What to Pack for a Fort Lauderdale Beach Day (and What to Skip)

Reef-safe mineral sunscreen, two liters of water per adult, a rash guard for children and a dry bag for phones cover the essentials for a full day between Las Olas and Sunrise Boulevard.

Skip the folding chairs and the department-store umbrella. Both fail in the afternoon sea breeze, and both are miserable to carry across A1A from a garage several blocks inland.

Visitors flying into Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International almost never have luggage space for shade. Renting on arrival costs less than checking a bag with gear that will not survive one windy afternoon.