What I Take to The Lake

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July and that you're still enjoying the weekend. We had a pretty low key day over here Thursday. We got up that morning and went out to the lake early to get in some sun and beat the crowds. We stayed for a few hours and then headed back to grill out and spend a relaxing evening at home.

The water was so calm and peaceful that morning

 

 

We had a surprise guest show up at our house that evening too.

 

 

The dog, not the cat

 

He lives at a neighbors house down the street probably a mile or so, but there are a lot of turns and streets in that mile so we were quite surprised to see him all the way down here. He hung out in the front yard a bit, lounged on the back porch for a while....all while being stalked by our cat. She didn't let him out of her sight the whole time.

 

But anyway, back to the point of this post. We go to the lake or floating on the river pretty often in the summer, at least we try to. And for a while there it was a learning and guessing game as to what I should've/shouldn't have brought with us. I think I finally have a set main list of items that I think come in really handy and that we use each time, so I thought I would share them.

 

If we go floating we have to bring foods that are pre-made, like sandwiches. If we go out to the lake we might grill and that entails a few more items to remember.

 

If we're grilling out we bring:

 

-Charcoal, a long lighter and either lighter fluid or you can get the charcoal with it already coated

-A brush to scrape off the grill or some wadded up foil works handy too, I take foil either way because it's good for keeping pesky fly's off the food.

-Tongs/Spatula to grab or flip the food you're cooking

-Extra baggies to store any opened foods like hot dogs and cheese

-Trash bags, we just use Wal-Mart bags

-Paper towels or napkins, utensils and paper plates/bowls

 

I store paper towels, utensils and extra baggies in a large bag to make it easier to find

 

-Wet paper towels/wet wipes/baby wipes... just something to wipe those hands off with because they get sticky and dirty quick ( I also bring some hand sanitizer)

-Any condiments the food your cooking might need, and don't forget spices like your salt and pepper

-As for other snack foods, we bring those individual chip bags, fruit like grapes and melon, maybe some fruit snacks. For drinks we bring plenty of water, some juice and whatever adult beverages we might like. Don't forget to stop and get ice for the cooler!

 

As for some miscellaneous/personal supplies:

 

-Sunscreen (duh). I also bring face sunscreen and chapstick with SPF

-Sunglasses and any supplies you might need for contacts if you wear them, like a case and solution and maybe an extra pack if yours get ruined

-Face wipes because at the end of the day I'm ready for a fresh face. You might also bring a few make-up items if you think you might go somewhere after, maybe some concealer and mascara

-Hair items to keep it out of your face. Clips, bobby pins, ties

-Extra set of clothes, and extra towels for the car ride home.

-I like to take a bottle of Advil and some Band-Aids for minor things that come up

 

This is the little make up bag I use to keep some of the items corralled.

I also have a little brush/mirror combo because wet hair can be a paid sometimes

 

Obviously the cold items go in the cooler, but for the rest of it, I try to keep it contained into one bag if I can.

 

 

I like that the bag has the outside pocket so I can keep sunscreen, keys, and a wallet handy and that the inside is a material that is so easy to wipe down. It's really one of those insulated bags for buying cold items, but it works great for this too.

 

Speaking of wallets, I don't carry my purse or my wallet with me. I take one of these....

 

 

My ID, a credit card/debit card, and some cash (I try to always take some small bills too) is all I take with me. I can clip my keys to the outside and have all I really need.