Plus healthy, hydrating food and drink picks that keep you fueled through a full day of sun and saltwater.
The boat is booked. The group chat is unhinged. Someone has already changed the playlist three times and it's not even 9am. Here's what to actually pack to make sure you and your friends have a memorable day with no unwanted surprises.
A quick brief: things that survive a moving deck, no glass (most charters ban it, nobody wants barefoot cleanup), and a cocktail program that looks like you hired someone — when really you just stocked smart.
1. Hydration Packs
A full day in direct sun is a slow-burn marathon — electrolyte powders make sure you feel good for your boat day and the day after. Two brands to stock:
Salud — agua-fresca-inspired, 1g sugar, fruit-forward. Best boat-day flavors: Piña, Pepino Limón, and Jamaica Hibiscus.
LMNT — zero sugar, heavier sodium, the move after six hours of SPF and sweat. Best picks: Watermelon Salt, Citrus Salt, Grapefruit Salt (tastes like a paloma), and Mango Chili (used in the mocktail below).
Drop a stick in a 16oz water bottle, shake, done. Bring two per person, minimum.
2. Sunscreen — Multiple Bottles, Different Jobs
One bottle isn't enough. You'll touch up every 80 minutes because water reflection doubles your UV exposure. Stack four:
AM, face: Supergoop Unseen SPF 40 — invisible, no white cast in photos. Peak sun, body: Sun Bum Original SPF 50 Spray — fast coverage when the boat hits the swim platform. Post-swim reapply: Vacation Classic Whip SPF 30 — mineral, water-resistant, smells like a piña colada. Lips: Sun Bum SPF 30 Lip Balm — the most-forgotten spot on the body.
Chemical sunscreens with avobenzone can pull blonde tones brassy. Lean mineral if you've spent on color.
3. Snacks That Hold Up In Heat
Build a spread that travels well: a pre-cut fruit tray (pineapple, melon, grapes — high water content), a veggie tray + hummus, Graza Olive Oil Potato Chips (crispy even in humidity), Khloud Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn (7g protein, no seed oils), and Snack Factory Original Pretzel Crisps with a sturdy dip like Boursin or guac.
And cases of water. Plural. Bring twice as much as you think anyone wants, then bring more. Vita Coco counts too — pack a few Tetra Paks for the cocktail recipes below.
4. Cocktail Garnish — So Your Drinks Are Photogenic All Day
The 3-Pack Citrus Bundle — 130+ shelf-stable wheels. Tap to shop.
Pack a Cocktail Garnish Co. Citrus Bundle — three resealable bags of dehydrated lemon, lime, and orange wheels — into the cooler or your tote. They're shelf-stable, sealed, won't bruise, and won't drip juice all over your bag.
Every drink below is built to taste great, look great in a photo, and keep you hydrated all day in the sun. Electrolytes in every glass, no sugar crash at 4pm, and a garnish that does the heavy lifting on presentation.
Pineapple Express
- 1 Salud Piña stick
- A splash of Vita Coco
- 1 can High Noon Pineapple Vodka Seltzer
- 1 CGC dehydrated pineapple wheel on top
Pour the High Noon over ice in a plastic tumbler. Stir in a splash of Vita Coco with the Salud Piña dissolved into it. Float the pineapple wheel. Tastes like a piña colada that went to college and got a job.
Sunset Lime
- 1 Salud Pepino Limón stick
- A splash of Vita Coco
- 1 can High Noon Lime Vodka Seltzer
- 1 CGC dehydrated lime wheel on top
Same build. The lime wheel does the heavy lifting here — concentrated citrus oils mean the aroma hits before the first sip.
Spicy MargNOrita
- 1 LMNT Zero Sugar Mango Chili Salt stick
- 1 can of soda water
- A splash of Ghia Le Spritz — Sumac & Chili
- 1 CGC dehydrated lime wheel (Tajín rim if you brought it)
Pour the soda water over ice. Stir in the LMNT Mango Chili until dissolved. Top with a splash of Ghia for that bittersweet sumac-chili finish. Float the lime wheel. Zero proof, full flavor, the kind of spicy margarita your group didn't know they wanted at noon — and the soda-water base keeps it endlessly refreshing.
Hibiscus Orange Spritz
- 1 Salud Jamaica | Hibiscus stick
- A splash of Vita Coco
- 1 can Ritual Zero Proof Spritz
- 1 CGC dehydrated orange wheel on top
Bittersweet citrus and floral notes from Ritual, tart hibiscus from Salud, the orange wheel as the visual anchor. Looks like a $22 hotel pool drink. Costs you under five.
