10 items for your next cottage country getaway
With the right gear you can take your time at the cottage to the next level.
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With fall on the way, most people will soon start shuttering their summer homes for another year. However, the smart money is on doing a bit of shopping now, before you finish locking up your cottage for the season. When you return in the spring, you'll have a ton of new items designed to upgrade your vacation home, waiting for you and ready to take your summer getaways to the next level. These are some of our favourites.
1. A Reliable Sunscreen
Enjoy some fun in the sun, without getting burned.
If you’re spending the day lazing on the dock, laying out on your deck or chilling by the water, that last thing you want is a sunburn. Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen offers SPF60 protection to defend your skin against harmful UV rays. What’s more, it does it without leaving a sticky, white residue. It spreads easily and absorbs fast.
Get Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 60 from Shoppers Drug Mart
2. A Solid Bluetooth Speaker
Our top-rated affordable Bluetooth speaker: Anker Soundcore
Spending time at the cottage is so much better with your favourite tunes playing in the background. The Anker SoundCore 2 is a small, waterproof portable speaker that boasts wonderful sound quality. In fact, we liked it so much that we gave it our Editor’s Choice award. You’ll find it’s right at home in the kitchen while you’re cooking, next to your fire pit, or sitting on a dock while you take a dip.
Get the Anker SoundCore 2 from Amazon Canada
3. A Little Friendly Competition
If you and your friends are looking for a fun challenge, look no further.
Playable on grass or sand, Spikeball is a distant cousin to volleyball, only way more fun. The rules for the game are simple: set a team or, while playing with a single partner, take the ball included with the game and, between you, your partner or your team, spike, bump and blast it into the net in such a way that your opponents have no chance of intercepting it. SpikeBall comes with three balls, an adjustable net, and a carrying case that makes for easy setup and takedown. Game on!
Get SpikeBall from Amazon Canada
4. A Well-Loved Classic Game
Easy to learn, difficult to master: Cornhole is a game the whole family can enjoy.
Cornhole is a fun, laidback game that’s sure to put a smile on everyone’s faces. The game requires at least two players who take turns throwing bean bags at the holes in their opponent’s Cornhole board. Heaps of hand-eye coordination and patience are required to become a cornhole master. This AmazonBasics cornhole set is well-reviewed and should provide you and yours with years of enjoyment.
Get your Cornhole set from Amazon Canada
5. An Inflatable Island For Up To Five People
There's no need to be alone on the lake, thanks to this inflatable, floating island.
When days by the lake turn scorching hot, there’s nothing better than cooling off on the water. This spacious Flamingo floaty can fit up to five adults to help you take your party onto the lake or to the beach. It even comes equipped with a built-in drink cooler to help keep you hydrated.
Get the Flamingo Floating Party Island from Canadian Tire
6. A Soft, Absorbent Beach Towel
Dry off in the finest aquatic style with this plush towel.
If you’re jumping in and out of the water all day, you're going to need a plush, absorbent beach towel. We suggest the Dena Mineko Fish Beach Towel in Blue. It's soft to the touch, comfortable to lay on and soaks up enough water that, after you use it, you'll be dry in no time. The Turtle towel comes in a variety of colours and patterns.
Get the Dena Home Mineko Fish Beach Towel in Blue Towel from Bed, Bath & Beyond
7. An Outstanding Charcoal Grill
The Napoleon NK22CK-L is the best charcoal grill you can by, right now.
There aren’t many things that taste better than a barbecued classic like a burger or sausage cooked over charcoal. The Weber Original Kettle Premium 22” is a dome-style charcoal grill that offers excellent airflow control, a large cooking surface, and is easy to clean. This grill comes equipped with a built-in storage bracket for its lid to help keep it out of the way while you’re cooking and hooks built into the grill’s handles from which you can hang your BBQ utensils.
Get the Weber Original Kettle Premium from Amazon Canada
8. A Cool Cooler
With this cooler, you can go without ice refills for days at a time.
The Pelican Elite 20 Quart Cooler’s impeccable insulation will ensure that your food and beverages stay cool for up to three days in the blistering summer heat, no matter if you’re out on the water, on the beach, or kicking back on the deck with a few friends. It’s 20 quart (18.9 liter) volume ensures that you’ll have more than enough space for your ice packs, food, and drinks for a day enjoying the great outdoors. Built tough, the Elite 20 features three-inch locking latches, a reinforced lockable hasp, an anti-shear hinge system, a stainless steel bottle opener, and molded tie-down slots. Cupholders? Yep, it has those, too. With Pelican’s lifetime replacement warranty, all of this adds up to a pretty cool investment.
Get the Pelican Elite 20 Quart Cooler from Amazon Canada
9. A Heavenly Hammock
Investing in a hammock to kick back and relax in, is one of the best cottage hacks around.
With its free-standing, packable frame, the Ohuhu 10FT Double Hammock can be set up almost anywhere there’s flat ground and enough space, allowing you to move it in and out of the sun as you please. Its durable steel frame can hold up to 450 pounds (or two adults) and has an all-weather finish to see it through any number of summer rainstorms, rust-free. When not in use, the Ohuhu folds up into its included carry case for easy storage.
Get The Ohuhu 10FT Double Hammock from Amazon Canada
10. A Warm Blanket For Cool Evenings
Staying warm around the fire or while drinking your morning coffee on the lake has never been so fashionable.
Summer evenings can get chilly after a long day in the sun. The MEC Rumpl NanoLoft Puffy Blanket is a versatile and waterproof blanket that comes in a variety of different colours. It is machine washable and its synthetic insulation protects against wet and damp temperatures. Another component we love about this blanket is that it is made of recycled content. This 190cm by 132cm throw is guaranteed to provide you and your family just enough warmth while you nestle up by the fire roasting some s’mores, for years to come.
Get the Rumpl NanoLoft Puffy Blanket from Mountain Equipment Co-op