What You Need For A Day On The Lake 🌞🚣🏼‍♀️

It’s summertime! The days are longer, the temperature is rising, and you can finally put the snow blower away! When that heat really starts to sink in, what’s better than spending the day on the lake?

A day on the lake is one of the best ways to spend a summer day. It’s refreshing, kids will have loads of fun, and everyone can get a good dose of exercise out in nature (or squeeze in some quality outdoor nap time). The trick is planning to bring everything you’ll need for your day – and sometimes it’s easy to lose track of things. Luckily, if you’re on your way to a fun-filled lake day and realize you forgot to pack something, make sure to stop in your local The Store for some of your lake day essentials.

Here’s a step-by-step guide for planning the perfect day on your favorite Wisconsin lake!

1. Prepare for the Lake Early

Don’t risk losing track of important items in the wild scramble to get on the road! Grab your essentials the day before and pack early. It helps to make a checklist of all the things you might need for your day – and have everyone weigh in just in case they remember something you don’t!

• Bug Spray
• First Aid Kit
• Ziploc bags
• Disinfectant wipes
• Trash bags
• A portable charger with a USB cord
• Eating utensils
• Bottle opener/wine key
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Towels
• Extra change of clothes
• Books or games

Now, that’s a solid list. But what are we missing? Oh – FOOD!

2. Get Creative with Food and Snacks

Picking up some of these handy snacks and lunch items from The Store will make life easier for when you just want to enjoy your day on the lake! We excel at comfort food like beef and cheese snacks that help fill you up and keep you energized:

• Nueske’s Beef Sausage, Summer Sausage, Honey Ham Sticks, and Landjaeger
• Klement’s Beef and Pork Snack Sticks
• A variety of Country Fresh Meat Sticks and Cheese Sticks
• A variety of Vern’s Cheese
• A variety of Deli Express premade sandwiches
• A variety of Kitchen Fresh Foods premade sandwiches and both snack sticks and cheese

And make sure you grab some yummy sweet and salty snacks:

• Planters nuts
• Dole fruit cups
• Corn Nuts
• Twizzlers
• Oh Snap! Pouches

And don’t forget about those drinks:

• Monster to kick start your morning trip
• Bug juice or apple juice for the kids
• Coca-Cola for lunch, and a bubbly pick me up
• A ton of water!

Don’t forget to pack plenty of ice to keep all food and drinks nice and cool in your coolers!

3. Prepare the Car

The more people you have on your day trip, the more chance your car will get cluttered. Make sure you have a plastic bag for everyone to throw their wrappers and other refuse. That way you won’t discover any surprises while preparing for your next trip to the lake! You might say of course, there’s always a trash bag in the car. But what about non-trash clutter – the stuff you might not have a place for but don’t want to lose?

Number one tip – Take a Bin

When everyone is tired at the end of the day, just toss everything into the bin. Water toys, the extra water bottle that never made it back into the cooler, or that random flip-flop you’re pretty sure started out on someone’s foot, but nobody will own up to it. All that stuff can get thrown into the bin and sorted later – because when you’re having fun, who wants to figure out where to put every little thing?

Number two tip – Bring extra towels

Throw down some dry towels on the car seats to keep them from getting wet, sandy, or muddy. They’re handy to have for the kid who forgot to bring theirs, as a replacement for the one that somehow ended up in the water, or even as a picnic blanket in case you picked up more than you thought at The Store. 😉

4. Don’t Forget to Take Lots of Pics!

It’s going to be a blast for everyone, including yourself! You’ll have such great memories to look back on (especially once the snow flies) and you’ll be able to share them with everyone who was there. Plus, pictures of the lake make gorgeous art prints for your home!

Some good shots include:

• A shot of the whole group (set up a video, and take screen shots from that)
• Kids and pets splashing in the water
• A picture of the lake, the surrounding area, and the sunset
• Any time someone falls in the water after insisting they won’t

At the end of the day, finish off your snacks, pack up the car (and fill that bin) and head home. Don’t forget to start planning your next day on the lake while it’s still on your mind!

Did we miss anything you need to have a fun and successful lake day? Let us know! We realize folks have different ways to enjoy our Wisconsin lakes & rivers, so in the end it’ll be a great day no matter what. The important thing is to have fun with family & friends and make new memories!