This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kean chapter.

During the summer there are a few places where you can find a huge crowd of people. These places include the mall, movie theater, amusement parks, restaurants, and the beach.

Going to the beach is a lot of fun because there are always a lot of activities to do, especially if the beach has a boardwalk. If you are one of those people that like to just hang out on the sand with your friends, or significant other, here are some essential items that you should have with you in your beach bag.

1. Beach Towels

When going to the beach the first item you should have with you is more then one beach towel. You should bring one towel to lay on the ground so you and your friends can have something comfortable to sit on, and you should also have a towel to dry yourself off with after swimming for a couple of hours.

2. Cooler bag

The second item that you should bring with you when you go the beach is a cooler bag. Cooler bags come in different sizes and patterns depending on your personal preference. Cooler bags are perfect for the beach because you can toss in your food and drinks without them going bad in the hot car on the way to the beach.

3. Food and drinks

The next two items that you should bring to the beach is food and drinks (along with plates and napkins which are obvious items to bring along with food). Being at the beach all day is a lot fun, but in order to keep your energy lasting you should prepare some food to bring with you on your trip. The easiest food to bring with you to the beach are cold cut sandwiches. You can either make your own sandwiches, which I recommend especially if you want to save a lot of money, or you can purchase some sub sandwiches to bring along with you. As for drinks one of the beverages that you should definitely carry with you is bottles of water. You want to stay hydriated while being out in the heat all day, and you can also pack up sodas if you like. All of these items can fit perfectly in your cooler bag (which was number two on the essential list).

4. Hand sanitizer wipes

The next item that you should carry with you to the beach is hand sanitizer wipes. You want to make sure that you have a quick and easy accessible way to clean your hands before eating your food and etc.

5. Sunblock lotion

A very important item to carry with you to the beach is sunblock lotion. You want to make sure that you have a high quality sunblock lotion that will protect your skin from any possible skin damage.

6. Extra clothes

When going to the beach you need to bring a spare change of clothes so you can change in them after you finish swimming. In addition to of course bringing extra underwear, ladies can bring a nice simple summer dress, shorts or jeans, a tee shirt, or tanktop to wear in the evening. As for the men you should bring a tee shirt, shorts, or jeans. These are simple clothing choices that you can choose from so that way you don’t wear sandy, or wet clothes all day.

7. Body lotion

It is very important to keep your skin moisturized on a daily basis, especially on hot day. You don’t need to bring a huge bottle of lotion with you to the beach, but remember to at least bring one or two bottles so that you keep your skin in good shape.

8. Hair brush and hair ties

When going to beach you need to have a hair brush, especially one that is great at detangling your hair. In addition to having a hair brush, you should bring some hair ties as well.You want to keep your hair tamed especially if you plan on going out at night with your significant other.

These are the top eight items that you should carry in your summer bag to have a perfect fun filled and flawless day at the beach!

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