Fill Your Beach Bag with These Summer Essentials
Before heading to the lake, ocean, or swimming pool, fill your favorite tote with these must-have products for safe warm-weather fun.
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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 essential summer products:
1. Hydro Flask reusable water bottle
Hydration is definitely a summer essential, and 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-filled sports drink, choose travel-friendly packets of Hydrant’s Hydrate electrolyte drink mix. It’s flavored with real fruit juice powder, skips the artificial sweeteners and stevia, and comes in a variety of tropical flavors (like Watermelonade, Blood Orange, and Pink Grapefruit).
4. Shameless Pets dog treats
Bringing your best friend to the beach? Or maybe you just want to lure everyone else’s doggies over to your blanket for snuggles? Then make sure to keep a bag of this summer essential on hand. Shameless Pets healthy dog and cat treats are made from upcycled misfit and surplus ingredients. And the Bananas for Bacon flavor is guaranteed to please any pooch!
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. Instead, stock up on this summer essential: Stasher bags made from platinum silicone (read: BPA- and phthalate-free). They’re safe for the freezer, microwave, oven, and dishwasher, and the bags come in a wide array of sizes and colors. Plus, the company donates 1 percent of profits 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 fixed object—lounge chairs, boat railings, bicycles—and unlocks only with your own unique code.
8. REEF sandals
Sandals are the ultimate summer essential. But conventional plastic flip-flops aren’t exactly environmentally friendly. This year, keep your tootsies safe from rocks, glass, or other harmful items lurking on the beach with a pair of REEF sandals. Crafted with an eye on sustainability, they’re made with 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 landfill.
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 dermatologist-tested for irritation, and contains no artificial 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. Which makes DEET-free Buzz Away Extreme, from Quantum Health are no-brainer summer essential. This spray contains oils from citronella, geranium, lemongrass, and cedarwood to naturally repel mosquitoes and ticks.
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