These Oddball Hawaii Beach Essentials Keep Saving Our Trips

We’ve packed for Hawaii beaches more times than we can count. And the gear that saves the day has nothing to do with what’s trending online. It’s the weird, practical stuff—things that fix real Hawaii problems like trade winds, vanishing towels, sunburned scalps, and shoes full of lava grit.

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We’ve included the gear that keeps making its way back into our beach bag, after decades of road trips, hikes, and long afternoons on the sand, from Kauai’s Polihale to Maui’s Hamoa.

A mesh gear bag that keeps the sand out.

It’s not pretty, but it works. When fins, reef shoes, wet towels, and whatever else end up with you, a regular tote turns into a soggy mess. Mesh bags rinse easily, drip dry fast, breathe, and let sand fall through instead of hauling it home. One longtime reader told us they use old mesh grocery totes from Europe—light, washable, and still going strong.

They also make it easy to spot what’s missing when packing up and keep the car tidy.

Towel clips that tame Hawaii’s trade winds.

We used to think these were a gimmick—until a windy day at Oahu’s Kaena Point changed our minds. Now they clamp towels to chairs, railings, even fence posts. They’ve kept rash guards strung across tree branches and stopped towels from flapping into other people’s snacks. If your beach spot catches even a light breeze, you’ll want them.

The baby powder hack that saves Big Island beach days.

Yes, baby powder in a sock. Tap it on your skin, and the sand brushes right off. It works on feet, ankles, and even the back of your neck. On the Big Island’s black sand beaches—where the grains stick like glue—it’s the easiest way to clean up before getting back in the car. Cheap, simple, and always in our bag.

One reader told us, “Compression socks for the flight, baby powder for the beach. That combination kept our ankles happy for the entire trip.”

A dry bag for the stuff you can’t lose.

We’ve made the classic mistake—key stashed in a shoe, towel goes missing, and suddenly you’re dripping wet with no idea where your valuables went. The incident occurred at Ala Moana Beach Park. It’s happened elsewhere, too. A small dry bag avoids all of it. Clip it to a chair, bury it under a T-shirt, or tuck it into a backpack. It doesn’t draw attention like a purse and gives you one less thing to stress about if you swim out farther than planned.

One commenter uses a waterproof phone pouch that floats, carrying not just the phone but keys, cards, and sunscreen into the water. Their only regret? Not getting one earlier. Just keep in mind there’s probably nothing much worse for a phone than salt water.

UV head spray that does what your hat won’t.

Hats won’t save you—your scalp will burn, especially with thinning hair or part lines. A quick mist of UV spray handles what sunscreen and a baseball cap seem to miss. It’s made for floaters, swimmers, and anyone spending more than a few minutes in the midday sun. This one avoids the sting later.

One reader mentioned UVA and UVB-blocking shirts for their spouse and wide-brim sun coverage for themselves. If your scalp burns easily, you’ll probably want both.

An old T-shirt and a travel beach towel that do everything else.

We’ve used an old T-shirt as a towel, a changing curtain, a seat cover, a sun shield, a makeshift beach bag—once even to wrap a scraped ankle. It’s not fancy, it’s not quick-dry, but somehow it still manages to do half the work.

When the sand kicks up at Kekaha, it’s what gets pulled over a face. Forget the beach blanket. This is what we keep reaching for.

Another option might be a SandCloud towel, which can do almost all of that. We’ve also come around on those thin, quick-dry beach towels from Amazon. We used to swear at them, but they pack small, don’t hold smells, really dry you well, and turn out to be not so bad after all.

A flat-fold refrigerator bag to keep things cool.

These soft cooler bags haul cold snacks, food, drinks, and whatever needs to stay cool—or out of sight. We’ve used them at Honaunau, Hamoa, and on half a dozen drives between food trucks and sand.

Several readers mentioned using collapsible coolers, reusable grocery bags, or even Rubbermaid tubs—bought in Hawaii and checked home—to contain the travel chaos. We’ve done all that too.

Reef shoes for Hawaii’s hidden lava and coral surprises.

Some beaches look soft—until they’re not. Lava shelves, coral ridges, or boiling-hot sand can show up anywhere. Even the walk to the water can get rough. Reef shoes are super lightweight, saving feet, time, and moods. One pair in the car is enough to handle whatever the beach throws at you.

“Water shoes,” one reader wrote, “for coral, zodiac boats, and muddy rainforest hikes. Learned the hard way.” That pretty much sums it up.

A pocket-sized USB mister or fan for Hawaii’s stillest beach days.

These came later, but they stuck. On calm scorchers—like West Maui or Oahu’s South Shore—a quick spray or a portable fan beats shade and good intentions. It’s perfect for the person who’s done swimming but is still baking. These are small, silent, and surprisingly efficient nowadays.

One reader packs a small plastic spray bottle for their clothes, too—”it’s a quick wrinkle fix on the go.” But it turns out a mist bottle does double or triple duty.

These aren’t glossy-magazine beaches. They’re real—rugged, windy, sunny, and gritty in every sense. Plenty of gear didn’t make the cut. What’s left are the oddball essentials that keep working.

Have a weird beach thing you always pack for Hawaii? Tell us.

Lead Photo Credit – Beat of Hawaii at Makapuu, Oahu.