What To Pack For A Day At The Pool

This isn’t the only packing list we have on Drugstore Divas to make your life easier. We have others for day trips, like to the zoo, and for long trips, like a carry on packing list.

You can see them all in our Ultimate List of Packing Lists.

Sunscreen

Arguably, the most important thing you need when you’re going to the pool is sunscreen. You can’t lay out and enjoy the sunshine without it.

If you forget it, you’ll be hiding in the shade under an umbrella all day.

You won’t even want to go in the water because it reflects the sun’s rays and will result in you getting burnt.

So, the first thing you should throw into your pool bag is sunscreen. Personally, I like to use a cream initially and the spray when I need to quickly reapply, but you pack whatever works for you.

Pool Towel

My friend got us all the cutest personalized beach towels to make sure we were able to dry off at the pool.

If you’re headed to the pool for the day, you don’t need everyone to have a coordinated towels (although that is adorable) but you do wanna make sure that everyone has a towel. And their own towel. And actually at least one towel. Maybe two.

See, a lot of people like one towel to lay out on and another to dry off with. That way they’re not trying to relax on a wet towel.

So pack at least one towel for every person that you’re going with, but hey, more can’t hurt.

Pool Towel Clip

To make your day just the tiniest bit more relaxing, pack some pool towel clips. They’ll clip onto your lounge chair and help to keep your towel up.

Is it the end of the world if your towel falls down and you need to pull it back up? No. But it does take you out of relaxation mode. And you’re really at the pool to relax. So pack these. You’ll thank me later.

Snacks

When we were growing up, we were always told that if you eat anything, you have to wait 30 minutes before you’re able to go swimming.

Honestly, I heard that decades ago and I’ve never fact checked it. Maybe you can. Maybe you can’t. Don’t ask me.

I am, however, going to tell you to bring snacks to the pool. Small bags of chips, tiny Tate’s cookies, anything that can withstand sitting out in the sun for a couple hours is perfect.

Having said that, though, chocolate is delicious but it’s not a great pool snack. There is an almost certain chance that it will melt by the time you try to eat it and that’s a huge mess that you just don’t need to deal with while you’re relaxing poolside.

A Reusable Tumbler

When everyone started collecting Stanley cups (the ones for drinking out of, not the one you win for hockey), one of the humble brags was that it kept ice for days. And, the counterpoint was why do you need ice to last that long? You should be drinking water faster, especially if you’re paying quite a bit of money for an expensive tumbler to drink it out of.

But, that comes in handy at the pool.

When you’re sitting at the pool, the sun is blaring down on your drink. If you have a really nice tumbler that keeps ice frozen, even with the extreme heat, you’ll still have ice in your cup when you get out of the pool and go take a drink.

Do you need to buy a Stanley? No. Other brands will work just fine.

My friend got us personalized tumblers, which are adorable, for our pool day. I put ice in mine at 10 am, kept it in the heat of the car all day, including when I drove home, and by 7 pm there was still ice. She didn’t buy a Stanley cups, but she bought a high-quality cup, which is just as good.

A Portable, Waterproof Speaker

If you’re going to the pool with your friends, you’re probably gonna be chatting the entire time and won’t be too worried about music.

However, if you’re going with Pete, he’s going to pack a portable speaker. He needs his tunes everywhere he goes.

And honestly, having some music at the pool is good. That way, if you’re lounging and don’t feel like chatting, there’s something to fill the silence.

Pool Floats

When I went to my parents’ community pool this summer, every person there showed up with a float. Not just any float, though. The same exact pool noodle sling chair float. By the time the fifth person showed up with it, I forgot I was at the pool and thought I was in an advertisement.

They all looked so comfortable, though.

So, if you really want to relax, bring a pool float or raft and just float along the top of the water without a care in the world (unless there are other people in the pool; then, you have to worry about not running them over).

Something to read

If I’m going to the pool, I really just like to close my eyes and lay on a lounge chair. My mom, however, likes to bring out her kindle and read. She’s always trying to get me to read more, but I try to tell her that I read all day long when I’m working. When I’m relaxing, I also want to relax my eyes.

But, if you’re more like her than me, remember to pack a book or magazine or tablet with you so you can get some reading in while you’re poolside.

Dry clothes

If you have to drive home from the pool, you probably don’t want to drive home in wet clothes. So, make sure to pack dry clothes to change into.

I always suggest buying a cute wet clothes bag (yes, that’s an actual thing). But, use it to pack your dry clothes in when you’re going to the pool. Then, when you change into those dry clothes, you can pack your wet bathing suit into that bag.

Gifts For Pool Lovers:

If you stumbled over this post because you’re visiting a friend’s pool for the day, check out our list of gifts for pool lovers next time you need to buy that friend a present. Or just pick up something for yourself to bring to the pool. It’s a fun list with ideas like drink holders and pool toys.