One of the very best things to do when visiting Hilton Head Island? Spend time at the beach, of course! Honestly, any day spent at one of Hilton Head’s beaches is likely to be fantastic. That said, there are some things you can do to help ensure the perfect beach day.
Below are our top tips for getting the most out of your beach day in Hilton Head. Use these tips and we’re willing to bet you’ll have an excellent time.
Bike, Don’t Drive
Finding parking at the beach can be tough. This is especially true when the weather is sunny and beautiful, as well as during school holidays. And the best way to avoid this when on Hilton Head Island is to break out the bike.
Hilton Head is set up with some of the best biking paths in the country, and these can be accessed right outside of Hilton Head Motorcoach Resort. This means you can bike from your RV to the beach and never even have to think about driving or parking.
Worried about carrying all your stuff to the beach? It’s likely you won’t be able to carry everything you need on your back, but a bike trailer will almost certainly accommodate it all. These are easy to hook up and easy to tow, and are definitely a worthwhile investment if you bike often.
Set Up Camp
Once you arrive at the beach, the next step is to set up camp. Some people arrive with only a towel in tow. The problem with this is, it’s nearly impossible to be 100% comfortable on the beach with only a towel.
Instead, we recommend packing some sort of shade (screen tents and beach umbrellas are ideal for this), lightweight and comfortable beach chairs, and a sand-free beach blanket. These items will keep you as comfortable as possible, allowing you to spend the entire day at the beach if you should choose to do so.
Pack Food Wisely
Another thing you’ll definitely want to pack? Food! After all, nobody wants to be hungry, and leaving the beach to get something to eat is a big hassle. Keeping a good stock of easy-to-eat, individually packaged foods on hand will keep everyone happy and well-fed until dinner time.
Believe it or not, how you pack your food can actually make a difference too. We recommend using a cooler if possible. The night before your beach visit, freeze items like juice, water bottles, freezable fruits, and yogurts. Before you leave the next morning, place hard veggies and fruits on the bottom of the cooler. Top these with the frozen items, which will take the place of ice, keeping everything cool.
A layer of napkins on top of the frozen items will help reduce condensation and can be used for cleanup. Finally, place sandwiches in individual containers (to avoid sandy hands ruining the whole lot) and put them and other crushable foods on top of the napkins.
Packing this way keeps everything cool, helps you avoid mushy squashed sandwiches, and doesn’t leave you with a cooler full of melted ice at the end of the day.
Take Care of Your Skin
We all know how important it is to protect your skin from the sun. For this reason, you will definitely want to apply good quality sunscreen before you leave for your beach day. Take the sunscreen with you and make sure to reapply throughout the day.
You will also want to pack a handful of other items for skincare purposes. A wide-brimmed hat will keep the sun off your face, offering extra sun protection. Lip balm with SPF protection will keep your lips from drying out.
White vinegar works well to treat jellyfish stings. Meanwhile, bug spray will help keep pesky bugs at bay.
Finally, we really like using corn starch and a paint brush to brush away the bulk of the sand stuck to our skin at the end of the day.
Packing List
Not sure how to begin packing for your beach day? Here’s a list of beach essentials. Make sure to toss these in your bike trailer before you head out!
- Mesh bag to hold everything except unwanted sand
- Any beach toys you want to have (frisbee, ball, sand toys, etc)
- Cooler of food
- Umbrella, chairs, and beach mat
- Sunscreen, bug spray, white vinegar, lip balm, corn starch, paintbrush, hat
- Sunglasses
- Swimsuits
- Flip-flops or water shoes
- Plenty of towels
