What's in Your Bag for Summer? Plus Giveaway!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
I live the life of forever summer.
The tan that never fades. The bikinis that quickly fade over numerous beach trips. And the addiction to the smell of coconut oil and sunblock combined.
Naturally, I have several prepacked bags that are ready to go with me on those last minute beach trips. Let's take a quick look at some of the stuff I have inside..
1 Mamo Yoga Travel Towel
I've had mine for almost a year and I don't just take it on trips. I even use it at home. It's very light, absorbent and air dries in less than an hour! Check out their new Travel Towel colors here.
2 Headware
I discovered Headware a few weeks before our 6-month Asian trip and I just couldn't travel without it! My best uses for it: sleepmask on bus/train rides, scarf to prettify any drab outfit and a head band when I'm on those motorcycle rides. Check them out on facebook here.
No surprise here. Protection for your eyes when the sun is harsh is necessary. From high end frames to $2 "Raybans" in Vietnam, I've tried them all. Do you have any recommendations?
4 Belo Essentials Sunexpert
The first time I tried these products was when we got them on the last Surf Yoga Samba retreat. We got the one for the face and for the body as well. I liked it immediately! It's not too greasy and SPF 60 for surfing is perfect!
5 Lagu Beach Blanket
Surfista Elaine introduced me to the first beach-friendly beach blankets. Unlike ordinary towels, Lagu repels sand, allowing you to lay down and enjoy yourself and at the same time conserving the beach. The material is allergen-free and dries quickly so it always smells fresh. I took my blanket for a test run in Baler and Zambales recently and it's my new favorite travel item.
The colors are refreshing, getting the sand out is a breeze and it packs so well! The material is also thick enough that it doubles as a blanket on those cold bus rides. Check them out at the Ava Online Store.
6 Bling Duck Flip Flops
Believe me, I've tried them all! I've tried a lot of expensive brands. And all they gave me were painful soles after some of them broke even for just a few weeks! My Bling Ducks are sturdy, comfy and don't you just love those colorful, summery designs?
7 Suelas
And when you're not on the beach and walking around a lot, do your soles a favor and give them Suelas! I got my Llanura gunmetal pair a few weeks ago and they complement all my outfits. They're comfy, a great trade-off to heels and you can fold, flatten and fit them right into your bag. I will definitely bring them along on my trip to Spain in July and walk around Madrid in those pretty flats!
8 Brown Belly Bikini
I always complain that there are not enough beach wear stores in Manila that sell fair-priced bikinis. And when I say fair, I mean prices that won't make you gasp and yell: "Are you INSANE? And only for the bikini top?"
Seriously, for a tropical country, we don't have a lot of local brands who make well-fitting, beautifully designed swimwear. Brown Belly bikinis is one of the few exceptions and their price is something to smile about. Check out their stuff here.
9 Water Bottle
I always bring a water bottle when I go on trips. Not just because I easily hydrated, it's also a good way to save money and save the environment but eliminating those plastic bottles. I did a quick survey and most travelers recommend Nalgene which is BPA-free.
10 Sarong
My favorite travel item and of course, a necessity on beach trips. I got mine on last year's trip to Bali, Indonesia. It's the most versatile piece of clothing I have. I use it often as a cover-up, dress, skirt,
Plus: Beach Bag
My favorites are those light, canvass totes that you can stuff a lot of things in. I learned about Luntian Bags a few weeks back when I met the owner, Marina. She told me about their cause and that they provide a livelihood program in Mabini, Batangas for unemployed women. They are promoting the use of stylish, earth-friendly reusable bags instead of wasting plastic ones. How cool is that?
That's my roundup of must-haves for summer. And if you live in the Philippines, it's always summer, somewhere! What are YOUR summer must-haves?
Share them by commenting on this post and get a chance to win a LAGU beach-friendly beach blanket!
I will randomly choose a winner on May 21, 2012. Winner will be announced on the Sole Sister's Facebook Page.
Update:
Contest Closed. The winner of the Lagu beach mat is JamelleKatrina. Thanks for everyone who commented and joined this promo!
Summer lovin',
Sole Sister Lois
Get a FREE copy of the Sole Sister Guide to Planning an Epic Trip by subscribing to our newsletter. You can also hang out with us online on Twitter,Facebook & Stumble Upon.
