usvi-on-line
Hauling stuff to the beach..how do YOU do it?
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Jan&MikeVa
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:32 pm
- Location: The Chesapeake Bay
Hauling stuff to the beach..how do YOU do it?
I'd love to hear from all of you..........
How do YOU get your stuff from the parking lot/road to the beach? We’re booked for our 5th trip to STJ and we’re still trying to figure out a more efficient way to carry all of our “stuff”. We feel like such “tourists”, hauling and huffing and puffing, nothing seems to fit right, we just aren’t getting it!
Here’s what’s in our haul:
2 beach chairs
2 sets of snorkel gear
2 beach towels
1 neat sheet (sometimes)
1 ski belt or noodle (sometimes)
1 cooler (small)
snack (cookies or fruit)
sun block
book
camera
binoculars (sometimes)
xtra water
Right now we have this large backpack w/wheels that barely holds all of the above (not the beach chairs), yet it’s big and bulky. And when we leave everything gets stuck to the snorkel gear if it’s wet. Anyone use the netted bags (we’ve only used them on boats)?
Appreciate hearing what you all haul and how you do it. I've tried looking at other folks, but you know we don't really see that many people.
Thanks in advance!!
Jan (akaCharlie)
How do YOU get your stuff from the parking lot/road to the beach? We’re booked for our 5th trip to STJ and we’re still trying to figure out a more efficient way to carry all of our “stuff”. We feel like such “tourists”, hauling and huffing and puffing, nothing seems to fit right, we just aren’t getting it!
Here’s what’s in our haul:
2 beach chairs
2 sets of snorkel gear
2 beach towels
1 neat sheet (sometimes)
1 ski belt or noodle (sometimes)
1 cooler (small)
snack (cookies or fruit)
sun block
book
camera
binoculars (sometimes)
xtra water
Right now we have this large backpack w/wheels that barely holds all of the above (not the beach chairs), yet it’s big and bulky. And when we leave everything gets stuck to the snorkel gear if it’s wet. Anyone use the netted bags (we’ve only used them on boats)?
Appreciate hearing what you all haul and how you do it. I've tried looking at other folks, but you know we don't really see that many people.
Thanks in advance!!
Jan (akaCharlie)
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Marcia (Mrs. Pete)
- Posts: 1576
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:40 pm
- Location: Madison Area, Wisconsin
We have a net bag but the problem with it is that it doesn't have the kind of strap we want it to; it's too short to sling over your shoulder. The one you get if you rent your snorkel stuff is the worst! That net bag just has the string ties that close the opening and you can't sling those straps over your shoulder either.
No matter what you do, there's just too much to carry efficiently. Cooler, chairs, snorkel stuff, they're all bulky.
I'd love to hear other ideas for hauling gear.
Marcia
No matter what you do, there's just too much to carry efficiently. Cooler, chairs, snorkel stuff, they're all bulky.
I'd love to hear other ideas for hauling gear.
Marcia
When we go down we bring backpacks for our excursions to the beaches or on the trails.
We've got some nice Kelty backpacks that have some serious storage going on. Plenty of loops, pockets and some really nice thick straps. Both of us carry our own food, water, snorkel gear, towels, cameras, and suntan lotion.
The only beach we bring chairs to is Maho, otherwise it's just relaxing on our towels.
Something pretty similar to this...
Throw a little collapsible cooler in the top pocket w/ some sandwiches, and a couple of frozen bottles of water in the side pockets and we're good to go.
We've got some nice Kelty backpacks that have some serious storage going on. Plenty of loops, pockets and some really nice thick straps. Both of us carry our own food, water, snorkel gear, towels, cameras, and suntan lotion.
The only beach we bring chairs to is Maho, otherwise it's just relaxing on our towels.
Something pretty similar to this...
Throw a little collapsible cooler in the top pocket w/ some sandwiches, and a couple of frozen bottles of water in the side pockets and we're good to go.
Last edited by BigDog on Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
They handle the cooler (with beer, water, sandwiches, etc.) and we each carry our own beach bag (with towel, book, camera, sunblock) and chair.
Hi Jan,
We picked up a couple of good sized netted backpacks on Virgin Gorda this past trip. They easily hold snorkel gear and towels; and also had an enclosed pocket for lotions, ipods, and cameras. Unfortunately, I don't remember the manufacturer.
The chairs at the villa had shoulder straps; and hubby gets the small cooler with snacks.
It does become a pain lugging it day after day; actually, our last day in November, we skipped the snorkel stuff. Of course it was the shortest walk to the beach as we ended up at Maho. Go figure.
On a previous trip we lugged everything down the Lind trail to honeymoon - after a week of rain and a morning soaking - it wasn't a pretty sight.
It boggles my mind that some folks actually do a 2 week vacation with carry-on. I can't even fit my day stuff for the beach in a carry on - geesh!
