Stacks on the Beach: How to Achieve the Ideal Beach Reading Day

Research Your Beach

This may seem obvious, but every beach is different. Knowing what to expect at your beach will help you achieve a fun day. You need to make sure the beach is open to the public, in case it has seasonal availability or only allows swimming during hours with lifeguards on duty, etc. Beaches that are on lakes can have closures due to high water levels or toxic algae blooms (gross, but we can’t all live in Fiji, can we?). Many beaches, including the one at my local state recreation area, require a fee to access them. I purchase an annual pass to my state park system, so I can go to the beach as often as I like. It’s important to know how parking or public transit works at your beach, so look into that. Similarly, you’ll want to know what facilities are available or nearby, like drinking water, restrooms, showers, and barbecues/grills, so you can plan accordingly.

Also pay attention to special rules. Some beaches don’t allow dogs, for example. Some have rules about what kinds of floats are allowed. Many have rules about whether and where fires are allowed. Glass typically isn’t allowed, so bring canned beverages. Some beaches are clothing-optional or have clothing-optional sections. I, for one, like to know whether I’m expecting to see strangers’ naked butts on a given day. There are important safety considerations, too. It’s generally unwise to swim alone at a beach with no lifeguards, for example. If you’re at a beach with strong tides and currents, know how those work. And hilariously, at my local beach, we have to be on the lookout for black vultures, because they apparently enjoy damaging cars. Who says the Midwest is boring?

Get Comfy

A truly luxurious beach reading day is going to cost you a pretty penny. It involves renting a cabana at a gorgeous seaside hotel beach where you have staff eagerly bringing you everything you desire. If you want to splash out on that, please do. Otherwise, you’ll want to create your own beachside bliss.

For me, that starts with a shade tent. I have no patience with umbrellas or flimy sunshades. Once I saw fellow beachgoers putting up canopies on my local beach, I knew I needed to follow suit. I have this tent, which fits in my hatchback car easily and pops up in about a minute. It’s spacious enough for a few people depending on how seating is configured. It can become a bit of a sail on a gusty day, though, so consider investing in sandbags, too. I like to set mine up a short distance from the water but as far from groups with rowdy beachgoers or stereo systems as possible.

There are any number of chairs you can bring to the beach. I’ve brought plastic Adirondack chairs as well as fairly standard camping chairs. I don’t personally love those very low beach chairs because they’re awkward to get in and out of, but maybe you like them. I haven’t yet brought my portable freestanding hammock to the beach, but I have brought it to my local drive-in theater, so I know it would work splendidly. As far as seating in the water, I’m not a float person, because I’ve yet to discover a float that also provides good shade. Also, I fear reading atop one would make me, a total weenie, seasick. But maybe you also want to bring something fun and inflatable.

Dress For Success

I have found that a surf poncho is a great item to toss on and off when doing the swim-read-swim cycle, but bring your cover up of choice. I also really like the Turkish towels that don’t track sand as much as the terry cloth kind. And don’t forget sunglasses and your preferred beach shoes. I love Freedom Moses slides because they come in a million colors and can be hosed right off if they get sandy. And in case you’re still a bit damp leaving the beach and taking a car home, I recommend these scuba fabric seat covers to keep car upholstery from getting damp and musty. I told you, I’ve really thought this through.

And I’m always thinking about how to deal with my sworn enemy, the sun. The ideal beach reading day involves spending a long time outdoors, including plenty of time out in the water. When I think about sun exposure, I think of sunscreen as my last line of defense, after considering shade, time of day, and clothing. Make sure you bring along your preferred sunscreen and reapply often, and don’t be shy about wearing a floppy hat out into the water if you’re not planning to dunk your head.

Food and Drink Sidebar

There’s so much variation between what’s available at the beach and what everyone’s needs are. Still, you certainly need to plan for food and drink. I always bring my comically huge water bottle that keeps water cold even on the hottest days. I’m never without fizzy beverages like flavored seltzer. And who doesn’t want to bring snacks to the beach? My local beach doesn’t have so much as a snack bar, so I have to pack in all my grub. I’m hoping you have more to choose from, like shaved ice and crab shacks and all that good stuff.

Finally, Let’s Talk About Reading

Sure, read what you want, where you want, how you want. If you want to know more about what makes a good beach read specifically, we’ve gone deep on that. And we’ve listed some great choices for beach reads. But I do have opinions about the best kinds of books to read at the beach.

First, you don’t want to tote along a precious volume, because sand and water and who knows what else — tiny crabs maybe — could get in those pages. So my advice is to treat yourself to a beach reading shopping spree. Find a used bookstore. And then find the spinner rack. Buy the most alluring, pulpy paperback you see. Beach reading should be juicy, gossipy, and fun, in my opinion. The more salacious, the better. And then really take that book to the beach. Crack that spine, lay it face down in the sand, let water drip on it, turn the pages with cheeto fingers. That book will have its own story to tell about its travels.