Though you can’t tell from my frighteningly pale complexion, I take beach days seriously. There is nothing worse than setting up your camp for the day, lathering on sunscreen, and cranking up your playlist just to find your sandwiches soaking wet, or that you forgot to pack a necessary drink, utensil, or kitchen essential—I’ve discovered too many tricks to removing bottle caps and corks than I’d like to admit.

Like most moments in life, I feel it is better to over-prepare ahead of time so that once my feet hit the sand, there are no worries on the horizon. Over the years, I have perfected my beach snack and pack hacks, and I am more than happy to share.

No matter how much ice goes into a cooler, at least some of it is going to melt, especially when using cubes or bags of ice from the store. Even if you pack your sandwiches in ziplock bags, the moisture always seems to find a way in, and a soggy sandwich on the beach is a real heartbreak.

Instead, fill the bottom of your cooler with frozen water bottles. Since the water in the bottles will freeze into one large block of ice, instead of individual cubes, it will stay frozen for longer. Plus, when the ice eventually melts, you’ll have extra cold water on hand.

Similarly, if you are planning on having oceanfront cocktails, you can prebatch and freeze them for some support. The alcohol and sugars in most cocktails should keep your batch from freezing hard, meaning it will be plenty drinkable by the time you hit the sand. While you shouldn’t freeze canned drinks like sodas, hard seltzers, or beers, you should make sure they are cold when you put them in the cooler. It is always easier to keep something cold than to cool down something warm.

I always take sandwich orders at least a few hours before it's time to leave. That way, each person can get their ideal beach sandwich without anyone having to fight over the last Italian sub. While everyone has their own idea of the perfect sandwich, surely soggy bread isn’t a component of any. To avoid soggy sandwiches and having to lug around several condiment containers, add your condiments to the center of the sandwich, so that they never actually touch the bread. Similarly, while I prefer to wash my lettuce leaves at home and pack them, wrapped in a damp paper towel, in a ziplock bag to keep them fresh and crisp come sandwich time, you can also wash and dry them thoroughly and add them on at home to avoid any further prep at the beach.

My favorite sandwich hack, though, is to wrap each individual sandwich in plastic wrap or parchment paper, then pop them right back into the bread bag they came in. This keeps the sandwiches extra dry and extra neat, and the bread bag doubles as a trash bag at the end of the day.

While much of beach packing is centered around keeping things cold, there’s no reason not to play into the heat. If you need to heat something like a hot dog or pressed sandwich, prepare it at home, wrap it in foil, and store it in the cooler until you're ready to eat. Then, place the foil-wrapped sandwich under the sun to warm up. Just be sure to keep in mind that no perishable food should be left out unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, according to USDA guidelines. So keep them cold until you’re ready to eat, and add the condiments once they’re hot.

Just like your mains, snacks can and should be packed ahead of time. This could be as simple as portioning chips, fruit, or candy into zip-lock bags or more creative with a portable charcuterie board in a fishing tackle box or snackle box.

What's a snackle box? It started with people using fishing tackle boxes, with divided sections for supplies, to store snacks. The trend inspired companies to make "snackle boxes" with larger sections for more food. Practical and cute, these boxes let you pack various snacks neatly while avoiding excess bags and containers. They’re also great for keeping sand out compared to open chip bags or bowls.

While packing hacks are great, the thing that has really changed my beach game the most is bringing a pop-up tent. They are lightweight and easy to carry along, but provide shade and shelter from the wind and sand that is unbeatable for any final prep that needs to be done on location. I like to set the tent up with the cooler in the back and everyone’s bags lining the edges. Not only does this help keep your food and drinks cooler, it also keeps them, and your surrounding area, cleaner.

Whereas before a BLT quickly became a BLS(sand)T, now I take my time carefully slathering on mayo—yes a BLT should have mayo—and selecting the nicest lettuce leaves and slices of tomato in a comfortable, sand-free space. Whatever your go-to beach food and drink, a pop-up tent is sure to make things just a bit simpler for you.

Extra tip: A bucket or tub of water just outside the tent is a great way to get sand off your hands and feet before entering the tent and digging into the food.