sleeve layer for breezy evenings and air-conditioned restaurants
• Pajamas
• Underwear and socks, fewer than usual
• A light rain jacket for tropical showers

Shoes

• Flip-flops or sandals
• Water shoes for rocky beaches, tide pools and coral, where needed
• Comfortable walking shoes for exploring town
• One pair of dressier sandals, if you plan nice dinners

The beach bag

Pack a dedicated beach bag the night before, and keep it stocked all trip:

• A large, packable tote, ideally one that sand shakes out of
• Quick-dry towels; many hotels and rentals provide beach towels, so check first
• Sunscreen, lip balm and hats
• Reusable water bottles, filled
• Snacks
• A dry bag or waterproof phone pouch
• A small first aid kit with bandages, antiseptic wipes and tweezers for splinters
• Wet wipes and a small bag for wet swimsuits
• Baby powder: sprinkle it on sandy skin and the sand brushes right off
• Cash for parking, beach rentals and snack stands
• A book or e-reader

Toiletries

• Shampoo and conditioner, plus a leave-in conditioner for salt and sun
• Body wash and moisturizer
• Insect repellent, especially for evenings on the Gulf Coast and in Florida
• Hydrocortisone cream for bug bites and itchy rashes
• Medications, plus motion sickness tablets if you’re taking a boat trip
• Ear drops for swimmer’s ear, if you’re prone to it

If you’re flying carry-on only, liquids must follow TSA’s 3-1-1 rule. Buy full-size sunscreen at your destination. Our TSA carry-on rules guide explains the details.

For kids

• Rash guards and swim shirts
• Swim diapers for little ones
• A US Coast Guard-approved life jacket for young or weak swimmers; inflatable toys don’t count
• Small sand toys, packed in a mesh bag
• A pop-up sun shelter for babies and toddlers
• Extra snacks and drinks
• A change of dry clothes

Buy big sand toys and boogie boards at your destination. Many beach towns sell them cheaply, and some rentals leave them for guests.

Tech

• A waterproof phone pouch
• A portable charger
• A small waterproof Bluetooth speaker, used considerately
• A waterproof camera or action cam, for snorkeling
• Chargers and a short extension cord

Keep electronics in the shade and out of sand. Heat can shut down phones quickly on a hot beach.

Documents and money

• ID that meets REAL ID rules for flights. See our REAL ID guide.
• Passport, if your beach is abroad, including the Caribbean
• Health insurance card
• Reservations and confirmations, saved offline
• Credit cards and a little cash

Packing for different US beaches

Not every beach trip is the same, and your list should change with the destination.

Hawaii: reef-safe sunscreen is essential, along with reef shoes for rocky entries, a light rain jacket for passing showers on the windward sides of the islands, and sturdy shoes if you plan to hike. Pack a long-sleeve layer for chilly volcano summits like Haleakalā, where sunrise temperatures can drop near freezing.

Florida and the Gulf Coast: heat and humidity dominate. Pack breathable clothes, strong bug spray for evenings and a small umbrella for afternoon thunderstorms in summer. Water is warm enough to swim most of the year in South Florida.

Southern California: the Pacific is cold, often in the 60s even in summer, so surfers and swimmers wear wetsuits. Mornings can be foggy and cool. Pack a hoodie and a light jacket for evenings by the water.

New England and the Pacific Northwest: beach days are often cool and windy. Bring warm layers, a windbreaker and closed-toe shoes. Swimming is for the brave.

The Carolinas and Georgia coast: warm summer water and lots of sun, with biting flies on some days. Bring repellent and plan beach time early or late.

How to pack it all in a carry-on

A beach trip is the easiest trip to do with carry-on only. Swimsuits and summer clothes are small and light. Roll clothes instead of folding them, and use packing cubes to keep categories together. Wear your bulkiest shoes and sweater on the plane. Bring travel-size toiletries in your quart bag and buy full-size sunscreen when you arrive; it’s cheaper than paying for a checked bag. Pack a reusable wet bag or a zip-top bag for damp swimsuits on travel day. And leave space for souvenirs. You will buy something.

Mistakes we made, so you don’t have to

We once packed for a Gulf Coast trip with only one swimsuit and spent a week pulling on a damp one every morning. We have forgotten hats and ended up with peeling scalps. We have brought expensive beach towels the rental already had, and left the dry bag at home on the day we took a kayak tour, which was the day a phone went into the water. And we have underestimated sunscreen every single time. Learn from us: two swimsuits, a hat, a dry bag and twice the sunscreen you think you need.

What to rent or buy there

Don’t haul bulky gear on a plane. Most beach destinations rent or sell these items:

Prices vary by destination. Some vacation rentals include chairs, umbrellas and coolers. Ask before you go.

Beach safety: what people forget

Rip currents are the biggest danger at US beaches. They are strong, narrow currents pulling water away from shore. If you are caught in one, don’t fight it by swimming straight back. Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of it, then swim in at an angle. If you can’t, float, wave and yell for help. Swim near lifeguards, and check the beach flags.

Many beaches use a flag system. Green means calm conditions. Yellow means moderate surf or currents; be careful. Red means high hazard; strong surf or currents. Double red means the water is closed. Purple usually warns of dangerous marine life, like jellyfish.

Other hazards: jellyfish and stingrays (shuffle your feet when wading), sharp shells and coral (wear water shoes), heat exhaustion (drink water and rest in shade) and lightning (leave the beach when you hear thunder). Never swim alone, and keep children within arm’s reach in the water. Even strong pool swimmers can struggle in waves and currents.

What not to pack

Too many outfits. You’ll live in swimsuits and cover-ups.

Expensive jewelry. Rings slip off in cold water and get lost in sand.

Glass bottles. Many beaches ban them.

Heavy beach towels, if your lodging provides them.

Bulky gear you can rent or buy there.

Where to go

Need beach inspiration? Our Florida Keys road trip, Oahu itinerary, San Diego guide and Miami guide cover some of the best beaches in the country. If you’re traveling between June and November in the Southeast, read our hurricane season travel guide.

Beach etiquette

A few unwritten rules make beaches better for everyone. Leave space between your setup and the next group, and don’t plant an umbrella directly in front of someone’s view. Keep music low or use headphones. Shake out towels downwind, away from people. Fill in any holes you dig before you leave; deep holes are dangerous for walkers and for nesting sea turtles, which come ashore at night on Southeast beaches in summer. Turn off beachfront lights after dark in turtle season. Take every bit of trash with you, including bottle caps and cigarette butts. And check local rules on dogs, alcohol, glass and fires before you go; they vary from beach to beach, even in the same town.

Leave the shells and sand where they are in protected areas. In Hawaii, taking sand, rocks or coral is illegal and considered disrespectful. A photo is the best souvenir.

Frequently asked questions

Before you zip the suitcase

1. Pack sun protection first: sunscreen, rash guard, hat and sunglasses.
2. Check what your lodging provides: towels, chairs, umbrellas, coolers.
3. Pack a beach bag with water, snacks and a dry bag.
4. Learn your beach’s flag system and how to escape a rip current.