Its part of the trifecta that makes the beach a site of bliss: sea, sun and sand. Sandcastles, sand moats, sand holes, sand burying your feet yes. But sand in your snacks, sand around the neck of your water bottle and sand in your dry clothes? No, thank you.

What to do? A beach chair will keep your wet swimsuit up above the grains, but wont help with your food and water. A towel or blanket will start out as a sand-free space for your things, but between the breeze and what people are tracking in on their feet, youll have to move everything and shake it out fairly often and even then, theres just a certain amount of sand drift that is inescapable.

Would you believe that the answer to this dilemma is a simple thing that you surely have sitting around the house? In fact, you probably saw one before you even got out of bed this morning.