We picked up a couple of good sized netted backpacks on Virgin Gorda this past trip. They easily hold snorkel gear and towels; and also had an enclosed pocket for lotions, ipods, and cameras. Unfortunately, I don't remember the manufacturer.
The chairs at the villa had shoulder straps; and hubby gets the small cooler with snacks.
It does become a pain lugging it day after day; actually, our last day in November, we skipped the snorkel stuff. Of course it was the shortest walk to the beach as we ended up at Maho. Go figure.
On a previous trip we lugged everything down the Lind trail to honeymoon - after a week of rain and a morning soaking - it wasn't a pretty sight.
It boggles my mind that some folks actually do a 2 week vacation with carry-on. I can't even fit my day stuff for the beach in a carry on - geesh!
janet
I bring our cooler with us it is a Polar Bear Cooler (see my post on this cooler)and because I carry the heavy items this cooler helps greatly. You are able to arrange the straps and make it a back pack. We put all drinks and food items in it leaving hands free for snorkle gear, chairs and beach bag. This allows for one trip from and to the car.
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Bob & Anita
- Posts: 611
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:20 pm
- Location: Charlotte, NC
Last year, with the two boys, we had a backpack for each of us: 1) snorkel gear backpack (good enough for 4 sets of snorkel gear), 2) a backpack cooler (holds lunch and drinks for four – including ample supply of Bob’s “beach soldiers”) and 3) regular backpack to carry our towels and neat sheet, and 4) another regular backpack to carry books, camera, extra tee shirts, etc). This left enough free hands to carry anything else, such as beach chairs, which we never use anyways.
When it’s just the two of us, we just use two regular back packs. We carry our snorkel gear in a mesh bag with a shoulder strap that goes over one shoulder and use a soft-sided cooler that also a shoulder strap. This typically leaves one hand free for each of us, but we generally don’t bring chairs.
When it’s just the two of us, we just use two regular back packs. We carry our snorkel gear in a mesh bag with a shoulder strap that goes over one shoulder and use a soft-sided cooler that also a shoulder strap. This typically leaves one hand free for each of us, but we generally don’t bring chairs.
Bob & Anita
mary beth has the right idea! My Honey schelps all our stuff too! Of course I have to listen to him b***h everytime but well...what can I say, the price you pay for paradise!
More to the point, I am a beach bag junkie. I have one for everything, every size, every shape, every style, and every color.
More to the point, I am a beach bag junkie. I have one for everything, every size, every shape, every style, and every color.
soft sided coolers
We use a backpack version of the polarbear coolers from this site www.softcoolers.com it keeps items really cold. Backpack beach chairs are great , maybe a suggestion for villa owners!
Great question! It is always a problem, sometimes if we're beach hopping we simply don't take the chairs.
We also use a soft-sided cooler. I believe the brand is a zero degrees, bought at the drug store at the Marketplace (Chelsea's Drugs) It has pockets for such stuff as sunblock, camera, books, etc. A large tote bag for towels, neat sheet, etc. A mesh bag for the snorkel gear. All have shoulder straps, so it is fairly manageable.
Of course Rick has the best plan of all! Second is MaryBeth. Hope the honeymoon lasts for you girlfriend!
We also use a soft-sided cooler. I believe the brand is a zero degrees, bought at the drug store at the Marketplace (Chelsea's Drugs) It has pockets for such stuff as sunblock, camera, books, etc. A large tote bag for towels, neat sheet, etc. A mesh bag for the snorkel gear. All have shoulder straps, so it is fairly manageable.
Of course Rick has the best plan of all! Second is MaryBeth. Hope the honeymoon lasts for you girlfriend!
Patr
~~Longing to be back on St. John~~
~~Longing to be back on St. John~~
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lpowmacback
- Posts: 517
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:33 pm
- Location: Jersey Shore
As a true Jersey-Shore-Girl who has always lived 2-5 minutes from the beach, I am a minimalist when it comes to beaching it:
When we (me, husband, 19 year old son - and anyone else that may tag along) trek to the beach, each one of us carries their own chair (small - simple - LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM chair- not those heavy ones with the cup holders, etc.), a backpack with their own towel, book, bottles of H20, camera, snacks, snorkel gear (no snorkel gear for the Jersey coast, however) . Hubby or son will carry the SMALL cooler - if even necessary. We only snack at the beach (popcorn, nuts, fruit)- and only take water to drink.
For us, the less, the better
ENJOY!!
When we (me, husband, 19 year old son - and anyone else that may tag along) trek to the beach, each one of us carries their own chair (small - simple - LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM chair- not those heavy ones with the cup holders, etc.), a backpack with their own towel, book, bottles of H20, camera, snacks, snorkel gear (no snorkel gear for the Jersey coast, however
) . Hubby or son will carry the SMALL cooler - if even necessary. We only snack at the beach (popcorn, nuts, fruit)- and only take water to drink.For us, the less, the better
ENJOY!!
Peace,
Lisa
Lisa