Beach vacation packing list: what to bring and what to skip

With warmer weather comes spring and summer vacations! At the HAPARI office, we often talk about our favorite beach vacations. As a company built around swimwear, it’s safe to say we love the beach. We can envision a perfect beach day so clearly, we can almost transport ourselves there—salty sea breezes, warm soft sand, and blue skies and waters for miles. Ahh, it’s truly otherworldly! 

For all of you planning an upcoming beach trip, 1) we’re jealous and can you please take us with you? And 2) we have the perfect curated Beach Vacation Packing List to share with you today. So whether you’re hitting up a beach vacation, taking a cruise, or checking a tropical getaway off your bucket list, this is a post you’re going to want to save and refer back to for your trip. Check it out below!

Why packing correctly is important

First up, let’s chat about packing and why it’s so important to get right. Having the right items (clothing, swimsuit, and beach supplies, like a beach towel, beach bag, cover-up, water shoes, flip flops, etc.) with you on vacation can either make or break your trip. If you bring too many items you’ll be lugging heavy suitcases around. Flashback to the time I packed a huge suitcase with me to Italy and ended up lugging it down a cobblestone street and up five flights of stairs. Facepalm. On the other hand, if you pack too little you’re stuck without the stuff you need or re-wearing dirty outfits or a used bathing suit. Yuck! Putting together the right packing list for your trip is important. Start by considering the below:

• What type of trip is this? Is it a cruise where you’ll have a formal night, lots of days at sea on the cruise ship (meaning you’ll need several bathing suits?), and some shore excursions? Or, is it a beach vacation on the Oregon coast where you’ll need lots of cover-ups and loungewear?
  
  
• What activities will you be doing? Are you heading to Hawaii with plans to spend the day at both the beach and doing hikes in the mountains? In this case, a tankini or one-piece might suit you best for versatility. Or, are you mostly sunbathing at a resort in Las Vegas and therefore need a bunch of bikini swimsuits?
  
  
• How long will you be there? Will you be gone for shorter or longer than a week? Is it a 7-day beach vacation/cruise or a low-key beach trip for the weekend? 

Once you consider all of the above, you’ll narrow in on what exactly you need for your trip to be a success—with just the right outfit, bathing suit, and gear that you need! 

Top three tips for packing like a pro

Next up, packing doesn’t have to be complicated. But, most people start by thinking about things like: how many pants or tops or clothes do I need? This almost always leads to overpacking. Check out our top three tips for packing like a pro below:

• Pack outfits, not individual pieces. Don’t pack for individual pieces e.g. try not to pack with the idea of a set number of shorts, tops, jackets, or X many swimsuits in mind. Instead, take the time to put together outfit pairings beforehand. This takes more time and effort but you’ll end up saving yourself time on your trip and space in your suitcase doing this. To do this, plan each day out and pack everything you need for that outfit—for example: sun heat, sundress, bathing suit, flip flops, and beach towel. Then move to the next day. Keep doing this until your whole trip is planned out. You’ll find efficiencies and items you can re-wear like jackets, shorts/pants, and cover-up pieces.
  
  
• Pack for layers. The old adage to pack and dress in layers is a common phrase because it’s true and it works. Pack in layers that you can rewear—bring loungewear and cover-ups that are versatile enough to work at the beach and at dinner, bring a beach bag that doubles as storage for a beach day and a carry-on suitcase at the airport, and/or bring a bikini top that you can wear to the beach and a workout class.
  
  
• Pack once, then go through again and cut it down. Last tip: pack everything you think you need once. Then go through with a more critical eye and cut the packing down. Aim to take out ¼ or ⅓ of what you packed. We often overpack because we think we won’t have access to a washer or dryer. If that’s the case, pack a small thing of detergent with you to hand wash your items. You’ll find that you really don’t need as much as your first instinct says you do.
  

Beach Vacations: what to bring and what to skip

Now that you know more about what you need on your trip, take a look at our curated packing list below. Sourced from our HAPARI offices with many veteran beachgoers, this is the ultimate 7-Day Beach Vacation Packing List:

7-Day Beach Vacation Packing List: 

• 2-3 tops (tanks, t-shirts, or blouses)
• 2-3 bottoms (joggers, shorts, pants, skirts)
• 1 jacket
• 1 full-length dress
• 1 short tank or sleeved dress
• 3-4 HAPARI bathing suits 
• 1 beach bag
• 1 beach towel 
• 1 pair of flip flops or water shoes
• 1 pair of closed-toe shoes

With the above list, you should be able to fit all of it in a carry-on suitcase, granted it will be snug. It doesn’t include toiletries, skincare products (like sunscreen!), or other items, so be sure to pack those as needed. Hopefully the above gives you a baseline to start your beach or cruise packing list!

Now things you should skip packing?

• Items you might wear only once on the trip. For example, an overly formal dress when you could bring a more versatile dress and ‘dress it up or down’ to wear it multiple times on the trip.
  
• More than one jacket. You just don’t need more than one jacket if you’re planning to be at a hot tropical location.
  
• Denim pants. Skip the denim pants—they take up a lot of room in your suitcase and you can bring lighter weight and easier-to-pack pant options like linen pants or loungewear joggers.
  
• Too many activewear outfits. Even if you plan to work out on vacation, you can likely get by bringing only one (or maybe two) activewear sets.
  
• Too many tops. Listen, I get it—there’s an urge to just throw a few more tops or tanks in your suitcase just in case. But, if you plan out your outfits you don’t need to do this.

How many swimsuits should I take on vacation?

Last up, we’ve been asked many times for our recommendation regarding how many swimsuits we recommend taking on vacation. This can be tricky as there are a lot of variables, but as a general rule of thumb, we recommend the following:

• For a 10-day (or more) vacation: bring 4 to 5 swimsuits
• For a 7-day vacation: bring 3 to 4 swimsuits
• For a 5-day vacation: bring 2 to 3 swimsuits
• For a 3-day vacation: bring 1 to 2 swimsuits 

Why this many and what kinds of swimsuits should you bring? Well, we recommend the above number to make sure your swimsuits have time to fully dry between wearing them. With a beach-focused vacation or cruise, it’s likely that you’ll be in the water for at least a portion of each day. It’s not only sanitary but also more comfortable to wear a dry swimsuit. 

Now, what types of swimsuits should you bring? It’s all about versatility. For an average 7-day vacation, we recommend the following swimsuits and cover-ups:

Types of swimsuits to bring:

• One-piece: Reverie Long Sleeve One-Piece Swimsuit
• High-Neck Tankini: Cheetah High-Neck Tankini Top
• Slimming Tankini: Tropic Slimming Tankini Top
• Two-piece Bikini: Reef Twist Bikini Top
• Swim Bottoms: Black Tummy Tuk Cheeky Swim Bottoms
  

Types of loungewear and cover-ups to bring:

• Shawl or poncho: Coolidge Poncho
• Sweater: Ashleigh Cashmere Sweater
• Joggers: Villa Joggers
• Dress: Taylor Cuff-Sleeve T-Shirt Dress

Shop now—and Buy One, Get One Free!

Now that you know about the best way to pack for your beach vacation, don’t forget about our limited time Buy One, Get One Free sale to stock up on new swimsuits and loungewear for your trip. Score BOGO when you use code B1G1 at checkout. Better hurry, though, this deal won’t last long!