Our first travel ball tournament came and went! If I learned anything from the experience, it was that I was very unprepared. Baseball tournaments require a whole other level of readiness if you ask me. You are out all day in the sweltering heat, and it’s our job as parents to keep them healthy and hydrated for the next 15 games. So, I did some research on the most popular and most convenient items of this year’s baseball season. Here is what I learned.
The Hulken bag
The Hulken Bag is all the rage. Google says it’s because of their combination of functionality, durability, and stylish design. The bag is praised for their ability to carry heavy loads with ease due to their smooth rolling wheels. Sign me up! Just think of the snackle boxes and free-standing umbrellas you can fit in there! Yes, I said free standing umbrellas! We’re getting there.
wagons
I see a lot of people with these handy wagons. They seem so convenient! I’ve never heard anyone say they hate having a wagon. I don’t know about you but at the end of the day when it’s time to pack everything up and make the epic journey to the car I’m tempted to leave it all there and just buy new. Kidding of course! But I am extremely tempted to invest in a wagon. The double decker option seems so genius. That gives you the option to bring those amazing canopy tents to set up camp for the day and have room for coolers snacks and anything else you might need. Okay let’s talk comfort!
Lawn Chairs
My friend Jenny lead me on to these! She told me all of the softball moms on her travel team had them. When I saw them at Bomgaars I decided to treat myself. Afterall, I’m pretty sure I had been using a chair my husband drug out of a dumpster for quite some time. I do not regret the purchase whatsoever. They are so light weight and comfortable and I must not be the only one that thinks so! They have 51,000 five-star reviews on amazon!
Wondershade Umbrella
I bought this for my dad for Father’s Day last year. It has been such a life saver for keeping them cool and shaded and it is so easy to put up and take down. This is a perfect alternative to a large canopy. It folds up into a similar shape as a lawn chair and has a similar carrying case. I highly recommend these, and there is a good chance they come in your teams’ colors.
Coolers
YETI Tundra Haul // Arctic Zone Titan Wheeled Cooler // IceMule Pro Cooler 23L // Dbest Products Ultra Compact Cooler
I know nothing about coolers. I usually walk by them and wonder why they are so expensive. However, when my items in my cooler were sopping wet by noon and the other parents still had frozen Gatorade bottles to hand their kid. I quickly realized that not all coolers were created equally. Since I am in no position to advise you about coolers I turned to google for help. These were the four coolers that google suggested. All were a bit different based on how portable you would like your cooler to be. Thank you Google!
Speakers
JBL PartyBox 1000 // Bose S1 Pro + // Sony SRS-XG500
Okay guys. When looking for a speaker to take to the baseball fields you need a speaker that is powerful, portable and weather resistant. These appear to be the best options for those three attributes. I suppose if you’re a family that also spends your off days outside and music is important to you these would be a good investment. Otherwise, I don’t advise taking out a small loan just to have music at a baseball tournament! It is Amazon’s turn to weigh in and this waterproof Bluetooth speaker has 6,000 5-star reviews and is the top reviewed for sound quality! Did I mention it is under sixty dollars?!
IPX7 Waterproof Bluetooth Portable Speaker
Rechargable portable fans
Rechargeable Fan // Super Stylish Solar Fan Hat
If we are going to be living the true life of luxury, why stop there. Let’s add a rechargeable fan to the mix. I am willing to go to any lengths to keep Jace cool and comfortable on the 100 plus degree days. It can be tough to cool down after playing in such rough conditions. This fan had 14,000 good reviews and was top reviewed for noise level.
How funny are these Solar Powered Fan Hats?! I know for a fact my husband would rock this. If you knew him, you would probably say this was right up his alley. I know what he’s getting for Father’s Day!
Ice Water dispensers
Artic Portable Ice Water Cooler (3Gallon) // Stanley 2 Gallon Ice Water Cooler // Igloo Barrel of Fun
If you are anything like my husband and can’t stand to pay for something you could get for free. These Water coolers are an excellent alternative to buying cases of bottled water or making frequent trips to the concessions stand. This is something that could stay in the car and be visited in between games for a refresher. I do like the idea of saving some space in the cooler and nothing is better than a Stanley full of ice water.
Okay guys we are just scratching the surface. These are just the basics. We haven’t even gotten into the cool gadgets and snackle boxes. I’m going to get to studying, check back for part 2!