Beach Vacation Packing Essentials for Dads

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Beach Vacation Packing Essentials for Dads

Posted on 08 18, 2008 under Mantivities by foodad | Comments

“Here comes the donkey
Chained to a ten ton plough
he’ll never make that hill in a million years
whip CRACK beat em down” -What the World is Waiting For – Stone Roses

That donkey is me. One of the Ocean City locals commented that I looked like a pack mule and that she was impressed with the amount of stuff I hauled to and from the beach every day. We noodads are used to this though. We can carry 10-20 times our own weight in gear. Maybe that was ants. At any rate, whether it’s carrying things through the airport, carrying multiple kids to the car in a rain storm or hauling beach gear we can pile it on.

The daily routine for me this vacation was to load up the beach cart, drag it down to the beach, set everything up and then commence digging. Digging post holes for beach umbrellas, piles of sand for sandcastles, moats for said castles and holes for the sake of having holes. This year it was a lot easier because I actually went to the hardware store about an hour before we left for the shore and bought a shovel. I have been keeping a list of all of the things that I think are must haves for a beach vacation for dads.

The Spade

See above

The Beach Cart

For us this is an old school, 2 seat stroller. I can put all the kids toys the, 2-4 fold-flat beach chairs, our beach bags, the beach umbrellas and the spade down to the beach. We stay about 2 blocks away and while I do wipe out 1-2 times per trip down, it’s no biggie.There are better beach carts out there, but you know the old saying “getting there is half the fun.” I saw some dads with classic beach carts, coolers with wheels, wagons and even some dads these SUV carts!

The Cooler

Sandwiches, waters, juice boxes, watermelon, peaches and plumbs (combined with a little shade from time to time) can extend your beach day.

The Boogeyboard

Waves or no waves, these are a hit. You can shred a few waves yourself, tow your kids in the water normally reserved for the skim boarders or teach them to shred in the little waves. Tip: Serious boogey boarders will consider the flippers. They make it easy to catch waves that you cannot catch by paddling.

Net Bag for Beach Toys

Sure, you need buckets, shovels, sieves, trucks and starfish molds. The net bag allows you to throw them all in the bag at the end of the day and wash them off in the ocean/lake before you go back.

Option for Hardcore Dads: The Beach Shelter

Some guys brought giant tents to the beach. Yes. I said tentS. Impressive. Unnecessary, but I admit I wanted one! Instead, I brought a plastic blow-up pool for the baby with a little canopy on top. My wife got it at the Christmas Tree shop for cheap. Bring a big pail though! I put it under the beach umbrella and put her in the pool in her Bumbo. Bumbo seats rock. The first day we did not take it to the beach and the baby came away looking like cinnamon sugar donut from Browns.

Try to bring them from home if you can fit them in the car because they will cost a lot more once you get there.

Dads, what else is essential to take to the beach or on a beach vacation? What have you done to make the day even more special for the kids?