5. Extra Towels
If the day involves a sandbar stop or jumping off the back, you need more towels than people. Sand Cloud Turkish cotton towels are the right answer — sand-resistant, fast-drying, pack flat, and 10% of profits go to marine conservation (which lands differently when you're literally on the ocean).
6. Hair Care After the Swim
Sun + salt + wind is a recipe for a brittle bird's nest by 4pm. Three travel-sized fixes: Sun Bum 3-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner (UV protection + detangler + conditioner — spray it on before you swim so hair absorbs less salt), Aveda Nutriplenish Leave-In (30ml) for post-swim detangling with a UV filter, and the Wet Brush Mini Detangler — palm-sized, glides through wet tangles, fits any pouch.
7. The Bogg Bag
The only tote that survives a boat day. Rubber EVA, stands up on its own, rinses clean with a hose, sand falls right off. Grab the Original Bogg Bag plus a few add-ons: the Brrr Cooler Insert turns half the bag into a cooler, the Bevy holds a Stanley upright on a rocking deck, and a couple of Organizer Pouches keep hair products, sunscreen, and your phone visible and dry.
8. Yeti Roadie 24 + a Bag of Ice
The cooler that fits behind a seat, holds 18 cans plus wine, and keeps ice for actual days. Yeti Roadie 24 Hard Cooler.
The move: load it at home with all your cans, water, and Vita Cocos, then stop at the gas station on the way to the marina for a bag of ice. Marina ice is double the price, sometimes triple.
9. Waterproof Phone Pouch
Non-negotiable. Phones get dropped, drinks get spilled, someone always cannonballs at exactly the wrong moment. Grab the ProCase Universal Waterproof Phone Pouch (2-pack) — two for the group, IPX8 rated, and you can still take photos through the front window. Loop one around your neck for the swim stops.
10. A Hat and Sunglasses
A boat day is a long day — 9, 10, sometimes 12 hours of direct sun reflecting off the water, which (again) doubles your UV exposure compared to a normal day at the beach. By hour four, your eyes are tired, your scalp is burning where the part runs, and you're squinting through every photo someone tries to take.
A wide-brim straw hat (packable, structured, won't fly off at 25 knots) plus polarized UV-protective sunglasses takes you from "fading by 3pm" to "still good at sunset." Worth the bag space.
Boat Day FAQs
Can You Bring Glass Bottles on a Charter Boat?
Most charter boats prohibit glass containers entirely — broken glass on a wet deck is a serious safety hazard and a major cleanup. Stick to cans, plastic tumblers, or insulated stainless cups. Every cocktail and mocktail in this guide is built from a can specifically for this reason.
What Snacks Hold Up Best on a Hot Boat Day?
Anything that won't melt, wilt, or spoil in direct sun. Avoid mayo-based dips and chocolate. Go for crispy snacks like Graza chips and Khloud kettle corn, pretzel crisps with sturdy dips like hummus or Boursin, plus pre-cut fruit and veggie trays kept on ice in the cooler.
Are Dehydrated Cocktail Garnishes Shelf-Stable?
Yes — sealed bags of dehydrated citrus wheels like the Cocktail Garnish Co. Citrus Bundle stay fresh for months at room temperature. They won't bruise, drip, or attract bugs, which is why they're the smartest garnish choice for outdoor, boat-based, and travel cocktails. Just reseal the bag between uses.
What's the Best Non-Alcoholic Drink for a Boat Day?
A zero-proof spritz mixed with an electrolyte powder. The two mocktails in this guide — the Spicy MargNOrita (LMNT Mango Chili + soda water + Ghia Sumac & Chili) and the Hibiscus Orange Spritz (Salud Jamaica + Vita Coco + Ritual Zero Proof Spritz) — both hydrate, look photogenic, and taste like real cocktails.
How Much Water Should You Bring per Person?
Plan on at least one gallon per person for a full day on the water — direct sun, salt air, and alcohol all accelerate dehydration. Bring a mix of plain water, Vita Coco, and add electrolyte sticks (Salud, LMNT) to a few bottles throughout the day to absorb fluids more effectively.
Do You Need Reef-Safe Sunscreen on a Boat?
If you're anchoring near reefs, swimming in protected waters (Florida Keys, Hawaii, Caribbean), or just want to reduce chemical runoff, yes — mineral-based formulas with zinc oxide like Vacation Classic Whip are reef-safe. Both Hawaii and Key West have laws restricting oxybenzone and octinoxate sunscreens.
Shop the Cocktail Garnish Co. Citrus Bundle and the rest of our garnish lineup here.
