The packing system — the cubes, the weekender, the toiletry bag — was covered in my Easter weekend packing post. The travel beauty — the SPF, the fragrance, the dry shampoo — was covered in my weekend getaway post. What neither post covered: the specific tech and travel accessories that make a beach or lake long weekend function well rather than just adequately. The Bluetooth speaker that travels without being babied. The waterproof phone case that actually works. The portable charger that handles three days of outdoor activity without hunting for an outlet. The accessories that close the gap between a trip you planned and a trip that ran smoothly. Memorial Day weekend is here! Here’s what to add to the bag.
What You’ll Find In This Post:
6 Tech and Travel Accessories for the Beach and Lake Weekend
1. The Bluetooth Speaker That Handles Outdoor Conditions
JBL Clip 4 Portable Waterproof Speaker
The beach or lake weekend has a soundtrack, and the phone speaker is not adequate to provide it — not in the wind, not at the volume that outdoor settings require, not while the phone is in a waterproof case or on the other side of the towel. The JBL Clip 4 is the outdoor speaker that earns its reputation: IP67 waterproof and dustproof (fully submersible to one meter for thirty minutes), a carabiner clip that attaches to a bag, a chair, a cooler, or a branch, and 10 hours of battery life at outdoor listening volume. The compact size — smaller than a fist — is what makes it genuinely travel-appropriate rather than aspirationally portable. Clip it to the beach bag on the way out and clip it to the chair umbrella when you arrive. The soundtrack is handled.
The packing note: The carabiner is the specific feature that makes this speaker worth choosing over alternatives — it clips to the outside of the beach bag rather than taking up space inside it, which means it’s accessible without unpacking and doesn’t add meaningful weight to carry.
2. The Waterproof Phone Case That Actually Works
Pelican Marine Waterproof Phone Pouch
The waterproof phone case situation at beaches and lakes has two failure modes: the cases that are technically waterproof but create so much friction and visual distortion that the phone is essentially unusable while protected, and the cases that are convenient but fail the moment they encounter actual water. The Pelican Marine pouch is the third option — a flat, sealed pouch with IP68 certification (submersible to 6.6 feet for one hour) that allows full touchscreen operation through the clear film, fits any phone size without fitting cases, and opens and closes via a double-seal system that actually holds. Wear it around the neck on the included lanyard, use the phone normally through the pouch for photos and music, and don’t think about the phone again for the rest of the day at the water.
The packing note: The neck lanyard is the correct wearing method at the water’s edge — it keeps the phone accessible and visible without requiring it to be in a pocket or a bag that may or may not be nearby when you want it. For kayaking, paddleboarding, or any activity where full submersion is possible, the Pelican is the case worth trusting.
3. The Portable Charger That Handles the Whole Weekend
A long weekend at the beach or lake produces a specific phone battery crisis: the combination of outdoor brightness requiring full screen brightness, GPS navigation to unfamiliar places, the camera working constantly for sunset and water photos, and the general heavy use of three days away from routine drains batteries faster than a typical weekend. The Anker 737 at 24,000mAh charges an iPhone 14 approximately five times from dead — enough for three days of heavy outdoor use without anxiety. The 140W output charges two devices simultaneously at full speed, the USB-C pass-through means the power bank itself charges while charging your devices, and the compact footprint (slightly larger than a deck of cards) is the right size for the beach bag without requiring dedicated space planning.
The packing note: Charge the Anker fully the night before departure — a full 24,000mAh bank starting Friday night handles the entire three-day weekend without finding an outlet at the rental, the hotel, or the beach house.
4. The Waterproof Bluetooth Earbuds for Morning Runs and Water
The long weekend has a morning run on the beach or a paddleboard session with music, and the standard earbuds — the ones used at the gym or on commutes — are almost never rated for sweat and water exposure in a way that holds up to actual outdoor activity over multiple days. The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE are the mid-range earbuds that cover the outdoor activity use case specifically: IPX2 water resistance handles rain and sweat reliably, the ergonomic fit stays secure through movement, and the 6-hour battery (21-hour total with the case) covers every morning run and evening walk of the long weekend without recharging mid-activity. For the beach run at 7am before anyone else is up, these are the earbuds that make it happen without the anxiety of water damage.
The packing note: Pack the charging case rather than leaving it at home — the case doubles the battery life and means the earbuds are charged for each morning of the weekend rather than requiring the phone’s USB-C cable in a specific configuration to charge separately.
5. The Dry Bag That Keeps Everything Dry
The beach bag and the lake bag are not waterproof — they hold towels, sunscreen, and a book in a fabric that soaks through when a wave hits the shore or a paddler tips the kayak. The dry bag is the solution that separates the things that must stay dry (the phone not in the Pelican case, the charger, the earbuds in their case, the car keys, the wallet) from the things that can handle water. The SealLine Baja is the dry bag that has earned its place as the outdoor standard: the roll-top seal is genuinely waterproof (tested to depth, not just splash-resistant), the 5-liter capacity holds everything that needs protection without excess bulk, and the shoulder strap makes it wearable for paddling and hiking rather than just packable. It also doubles as the beach bag itself for a minimalist packing approach.
