If you haven’t figured it out yet, beach vacations are my FAVORITE. I’m always ready to hop on a plane and head somewhere tropical. I usually take 1-2 beach vacations a year, so I definitely have my packing method down to a science. I thought it would be fun to do a “pack with me” style post so you can see the basics of what I always pack for the beach – hopefully it will be useful to you for your next trip! This also happened to be what I packed for my spring break trip to Navarre Florida this past March, and I felt like it was the perfect amount of stuff. If you’re a checklist kind of person, I also created a really cool packing checklist printable awhile back, and you can see that HERE!
LUGGAGE
I bought my Calpak marble carry on a few years ago, and it’s been all over the world with me. It is by far one of the best investments I’ve ever made. This is my favorite suitcase EVER. It’s one of the hard suitcases, and the wheels move 360 degrees – this makes walking through the airport so much easier. Quality suitcases really make a difference, and I’m a strong believer in investing in high-quality luggage that will last forever. I recently got some Calpak marble packing cubes that match my suitcase, and also the larger size Calpak marble suitcase that I can use for a checked bag! These suitcases have a built in combination lock on the sides, which is a super convenient way to protect your stuff. I love packing cubes, so I was really excited to replace my Amazon ones with ones that match my suitcase. There are so many affordable options on Amazon that work great though, so those are a great option if you don’t want to drop $50 on them. Packing cubes changed the game for me. I roll all of my clothes when I pack, and when I put the rolled clothes in packing cubes it saves so much space. They just compress everything while keeping all of your stuff super organized!
CARRY ON
For my personal item, I use my new Louis Vuitton Neverfull. It’s the MM size, which is their medium one, and I think it’s so perfect for a carry on! I can’t believe I lived my whole life without it. I bought this felt insert for my purse to add support and help keep things organized. I wish the insert was a tiny bit bigger, but I still really like it! For another carry on option, I used to use my Lululemon backpack. I love that backpack too, it fits so much stuff and is so high-quality. Now that we’ve talked about the luggage I use, let’s get into the fun stuff!
CLOTHES
My suitcase has had the same packing framework for pretty much every beach vacation. Obviously I bring swimsuits, and I usually bring 2 or 3 coverups. I have a few posts about my favorite swimsuits and beachwear: Spring Break Swimsuit Roundup + My Favorite Places to Shop + 5 Things You Need to Have the Perfect Beach Day.
I’ll kind of organize this by what goes into each packing cube. In the smallest zipper pouch, I pack underwear and bras. In the next smaller size packing cube, I fit all of my swimsuits. See the posts I linked above for swimwear ideas! In the other smaller packing cube, I put a few t-shirts and tanks. I dress pretty casual at home, and I definitely carry that over to vacation. My outfits are a combination of a skirt + tank, skirt + bodysuit, dress, or shorts + tee. I love maxi and midi skirts and basic colored tops so they can be mixed and matched. Lately, I’ve been really into Lands’ End swimwear and clothing, so that’s usually what makes up 90% of my suitcase! In the biggest packing cube, I usually pack one sweatshirt and one pair of leggings (or jeans) in case it gets cold…because like clockwork, every time I go on vacation, the weather turns terrible. I also pack some sweats and pajamas. I usually wear my Birkenstocks on the plane, and pack a pair of Adidas slides for the beach. I learned from experience that you should never wear Birkenstocks in the sand! I ruined a new pair in the span of a one-week vacation. If I’m planning on dressing fancy for dinner, which I usually don’t, I’ll throw in some wedges and a fancier outfit.
SUNGLASSES
I’ve been obsessed with these black Quay aviators for a few years now, and I love wearing them on the beach! They’re oversized, so they block out all of the sun…for some reason, my eyelids always get burned if I don’t constantly have sunglasses on. I recently got these super cute Juicy Couture geometric sunglasses for summer, and of course my heart sunglasses always make an appearance on the beach. They are a great dupe for the $400 designer pair…mine were under $20!
BEAUTY
For skincare, I pretty much exclusively pack my Drunk Elephants Littles set. The set even comes with the cutest little travel bag that fits all the products. I am so obsessed with Drunk Elephant, so I have to bring them on vacation! The set includes the Beste No.9 Jelly Cleanser, B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum, C-Firma Day Serum, Lala Retro Whipped Cream, Shaba Complex Eye Serum, TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense SPF 30, and Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil. I always throw in a tube of my favorite Neutrogena Hyrdroboost Sunscreen for my body. Of course I pack the basics: hairbrush, hair ties, toothbrush/toothpaste, and deodorant. For makeup, I always opt to keep things simple. Since I’m pretty much going to be on the beach the whole time, I keep my makeup pretty light. I’m not even bringing a foundation! Here’s the few beauty products that make the cut: Urban Decay Naked Concealer, Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, NARS Translucent Setting Powder, and Benefit Hoola Bronzer. I keep it pretty simple, but these few products haven’t let me down on any past vacations.
ELECTRONICS
Of course I bring my laptop and my DSLR camera/lenses. I don’t leave home without them, because I can never really take a break from working. I also really like to load the camera pictures I take at the end of every day on vacation! I also bring my iPad Pro, so I can do some reading on the plane. I also love using my iPad to draw when I’m on the beach – it’s so relaxing! I got this cute little pink bluetooth speaker at TJ Maxx recently and I am so impressed with it! The battery lasts almost all day, and it’s super affordable. I always used to forget a speaker when I went to the beach – it’s now a necessity! Another thing I need is a way to charge my phone. It dies in like 3 hours, so I always bring my power bank with me.
OTHER STUFF
I also wanted to mention a few other random things I always bring that don’t really fit into any of the above categories. I love my Lands’ End Cooler bag – it looks like their other totes but is insulated inside. It fits so many drinks, and keeps them cold all day. I usually drink mixed drinks at the beach from my Yeti, which is another essential. I use the 26 oz. Rambler water bottle with a straw lid. It fits perfectly in my cooler bag too! I also bring a big floppy straw beach hat that’s cute for pictures, and also a baseball hat for when I’m not feeling super extra. Of course I bring snacks with me too. Some of my favorite travel snacks are fruit rollups, goldfish, and granola bars. When I get to my destination, I usually grab water and some kind of coffee from the grocery store. You probably know by now that my favorite beach bag is my Land’s End canvas tote, so I won’t go on vacation without it. I love the large size for the beach – it fits towels, snacks, my speaker, and everything else I need. My neck pillow is my BFF for plane rides – people make fun of me when I wear it but it’s sooooo comfortable. It’s by Trtl, and you can check it out here!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
I’m so excited for my next beach trip at the end of this summer…any guesses where I’m going?! What are your necessities for beach vacations, and where is your favorite place to go on vacation?
*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of my links, I make a few pennies at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting this blog!
