The Best Beach Gear for Kicking Off Your Endless Summer

City streets clogged with slush? Open a map, look for a coastline far south, and pack for the beach.
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STEPHANIE GONOT

City streets clogged with slush? Open a map, look for a coastline far south, and pack for the beach.

1. Alite Mayfly Chair | $100

Sand is a fickle surface, but this chair is up for the challenge. It’s super stable, no matter the terrain, and can hold big kids up to 250 pounds. The best part: It collapses down so small, you can slip it into your carry-on for the flight.

2. Vapur MicroFilter Bottle Set | $50

Some destinations have beautiful ocean water but less than lovely drinking water. This in-bottle filtration system keeps you hydrated without risking a bout of Montezuma’s Revenge. Since the “bottle” is actually a sack, it folds up for travel.

3. Freewaters Kaamper | $46

Shield your feets and stroll the beach in comfort with these flip-flops. The soles are made from the same stuff as camping pad foam, so it’ll feel like you’re walking on a bed—a bed that clings to your feet, thanks to neoprene padding and a thick strap.

4. Enjoy Handplanes Baby Buddha | $165

This 14-inch rig provides smile-inducing speed and lift when you’re bodysurfing. There’s a GoPro mount for budding Bruce Browns. The guts come from familiar places: upcycled foam from old surfboards and neoprene from used wet suits.

5. Costalots Diego | $230

These sporty sunnies come in a variety of colors and styles, each with Carl Zeiss lenses, so the ocean will always look as pretty as it actually is. The hand-dyed frames are held together with robust alloy hinges, so the shades should last for the next decade of vacations.

Styling by Bryson Gill