Minimalist packing for beach vacation | My 5 essentials!

The summer holiday is almost over, but there are still people that go on holiday after the summer holidays. And yes that’s me! I’m going on a well-deserved – if I may say so myself – beach holiday soon. You might remember me writing about where to start when you want to go on an active holiday? a couple of years ago. And I also wrote about my climbing holiday in Orpierre, as well as a weekend of outdoor climbing in Berdorf. This year I decided it’s going to be a beach holiday, which might be the perfect opportunity to tell you everything about minimalist packing for beach vacation. I’m not the best at minimalist packer – ask my parents about the time I still went on holiday with them – so this blog post might also be a good guide for myself. Are you a minimalist packer when it comes to beach holidays?

Minimalist packing for beach vacation – Vacation packing list

Usually, when I go on holiday I make a packing list. This list contains things like a tent, camping gear, and climbing gear. Well, this time non of that is necessary since I’m going on a beach holiday. So I’m intending on creating a minimalist beach packing list. You can also use this list for a weekend beach trip, which will just contain the things you need most. I’ll also share some packing tips & tricks at the end of this blog post on how to pack light.

What are some things that you should pack for a beach vacation?

There are many things you need to bring on holiday including your travel documents, travel insurance card, credit or debit card. These things are not on the minimalist packing list, because they are just the things that are essential for any trip. I’m talking about beach essentials, plus the things I mentioned above.

My essentials:

1. Water bottle
   I think a water bottle is the most important thing on your beach vacation packing list. Whether you bring your own water bottle and refill it or buy filled water bottles in a supermarket, they are super important! You lose a lot of fluid when you are in a warm environment, so keeping yourself hydrated is absolutely essential when going to the beach. I have a beautiful water bottle from Cool Bottles which I use almost every day. This water bottle keeps your water cold for a very long time. And it works both ways, so in the winter I fill it with boiling water or tea.
2. Sunscreen and sun protection
   The second most important thing is sunscreen. I can’t stress enough how important it is to put sunscreen on your body and face! My current favorite sunscreens are listed in the blog post about environmentally friendly sunscreen for this summer. Also very important is a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes and the skin around your eyes from the sun. The skin around your eyes is the most delicate part of your skin and should always be protected from the sun. So a pair of sunglasses, a visor, or a big sun hat will do the trick!
3. Swimwear
   You can’t go to the beach without swimwear in my opinion. A beautiful bikini or bathing suit is an absolute must. I got mine in the Hunkemoller sale since I didn’t need them during the summer holiday season. I could get them at a nice discounted price after the summer holidays. If you want to save money on your swimwear I would recommend buying your swimwear in the fall. Or if found out you need a new bikini or swimsuit before the summer starts, you can also go to an outlet center to buy a beautiful swimwear set or piece for a discounted price.
4. Clothing items
   Tank tops, shorts, summer dresses, and flip flops are in my opinion a must to take on a beach holiday. I would always make sure – if you travel by plane – to wear the heaviest items or put them in your carry-on luggage. This way you save some space and weight in your bigger luggage for other clothing items. I wrote a whole blog post about top fashion pieces to get ready for summer! I’d take all these pieces with me on holiday if they fit in my suitcase!
5. Favorite book
   You need to do something when you’re on a beach holiday. I’d pack a couple of good books to read when laying down on the beach. I’m very old-fashioned in that kind of way because I still like my paper books instead of a kindle. They weigh a lot more compared to digital books, but I just like the fact that you can hold them. I don’t know, it’s probably just a preference. Do you prefer a normal paper book or an e-reader?

Some last-minute travel tips

Don’t make multiple packing lists, this is mainly just a mental note. I usually start with one list and end up with multiple. Does anyone else do this too? It’s also very useful to bring travel size toiletries if you’re just going for a weekend. And if you’re going away for longer I’d take the thing you only use once or twice in travel size. Another very useful thing to buy are packing cubes. These will make organizing your luggage a whole lot easier and they often save space, because you can make them kind of airtight.

Let me know if these tips & tricks were useful for you and if you are good at minimalist packing for beach vacation. Do you love traveling or do you find packing your bags a pain like me? Let me know in the comments below!