Have you ever gone to the beach and struggled to find the right place to hide your small valuables, like cell phone or cash, or been too afraid to leave your towel for long? Some people will hide stuff under their towel, while others dig a hole and bury their stuff in the sand. Others wrap valuables in a diaper to deter thieves by making them think it is poopy garbage. Here are six gadgets to check out that may help you stash your stuff during your next visit to the beach or on your travels.
1. Hair scrunchie with a hidden pocket
This novel scrunchie with a pocket can be worn not just at the beach but really anywhere you want to carry something small and do not want to carry a purse. The LokiStashed pocketed scrunchies are only $7.99 for a set of three colors and have an average review of 4.7 stars. Although some older reviewers complained that the black scrunchie had a white zipper, those complaints seemed to subside as newer reviewers commended the company for changing the zipper colors to match the scrunchies better. Reviewers commented that they used their LokiStashed to hold various items, including money, keys, chapstick, eyelash glue, and a tampon. $7.99 at Amazon.
2. Water bottle with hidden compartment
There are a couple different water bottles with hidden compartments on Amazon. On the left, above, is the Diversion ($23, above in silver). The other two photos are of the Bindle Bottle ($39), which comes in a more slender 20-ounce size (shown above in coral) or a wide-mouth 24-ounce (above in glacier blue).
Of the Diversion bottle, one reviewer commented that his car keys and cash fit in it and was great for going to the beach where he did not want to lose his keys in the sand. Another was very pleased that it hid his illegal drugs and relayed a story where police had searched his car, looked in his backpack, and then picked up the bottle and “just set it off to the side.” He added, “A+++++ From me. F from my bondsman and attorney.” $23 at Amazon.
Reviewers also liked the Bindle bottle. One reviewer commented that, at the water parks it holds his keys, chapstick, driver license, park pass, and credit card. Another reviewer said she bought the Bindle for a trip to Mexico, where she used it to hold her room key and cash. She commented, “I had bartenders make or pour my cocktails straight into it and had tip money ready to go. It was also super handy for having extra hair ties and Bobby pins.” Another reviewer bought it for her sixth-grade daughter “to store her ‘feminine needs'” at school. $39 at Amazon.
4. Beach towel/blanket with hidden pocket
The Aysesa cotton “beach towel” is more of a blanket than a towel. It’s not used for drying off so much as it is used to lie on the sand. As described, it is designed to dry fast and not collect sand. Most importantly, it features a zippered pocket of the same fabric, and, if you flip the towel pocket-side down, it will be more hidden. Reviewers enjoyed that the towel was “light and easy to carry with me in my bag,” and “didn’t take up much space.” One reviewer said, “I kept my phone and keys in the pocket, where I felt that they were safe and protected from the sand.” Another said the pocket “was big enough to keep our room keys, some cash, and even the camera or cell phones out of site and safe” from would-be thieves. Another reviewer said, in addition to a beach blanket, she used the towel “as a screen from the sun, light wrap on my shoulders for cool mornings, and a blankie to snuggle nieces by the fire.” On sale for $24.90 at Amazon.
5. Safego portable lockbox safe
The Safego portable lock box safe is marketed to be “small enough for traveling, but strong enough for everyday use.” Can be used at beaches, pools, hotels, resorts, theme parks, sleepaway camps, hospitals, and more. It features a 17-inch adjustable steel cable that you wrap around any fixed or secured object, like a pair of beach chairs or a fence. It can open with either a 3-digit combination or a key. One reviewer used to secure items in her hotel room by attaching it to the clothes rod in the closet and hanging it between clothes. Another reviewer used it while napping at the airport to secure her passport and phone. Another said that it safely contained “cash, her Motorola Modo phone, a room card, ear buds, and Kindle” reader, and one said she uses it daily to secure her medications. Another said she used it to store two iPhone 8s, with Otterbox cases, and still had room for one more phone. Size is 7″ x 4″ x 7.5″, and the inside is 7″ tall x 6.5″ wide. $49.95 at Amazon.
