Make Sure You Carry These 5 Things for Your Next Pool Day

While it’s not the same as swimming by a beach or lake, swimming pools are great places to kick back, relax and cool down during a hot summer day. The cool feeling of water from head to toe is just unrivaled, and you get to move around in ways that you normally wouldn’t be able to. But heading to the pool does require a bit of prep work, and you’ll need some of these items to ensure you and your loved ones have a fun time when swimming by the pool.

THINGS TO BRING FOR A POOL DAY

Sunscreen

One of the biggest mistakes that many people make, especially those who haven’t gone swimming before, is not using sunscreen. Because you’re in the water so often, your body feels cool enough that you can’t tell you’re actually being hit by really strong solar rays. And when the day ends, you may end up with sunburns and dark spots in areas that you’d rather not talk about.

Sunscreen is the go-to solution for those swimming in pools, beaches, or any body of water for that matter. You apply it before you swim and regularly after that. Sunscreen is generally water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about getting too wet, but you will need to add a bit more over your body every two hours or so to ensure you stay protected.

Towel

After swimming, you may want to sit back, unwind and maybe enjoy a refreshing drink to cool down. But you can’t do that while you’re still soaked, so you’re going to need a towel. Any towel will do, really — even a bath towel is more than enough to keep you nice and dry. Just be sure to bring a small or medium-sized one, as large towels can be a bit of a hassle to carry around the swimming pool.

Snacks

If snacks are allowed where you’re going, consider bringing a few. It can be expensive to buy food at the location, and having your favorite snacks for you and your loved ones will make the experience all the more enjoyable. Consider choosing light snacks, not full-course meals, as you don’t want to swim on a full stomach.

Goggles

Goggles are nice to have if you want to be able to see underneath the water. Technically, you can get away with seeing underwater by opening your eyes, but not everybody’s comfortable with that. Besides, that leaves your eyes exposed, and that can be dangerous if you’re not careful. With goggles, you can not only swim underwater but also over the water — the splashes won’t force you to close your eyes as the protective casing ensures not a single drop seeps through.

Pool bag

Of course, you can’t bring any of the items mentioned earlier without having a bag to carry all of them in. You could use something like a backpack to carry the items, but backpacks aren’t exactly meant for swimming pools. You need to open them up, which can cause the bag to get wet in the process, and they don’t always have large openings, either. Pool bags, on the other hand, are made for the pool, so they can get wet just fine. They also can carry many of your belongings, including your sunscreen, towel, and more, all in one convenient place.