Photo: Michael Hession

An unexpected summer essential? A good umbrella. Over the past several years, we’ve taken umbrellas on errands, run them under the shower, attacked them with a leaf blower, and subjected them to blizzard-like conditions. Our top recommendation can stand up to gale-force winds and is as sturdy as ones twice the price. Plus, it folds up to a compact size, making it delightfully easy to throw into your bag on your way out the door.

For sudden summer downpours→

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Illustration: Dana Davis; Photo: Hali Potters

This camping chair folds down smaller than a bottle of soda, sets up in under a minute, and weighs just about two pounds. Which means you can easily throw it in your bag for seated back support, anywhere and anytime. Post-work happy hour at the park, anyone?

“This super-light camping chair comes with me everywhere”→

The best disposable camera Summertime memories are better on film→

Our favorite lip balms Including a high-shine gloss and a no-frills under-$5 option→

A pair of cheap sunnies We found seven high-quality styles that won’t break the bank→

Photo: Sarah Kobos

One final note on keeping everything you need within arm’s reach: Consider a fanny pack. Once the (ahem) butt of many jokes, fanny packs have made a major comeback in recent years—for good reason. These compact, hands-free bags are pretty darn useful. And some of our favorite ones are downright cute.

We’ve tested 22 fanny packs and have 5 favorites→

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