The packing note: The roll-top seal requires three complete rolls before clipping for a proper waterproof seal — two rolls reduces the protection significantly. Roll fully, clip, trust it.
6. The Solar Charger for Off-Grid Situations
The lake house, the campsite, the beach rental that turns out to have fewer outlets than the photos suggested — the Memorial Day weekend at the water has a meaningful chance of involving limited access to electrical outlets for significant portions of the day. The BigBlue 28W solar charger unfolds to four panels, clips to the outside of a beach bag or backpack with the included carabiner loops, and charges devices directly from sunlight at speeds comparable to a wall charger on a clear day. At a beach or lake where direct sun is the ambient condition, it charges a phone in approximately two hours from dead. For a three-day outdoor weekend where the power bank handles the nights and the solar charger handles the days, the combination is genuinely off-grid capable.
The packing note: The solar charger works best when facing directly toward the sun at a perpendicular angle — clipped to a beach bag lying flat on the sand in full sun is the correct setup. Angled toward the sky at a beach umbrella that’s blocking sun significantly reduces output.
The Memorial Day Beach and Lake Packing System
The tech layer — what this post covers: JBL Clip 4 (clipped to the bag exterior) → Pelican phone pouch (worn around neck at the water) → Anker power bank (in the dry bag) → Galaxy Buds FE with case (in the dry bag) → SealLine dry bag (holding all tech and essentials) → BigBlue solar charger (clipped to outside of main bag in sun).
The organization layer — covered in the Easter packing post: Away carry-on or Cuyana weekender, Béis packing cubes for clothes, Dagne Dover toiletry bag. See The Easter Long Weekend Packing List for the full system.
The beauty layer — covered in the Weekend Getaway post: Klorane dry shampoo, Supergoop travel SPF, Slip silk pillowcase. See Weekend Getaway Essentials for the full travel beauty kit.
The three posts together cover every category of a well-packed beach or lake weekend: the bag and organization system, the travel beauty, and the tech accessories that make the outdoor days function. No cardigan math required — the system is complete.
Mini FAQ
Test it before the trip — fill the pouch with a paper towel, seal it properly, and submerge in a bucket of water for two minutes. If the paper towel is dry, the seal is working. If not, the seal may need to be replaced or the pouch returned. Never trust a waterproof case on its first use at the actual water without testing it first.
Yes, at reduced output — approximately 30–50% of full sun output on a partly cloudy day. Enough to maintain a charge or trickle-charge a device over a full day, but not enough for the fast-charge performance of a clear day.
The SealLine Baja is designed for water exposure during paddling and kayaking — the roll-top seal handles splashing, rain, and brief submersion. For actual swimming where the bag is being pulled underwater repeatedly, bring it to the shore or leave it with someone who isn’t swimming.
Shoulder strap for walking to the water. Set it on the sand above the tide line when settled — not on a beach chair where it can slide off. If leaving it unattended for any period, tuck it under a towel or under the bag that’s staying on the chair.
✨ Beth’s Take: The Weekend I Stopped Fighting the Phone Anxiety
For years the beach or lake weekend involved a low-grade anxiety about the phone — the battery that wouldn’t make it through a full day of outdoor use, the photos that required taking the phone out of any bag or pocket at the water’s edge where it could get wet, the music that required the phone to be within arm’s reach and unprotected in the sun. The phone was simultaneously the most important item in the bag and the most vulnerable to the conditions it was supposed to be enjoying.
The Pelican pouch solved the anxiety more completely than I expected. Worn around the neck, the phone is accessible for every photo opportunity, the music app operates through the pouch film, and the phone is protected from everything the water brings without requiring any decision about whether this moment is safe enough to take it out. That’s the change — the decision fatigue around the phone at the water disappears entirely when it’s already protected.
The Anker power bank is the other piece that changed the dynamic: when the weekend starts with a fully charged 24,000mAh bank and ends Monday with the phone at 40%, the charging anxiety is simply not a feature of the trip. These are small quality-of-life improvements that sound modest in description and feel significant in the living of them. Memorial Day weekend is the first real test of the summer outdoor season. Start it with the right accessories and the next four months at the water are that much better.
More Packing Inspiration
For the bag and organization system that this tech layer fits into, Weekend Getaway Essentials: The 5 Finds That Make Every Spring Trip So Much Easier covers the carry-on, the compression cube, and the travel beauty. And for the full long weekend packing system — the packing cubes, the toiletry bag, and the complete organization approach — The Easter Long Weekend Packing List is the companion post that covers everything this one intentionally left uncovered.
Closing Thoughts
Have a Beautiful Memorial Day Weekend
Charge the power bank tonight. Test the waterproof pouch before you leave Friday. Clip the speaker to the bag on the way out. Let the dry bag hold everything that matters. And spend the actual weekend at the water rather than managing the technology that’s supposed to make it better. That’s the whole point — the accessories in service of the experience, not the other way around.
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