Society seems to expect men to plan boys’ trips to the mountains or woods, where they might engage in the stereotypically masculine hobbies of climbing, fishing, shooting or off-roading. However, often all that you, a tried-and-true man, want from a vacation with your best guy friends is to relax on the beach to the calming sounds of the ocean waves.
If you want to plan a beach trip with your boys, you aren’t alone. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make the most of your time with your best bros on the sandy seashore. Here’s a quick guide to planning a fun and refreshing beach trip with the guys.
Get the Group Together
Not just any group of guys can get together and have a fun, relaxing boys’ trip. Before you invite every bro you know, you need to think critically about the personalities and relationships amongst your friends. The last thing you want to happen on your boys’ trip to the beach is a fight — physical, verbal or emotional — so you should avoid inviting any guys who are known for starting conflicts. Similarly, you don’t want your trip to be suffused with awkwardness, so you should be careful to get together a group that has an established and easy rapport.
Once you have invited the right group of guys, you can open conversations about what everyone wants and needs from a boys’ trip. You might start a conversation thread over text or a chat app, so everyone can have input on details like destination, budget, schedule, activities and more.
Make a Budget
The budget of the trip will determine many of the details, to include where you will go and what you will do. While it might be tempting to craft your trip around what you, personally, can afford, it is important to remember that the other boys on the trip will need to be able to pay for their part. Thus, you should talk to every member of the group to get a feel for their financial situation. If only one guy feels uncomfortable with major expenses while everyone else is on board for a lavish and luxurious trip, you might work with the other boys to help pay his way.
Set a Schedule
Using a scheduling tool like Doodle, you should coordinate with your bros to find the best week or weekend for your trip. Then, knowing how much time you have to spend at the beach, you can start blocking out your time. Many boys’ trips do not involve extensive planning, but you should take the time to organize your days into some sort of order; otherwise, you and the guys will be listless, and you could waste your vacation wondering what you could or should be doing. Even if your daily schedule is as simple as estimating when everyone will wake up, eat and head to the beach, it will help everyone feel some momentum that can contribute to a feeling of success during and after the trip.
Pack Your Pack
It is a horrible feeling to arrive at your gorgeous beach destination and begin unpacking only to discover that you left a number of essentials at home. While you should try to avoid overpacking for a low-key boys’ trip, you should still be sure that you have everything in your bags that you and your dudes will need during your vacation. Some must-haves include:
- 1-2 swimsuits
- Sunglasses
- Enough outfits to last the duration of the trip
- Sandals
- Portable speaker
- Beach blanket
- Cooler
- Snacks
- Beach games
- Beach chairs
- Umbrella
- Sunscreen
- Hand sanitizer
- Bug spray
As the primary organizer for the boys’ trip, you might offer a souvenir to every guy who attends. Simple and stylish men’s beach towels are excellent options for this, as many of the bros are apt to forget their own towels and can use your gift during and after the beach stay.
Rest and Relax
Once you get to the beach with your buds, you should do what you can to relax and enjoy the experience. It is not your responsibility to ensure that everyone is having maximum fun every minute of the day; as long as you follow your plan and let other people do what they like, you and your boys should rest, recover and reestablish your bonds of friendship now and into the future.