53 sole trails
my ultimate summer must haves would have to include my favorite lip balm,
ReplyDeleteMedicine Kit.., hindi yan nawawala sa bag ko!you'll never know kung kelan aatake ang sakit :)
ReplyDeletemy summer must haves: sunnies, a colorful sarong, sunblock & Headware too!!! :D
ReplyDeleteMy summer must haves are :
ReplyDeletesunblock
sunnies
oversized bag
flipflops
i always bring my multi-purpose, super useful Sarong all the time... :)
ReplyDeleteshades, chapstick, sarong, flipflops and a good book for me!
ReplyDeleteI always, always bring my Armada Sport sunblock and of course, my camera! Sun protection is really important and a summer outing is never complete without taking photos. Hehehe!
ReplyDeleteFlip flops (whatever's available, but the plain Banana Peel ones are great -- Where can you get Bling Duck?), cheap shades, sarong, waterproof bag / ziplocks, bikini, sack-like water-repellent bag, sunblock, and a friend who can think of everything else! :D (Those balms for insect bites / sand fleas from Ilog Maria seem useful)
ReplyDeleteMy ultimate summer must-have would be my CAMERA! No summer escapade goes by without being documented :)
ReplyDeleteMine is a book. My travel doesn't seem complete without one in my backpack.
ReplyDeleteMy Nalgene bottle! Can't go on a trip, summer or not, without it. ☺
ReplyDeleteMy ultimate must-have would be sarong and sunblock.
ReplyDeletemy ultimate summer must-haves are sarong, flipflops and camera! :))
ReplyDeletesummer is 8 long months around the world so i always bring contact lenses, swimsuits, sunglasses, sunblock, lip balm and my water bottle -Big Rigg 34 oz.
ReplyDeleteHeadware, coz it keeps my fab bangs out of my face. :D I have the Aquazorb towels for travel and even home use but those Mamo towels looks lighter and more packable. The Lagu blankets look light enough too, are they warm enough for tropical mountaineering? :)
ReplyDeleteSummer essentials:
ReplyDeleteAdrina Strappy Sandals from Crocs
10-in-1 bikini top from Kycs
Sunscreen in a spritzer bottleSea to Summit towel
Newest acquisition: Aropec Dry Bag - but i would love a dry bag with a front mesh pocket so i have my non-wet-ables inside and stuff like sunscreen, sunglasses and other things on the outside of the dry bag since it is a little bit of a chore to open and close
my must haves include sunblock with spf50 and up, microfibre towel, sarong, bikini, flipflops and lipbalm.
ReplyDeletei always bring mysarong everytime i travel very useful! all in one! :)
ReplyDeleteAside from the usual sunblock, bikini, sunglasses and flipflops, I always always bring my trusty malong! I am a budget traveler so my friends and I almost always stay in cheap hotels/hostels where the sheets are sometimes unchanged or dirty. The malong not only serves as a blanket during the cold bus/plane rides, but also helps me sleep well at night knowing that I am not sleeping on sheets with someone else's bodily stains on! Oh, and I never forget to bring mosquito-repellant lotion - protects my skin from bites when I stay out late at night!
ReplyDeletemy summer must have? a book in my bag, a pair of shades, water, and a bathing suit! :)
ReplyDeletemy ultimate summer must haves are my board shorts!!:)
ReplyDeletei can wear them when i go snorkelling, swimming, or even trekking!:D
once we went to ilocos, i wore it from the house to the windmills, up to pagudpud! and yes, we're still dripping wet when we went to the market to but pasalubong!!
My summer must have are book, bottled water, lip gloss, and face towel
ReplyDeleteHave a headwear too!! And its not just for the beach. During summer, my bag is packed with a headwear or floppy hat, sunscreen, and shades as protection from the sun and a bikini, coverup, sundress, comfy flatshoes and flipflops to keep me fashionable.
ReplyDeletemy summer essentials (3s): Sunblock (Coppertone's my fave), Sunnies and Sarong
ReplyDeletewaterproof bag :)
ReplyDeleteMy summer must haves are my SPF 75 BeachHut spray sunblock, a bottle of H2O to keep me hydrated, a pair of Cushe flip flops, my ever reliable sunnies and my best travelling buddy - Yago, my cam - all in a reusable tote to keep 'em all together. I can go get lost in paradise with these. But I think I'm missing one... I need that Lagu beach-friendly beach blanket to complete my beach travel set! Summer is love indeed!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the Headware!! It's the most versatile piece of head clothing available. oh and the microfiber towel. i have the sea to summit brand.
