It’s taken me a few years of trial and error to get everything right. There’s actually quite a lot to consider when it comes to the ideal beach day, believe it or not. By the summer of 2020, I finished acquiring everything I needed for an outing to the beach at my local state recreation area. I knew beach reading was a relatively pandemic-safe activity, and I certainly wasn’t going to be spending any money on travel that year. My investment has served me incredibly well, and I’m looking forward to taking my beach reading setup on the road this summer to an upcoming family reunion. So let me show you the steps in getting ready for a perfect beach reading day. I’m always happy to see beach reading photos, even if I’m up to my neck in snow and a thousand miles from a beach. So I hope I’ve convinced you to find a little sun, sand, and maybe a scandalous saga (or several) this summer, and to share what you’re up to. Also pay attention to special rules. Some beaches don’t allow dogs, for example. Some have rules about what kinds of floats are allowed. Many have rules about whether and where fires are allowed. Glass typically isn’t allowed, so bring canned beverages. Some beaches are clothing-optional or have clothing-optional sections. I, for one, like to know whether I’m expecting to see strangers’ naked butts on a given day. There are important safety considerations, too. It’s generally unwise to swim alone at a beach with no lifeguards, for example. If you’re at a beach with strong tides and currents, know how those work. And hilariously, at my local beach, we have to be on the lookout for black vultures, because they apparently enjoy damaging cars. Who says the Midwest is boring? For me, that starts with a shade tent. I have no patience with umbrellas or flimy sunshades. Once I saw fellow beachgoers putting up canopies on my local beach, I knew I needed to follow suit. I have this tent, which fits in my hatchback car easily and pops up in about a minute. It’s spacious enough for a few people depending on how seating is configured. It can become a bit of a sail on a gusty day, though, so consider investing in sandbags, too. I like to set mine up a short distance from the water but as far from groups with rowdy beachgoers or stereo systems as possible. There are any number of chairs you can bring to the beach. I’ve brought plastic Adirondack chairs as well as fairly standard camping chairs. I don’t personally love those very low beach chairs because they’re awkward to get in and out of, but maybe you like them. I haven’t yet brought my portable freestanding hammock to the beach, but I have brought it to my local drive-in theater, so I know it would work splendidly. As far as seating in the water, I’m not a float person, because I’ve yet to discover a float that also provides good shade. Also, I fear reading atop one would make me, a total weenie, seasick. But maybe you also want to bring something fun and inflatable. And I’m always thinking about how to deal with my sworn enemy, the sun. The ideal beach reading day involves spending a long time outdoors, including plenty of time out in the water. When I think about sun exposure, I think of sunscreen as my last line of defense, after considering shade, time of day, and clothing. Make sure you bring along your preferred sunscreen and reapply often, and don’t be shy about wearing a floppy hat out into the water if you’re not planning to dunk your head. If you’re an audiobook reader, that’s great too. I also love bringing audiobooks to the beach so that I can combine three of my favorite activities: swimming, reading, and knitting. If you want to take your audiobook into the water with you, I love my bone-conducting waterproof headphones, which leave ears exposed in case of a lifeguard’s whistle or other important noise. And again, if the audio book you’re listening to is making you blush and avoid eye contact with fellow beachgoers, you’re doing it right.
