Summertime and the beach go together like ice cream and a cone. Luckily for us, in the UK you’re never more than a few hours travel time from the sea. Whether you’re cruising the coastline on a training swim or just soaking up the rays with the family, are you packing in everything you can? Make the most of your trip, and your enjoyment, with our beach bag kit list.

Waterproof Sunscreen

It sounds obvious, but the obvious things are the first we forget! Even if you don’t intend to go in the water, use waterproof sun protection. You never know if you’ll be persuaded to take a dip! Coastal areas tend to be breezy so the ambient temperature might not be that high, but DO use your sunscreen. By the time you feel burned, it will be too late! 

Water Bottle & Sufficient Snacks

Hydration is important every day, but on a day when you’ll be outdoors and potentially far from a shop? These are most definitely the days to carry a good size water bottle with you. Likewise, the last thing you need once settled down for a decent sun worship is some tummy rumbles prompting a long walk to the nearest food vendor. 

One of our favourite options are Outdoor Provisions bars: the mainly raw production process is easy on the stomach (great if you’re training), the flavours aren’t too sweet unlike many energy bars, and every flavour is vegan. The real bonus though, is the compostable wrapper!

An eReader

Reading on the beach is one of life’s greatest and simplest pleasures. While the tactile feel of a real book is also up there, you just can’t knock the option of taking a whole library around with you. Choose your literature as the mood and surroundings take you!

Swimming Gear – Including Water Shoes

UK beaches, particularly designated swimming beaches, are on the whole very safe*. Regardless, not everybody is super confident striding out into the waves. If you’re tempted but a little sea-shy, it’s amazing how much difference popping on a pair of water shoes can make. Firstly it’s much easier tramping over shingle when you’re not in bare feet, but also it does away with any worries about sharp shells, or inquisitive marine life. 

Sure, they’re not always the most stylish of items – but any fresh convert to sea swimming will tell you it’s worth it!

*Always take on board local recommendations for beach safety. There’s often a sign in the carpark or other key areas that will give you advice on the flag signals, and any danger zones in the water.

Beach Towel

No, not just an old bath towel you don’t mind getting dirty! One of our greatest discoveries has been using a hammam towel for sitting on, and a microfibre KB towel for drying off. The flat weave of a hammam towel doesn’t pick up every piece of seaweed within a mile radius like the loops of a standard towel tends to, so you don’t bring as much of the beach home with you! Compact, absorbent microfibre towels like our own design are perfect for actual drying purposes post-swim, and don’t take up much space.

A DobiPak

Other dry bags exist, but our DobiPak has a secret ingredient. As everybody knows, the worst part about going to the beach is sand getting everywhere. Sandy swimming costumes, water shoes and so on can all be tucked away into a drybag to protect the rest of your belongings. But what happens to all that sand when you get home? The DobiPak had a reversible lining to make rinsing it off easy, and next time you go to use it you won’t find sand in every nook and cranny!

The ToteBrix

The ToteBrix was designed as a bag to juggle your training and everyday life, but you know what? That resulted in a whole load of transferable skills. The ToteBrix is big enough to swallow everything you need for a changeable day, while still being easy to carry and sleek enough for any social situation. There’s a built-in strap for your water bottle, and secure storage internally for any valuables you might not want to keep a constant eye on. The base is super resilient, so if you accidentally pop your bag down in a rock pool there’s no problem! Plus it’s structural to make the bag free-standing for easy packing and unpacking. 

Find out more about the ToteBrix here.