ReplyDeleteMy summer must haves: a water-resistant tote bag with my towelette, sunspray, sunny shades, sarong, flip tops, bikini and bottle of water! :)) And wolla i'm ready to go. :D
ReplyDeleteMy camera, sarong and sunblock and I'm good to! And oh, my itouch if I'm just gonna chill by the beach. Nothing beats singing with the waves under the sun! :D
ReplyDeletesummer must haves would be... sunblock with super spf >:) shades and sarong.. and that lagu beach blanket... is going to be on my list if i get one! thanks in advance lois! lol :D
ReplyDeletesummer must haves: lipbalm, sunblock, camera and a waterproof bag :)
ReplyDeleteleave everything .. but not my camera & a small dry bag!
ReplyDeleteWhat's in my bag for summer. Definitely my camera for capturing those memories and anti sun essentials such as hats, scarfs and sunblock
ReplyDeleteMy summer must-haves are my sunnies, lip balm, sunblock and my camera!
ReplyDeleteMy summer must haves are of course my life support shades , a bottle of water, my underwater wrist watch and my all purpose sarong. and i think my faded sarong need alternative partner that LAGU
ReplyDeletebeach-friendly beach blanket. I live the life of forever summer bcoz of my passion as a marine biologist. I love summering!
Water, umbrella, electricfan and sunblock!! A summer must haves for me!
ReplyDeleteMy summer must-haves are: a pair of white flip-flops, camera, sarong, a travel pillow, a multi-functional bandana, water bottle and perfumed talc.
ReplyDeleteMy bag contains for summer are - sunblock, camera, flip flops, lip balm, water bottle, umbrella, fan, small towel, extra shirt, sunglasses and sarong
ReplyDeletemy ultimate summer must-haves: sunglasses, sarong, bottled water, lip balm, sunscreen, bandanna or scarf (as head gear or sleepmask), flip flops (or Quiksilver slippers), and camera.
ReplyDeletemy ultimate summer must-haves: flip flops, sunscreen, sunglasses, water bottle, sarong.
ReplyDeletesummer must-haves: comfy shirts and shorts, sunscreen, hat or cap, bottled water, lip balm, flip flops, camera.
ReplyDeletebeing the light-packer-traveler (somehow...hehe) that i am, summer must haves for me are the ff: multi-purpose sarong, flip flops, sunblock lotion, lip balm, sunglasses, bikini, tank tops, shorts, camera and my mp3 player (for some dose of music^_^)
ReplyDeleteMy summer must-haves are my Headware, pair of sunglasses, Belo Essentials SunExpert, Carmex lip balm, QS boardshorts and ZemGear footwear.
ReplyDeleteMy summer must-haves are sunglasses, sunblock, camera, swim wear, and a colorful sarong. :)
ReplyDeletemine would be sunglasses to block the sunlight when i sleep in the beach, book to keep me busy, ipod to soothe my soul and camera to document the happiness of summer!
ReplyDeleteA sarong, a good book, face cream, shades, oreos
ReplyDeletei always bring with me my camera and sunglasses:)
ReplyDeleteMy summer must-haves are sunblock, sunglasses, sarong and a good book :)
ReplyDeleteI live in Boracay, so it's always summer for me! But, for rest days that I spend on the beach, my must-haves are my beach towel, my sunblock, my sunglasses, a good book, and my water bottle :)
ReplyDeleteMy summer Must-Haves include: sunblock, sunglasses, sarong, and beach hat! ^_^
ReplyDeleteMy summer must have includes:
ReplyDelete1. Camera -to capture all the beach bumming activities and newly met friends along the way
2. Sunglasses -to always protect my sun-sensitive eyes from the UV of the sun and of course to make me always look cool and ASTIG
3. Sunblock -to be cautioned on the dangerous rays of UV that can trigger my cancer cells... ouch....
4. My ever portable shorts- that can be used in any outdoor activities, swimming, running or just simply sleeping
5. MP3 player -to knock me out by any serenading music while taking a rest/nap on the sandy beach or swinging on a hammock .
6. Multipurpose sarong- can be used to keep me from the heat of the sun/ cold of the land breeze during night time.
7. Waterproof pouch- to keep my money and electronic devices from getting wet ...summer must be fun and free from worries ...
MY summer must have is my ponytail and headware
ReplyDeleteEvery summer I'm looking for affordable and good quality sunglasses for salehere in the philippines
ReplyDeleteNote: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.