How to Organize the Perfect Lake Bag

How many times have you been to the lake this summer? Whether you live on the lake like me or plan on visiting one sometime during this summer season, having the perfect lake bag to bring along is a necessity. Not planning on going to the lake this summer? No worries! This lake bag is just as perfect for a pool or beach day. Come check out how to organize the perfect lake bag for your next water outing!

The sun is shining, the temperatures are rising and all I can think about these days is jumping in the water to cool off. Florida summers are plain brutal. The high temperatures mixed with humidity that’s so thick you can cut it with a knife, are what we Floridians deal with every single day during the summer. Sounds like fun, right?!

The only way to tolerate being outside in this heat is to be near some body of water whether it be a pool, beach, or in our case, a lake. If you’ve ever visited Florida, you know that almost everywhere you go, one of these three options are available for you at any given moment. Most people see this as a luxury, when in fact it is actually a NECESSITY. Without the ability to cool off, the people of Florida would become extinct like dinosaurs. A little bit of an exaggeration but hopefully you get the point…it’s hot here!

Having a lake bag set and ready to go at a moment’s notice is something I’ve been wanting to create for some time now. Being able to just pick it up and jump on the pontoon would make life a little easier. I have a ton of experience when it comes to packing a water bag whether it be for the lake, pool, or beach, but I thought it would be nice to know I had one sitting and ready to go at a drop of a hat. Plus, you know how much I like to stay organized!

I’m well aware that it is the end of July already, but there’s still at least a month of summer left and plenty of time to get use out of my lake bag. Who am I kidding? I’ll probably be able to use it well into October so it’s far from a waste.

So in the spirit of, It’s Better Late Than Never, here’s what you’ll find in my Perfect Lake Bag!

The Lake Bag: My lake bag was purchased from Thirty-One through a fellow band mom, Kelly. The pattern I went with is called Preppy Pop, although I’m not sure they carry it anymore. There are a ton more patterns to choose from so no need to worry if you like the look and functionality of this tote.

I decided to go with the medium-sized utility tote because we are only a family of three and I didn’t need a humongous bag for all our lake items. If you have a bigger family, or younger children who require you to bring more water essentials, there is a large utility bag available as well.

Here are the two bags side-by-side so you can determine which tote would best suit your needs. The large utility tote pattern is called, Lotta Colada and is currently still available.

The bag is open with one big compartment which I like because I don’t have to worry about going through a million pockets and zippers when trying to find something in my lake bag.

To protect the contents of the bag, I opted to purchase a Top-A-Tote from Thirty-One that easily slides through the handles of the tote and gives you that extra layer of protection from things like water or sand. You can also add this feature to the large utility tote.

Final thought…I love my lake bag and all it has to offer!

Towels: My lake bag is equipped with three towels, one for each of us. Being that “The Boys” in my family are both 6 feet and taller, having full-sized beach towels is a must. The two striped towels were purchased at BJs a few years back and the paisley beach towel is from Vera Bradley.

Walmart and Target always have a great selection of beach towels available if you’re in the market for some great towels at a decent price.

Sunscreen: My son, Zach and I are fortunate in the sense that we tan instead of burn when exposed to the sun. Patrick, my husband, is not as lucky. He’s still peeling from our trip to the Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.

Wearing sunscreen is not a negotiation in our house. When I was younger, I spent way too many hours out in the sun lathering myself in tanning oil with an SPF of maybe 4. I’m now paying the price and finding sun spots popping up on my face and other places on my body. Learn from my mistakes and stay protected folks!

We use a minimum of SPF 30 when out in the sun. For my face, I like using the Neutrogena Sport Face sunscreen because it’s oil-free and doesn’t clog my pores. Another added bonus is it has an SPF of 70!

Emergency Kit: I have this same exact emergency kit in my purse. It contains things like Tylenol, band-aids, and allergy pills. The container was purchased at the Dollar Tree and I created the labels to add to it so I know what is in each compartment. You can see exactly how I made it by clicking, here.

 

Water-resistant zipper bag: I like to pack a water-resistant zipper bag to carry smaller items that I know I might need. Inside my zipper bag you can find: my emergency kit from above, a small brush, hair ties, chapstick, Wet-Ones, and a tiny lotion. These items are staples that will stay packed in the zipper bag at all times, but when I’m actually using my tote for a lake day, I will place my keys, ID and iPhone in the pouch.

Other ideas to place inside your zipper bag: loose change and/or cash for snacks if you are headed to the beach or community pool, recreation card to enter community pool, and feminine products.

Non-perishable snacks and plastic cutlery: You’ll probably want to shy away from anything that could melt when thinking of snacks to pack. If you can’t imagine a day at the lake without a Twix bar, pop it in your cooler instead.

I love having fresh fruit whenever I’m out by the water, so that’s where the need for the plastic cutlery comes into play. You can add napkins if you’d like as well.

I like to place my snacks in a plastic grocery bag or gallon-size Ziploc so I can also use it as a garbage bag for my wrappers, crumbs and plasticware.

Some honorable mentions for the Perfect Lake Bag: change of clothes, wet bags/plastic grocery bags for wet bathing suits, lake toys or pool toys, all things baby/toddler related, reading material, sunglasses (if you have an extra pair lying around), detangler hairspray, bug spray if staying outside well into the evening

I’m so excited to officially have a designated lake bag that’s packed and ready to go whenever I may need it. I’m kind of laughing over here about the fact that I’ve figured out yet another way to organize something in my life. My Type A personality is really getting the best of me! Hopefully, I’m helping you stay organized in the process. Don’t forget, my lake bag can easily work as a beach bag or pool bag for that matter if lake life isn’t your thing. Happy Summer!

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE EMERGENCY KIT LABELS TODAY. YOU’LL FIND THEM IN MY RESOURCE LIBRARY. PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW TO INSTANTLY RECEIVE THE PASSWORD TO THE LIBRARY. ENJOY!

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