When it comes to beach vacations, I have a love-hate relationship: I love the sun, surf, and sound of seagulls signaling summertime, but I loathe the ubiquitous sand. The seemingly endless, undulating mounds of it that you must trudge across bogged down with bags, chairs, and umbrellas like a pack mule traversing the desert. The kind of mysteriously multiplying granules that take a stubborn liking to your seaside snacks. And the same minuscule matter that manages to hitch a ride with you back home, only to be discovered months later encrusted in the backseat of your car.

If, however, like me, you love beach vacations more than any inconveniences—sand stuck to your sandwiches included—that they may entail, here are some handy beach hacks compliments of friends, family, coworkers, and the ingenious internet community at large that can help put more ease in your beach day breeze.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE BEACH TO KEEP SAND OUT
1.FITTED SHEET
What’s the secret to a sand-free beach blanket? A fitted sheet. Simply turn the sheet inside out, anchor weighty items—a cooler, a waterproof bag, a boom box, or the like—in each of the four corners, and fold up the sides until the elastic is taut to create—voilà!—a mini barrier from the encroaching sand.

2. WASH CLOTH OR OVEN MITT
What about getting the sand off of you and your stuff? Use a cool, dry washcloth or even an oven mitt to gently brush off the sand from your body. To avoid bringing sand home in children’s toys, stow them in a mesh bag, mesh hamper, or laundry basket with holes that will sift out the grains of sand. And before putting beach chairs, coolers, and the like back in your trunk at the end of the day, use a broom, paintbrush, or snow brush to sweep off the sand and keep it where it belongs: at the beach. (Read on to find out why you may want to break out your winter sled for the beach, too.)

3. WATERPROOF OR ZIPLOCK BAG
It’s no surprise that your smartphone is averse to sand. To help keep sand out of your phone’s ports and from getting behind your screen protector and scratching the screen, store it in a sealable—ideally, waterproof—pouch or even a Ziploc bag. (Yes, you can type on your phone right through the plastic.) Also, find a cool, shady spot to keep your phone out of direct sunlight. Excessive heat can drain your battery, crack your screen, or even cause your phone to—yikes!—explode.

4. DRINK UMBRELLAS
Umbrellas in your drink—yes. Sand or even bugs in your drink—ew, no. A cupcake wrapper placed upside down over the opening of your drink will do the trick to keep your beverage under cover. Cupcake wrappers placed upright on the sticks of popsicles also work well to catch drips.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE BEACH TO SECURE YOUR STUFF
5. BAG AND FLOATATION DEVICE
Along with protecting your cell phone in a resealable, waterproof bag, keep car keys and money safe and dry by placing them in another such pouch or Ziploc bag or even an empty, cleaned-out plastic jar. Also, attach a flotation device to your keys; a wine cork with an eyehook twisted into it works in a pinch.

6. BABY SUPPLIES
Sadly, theft is a thing even at the beach, especially when your base camp is unoccupied. Many a parent has deterred would-be thieves by wrapping valuables in a baby diaper (a clean one, of course). An empty baby wipes package also does the job and can hold first-aid supplies, too.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE BEACH TO COOL OFF
7. FROZEN WATER BOTTLES
Forgot to pick up a bag of ice for the cooler? No need to dash off to the convenience store. Freeze plastic bottles of water or other noncarbonated drinks to serve as ice packs in your cooler, and then let them thaw to have drinks at the ready. Frozen sponges in sandwich or freezer bags also work well as space-saving ice packs, which you can later use to wipe down your cooler when they defrost.

8. INFLATABLE BABY POOL
For little ones who like splashing around in the water but not necessarily the ocean, bring a small inflatable baby pool for them to play in. Whether you fill it with water and/or toys, it’s an easy way to keep them cool and safely entertained. Remember to always supervise children closely whenever they’re in or near any amount of water.

9. ALOE ICE CUBES
Sometimes, preventing sunburn can be a lost battle at the beach no matter how much sunscreen you slather on. Be prepared to deal with its lobster-like effects by getting out of the sun pronto and having aloe ice cubes on hand. Simply pour some aloe gel into ice cube trays and freeze. In the event of a sunburn, the aloe and cold can provide a double dose of relief. And, of course, the cubes can help keep your cooler chilly in the meantime.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE BEACH TO STAND OUT IN THE CROWD
10. UNIQUE UMBRELLA
Have you ever gone for a swim or a walk on the beach and returned lost or with only a vague idea of where you set up your base camp among a sea of similar-looking beach umbrellas and chairs? (Did everyone take advantage of the same sale?) To avoid searching for your stuff like a game of Where’s Waldo, make yourself stand out in the crowd with a uniquely decorated beach umbrella, tent, and/or chairs—especially ones that your children can easily spot—as your base camp beacon.

11. SENSE OF DIRECTION
Beach base camps are all about location, location, location. Setting up near a lifeguard stand is helpful to provide not only a landmark but also added safety in and around the water. Or, if you won’t be swimming and want to stake your claim in the sand away from the crowds, find some real estate by walking against the wind, as most people will naturally walk with the wind upon arriving on the beach.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE BEACH TO HAUL YOUR STUFF
12. CHILDREN'S WAGON OR WINTER SLED
Lugging that umbrella or tent, chairs, and a plethora of other gear during your beach vacation can be daunting, of course. If you don’t have one of those nifty beach trolleys with special wheels designed to roll through sand, borrow your children’s wagon and winter sled as your makeshift transport. Simply place your stuff on a plastic sled, and then put the sled in a wagon. When you arrive at the beach, park your wagon, take your sled, and slide it through the sand to your base camp.

13. PLASTIC BREAD CLIP
You’ll still likely have to walk down to the ocean, of course, so make sure your shoes are up to the task—lest you may feel as if you’re pogoing over scorching coals as you make your way across the sand on a sweltering summer day. Also, in case of a busted flipflop, bring backup: a square plastic bread clip. Just push the toe strap back through the hole, and secure the clip around it on the sole for a quick fix. And, when you’re not wearing your shoes, remember to place them upside down and out of direct sunlight to keep the footbed cool. It’s often the little things that can make or break your beach day. Sometimes, that’s as little as a toothpick to hold your sandwich so that you can enjoy it sans sand.