Backyard/pool necessities

[Nursenini]

I have been slowly accumulating many of the recommended and "must have" items for our backyard/pool area and am looking for suggestions and recommendations of items I may still be lacking. This being our first time ever with a pool, I want to make sure we aren't missing something.

So far we have:

Patio furniture group (in the process of getting new cushions)
3 chaise loungers
patio table and chairs set
chairs for firepit and tanning ledge
2 umbrellas
2 deck boxes
deck trash can
TF-100 test kit
pool noodles
2 Swimways in-pool floaties/loungers
inner tube floatie
blow-up giant turtle floatie
blow-up giant shark floatie
Beach towels
beachball
pool football
water gun/soakers
Weber kettle grill (until ODK is built, hopefully next year)

On order from Amazon (will arrive this week):

Off lanterns with refill packs
syringe with long tubing for aquiring water samples
hairnets for skimmer socks
Fence hooks to hang skimmer, vac hose, etc (skimmer and vac being provided by PB)


Still on my list to buy as more cash becomes available:

Robot
pretty skimmer lids
hosereel cart
power washer
Outdoor audio/visual system
landscape
ODK
Security cameras
In-pool Volleyball set
lighting


What are the things not listed on any of my lists that are "must haves"?

 

[kimkats]

A pretty way to hang your towels to allow them to dry or to keep them off the ground and out of the way until needed. I LOVE a surf board with towel hooks. Not sure if you have a place for something that big.

PVC rack to put the floats and noodles in. Easy and cheap to build. MANY pics on google.

Plastic cups and plates, maybe a tray to help carry them.

A plane ticket for me to come help break in your pool LOL

Kim:cat:

 

[tim5055]

I don't see coolers or ice buckets to keep the drinks cold.

I would,say skip the syringe/tubing to get water samples. Too difcult to clean/keep clean just use a small plastic bottle. The pool $tore will generally give you one for free so you can bring them the water sample

 

[Nursenini]

A pretty way to hang your towels to allow them to dry or to keep them off the ground and out of the way until needed. I LOVE a surf board with towel hooks. Not sure if you have a place for something that big.

PVC rack to put the floats and noodles in. Easy and cheap to build. MANY pics on google.

Plastic cups and plates, maybe a tray to help carry them.

A plane ticket for me to come help break in your pool LOL

Kim:cat:

Now that you mention these, I do remember you telling someone else these same things! Great ideas!

Kim, you are welcome anytime!

I don't see coolers or ice buckets to keep the drinks cold.

I would,say skip the syringe/tubing to get water samples. Too difcult to clean/keep clean just use a small plastic bottle. The pool $tore will generally give you one for free so you can bring them the water sample

Good catch on the cooler/ice bucket! We do have one...it's not "pretty" though...may need to "upgrade"...

Hmmm...didn't think about cleaning the tubing, but you ARE right... I just thought you needed to test deeper rather than shallower water... Guess I'll stick with a squeeze bottle I can wash!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Pool thermometer

 

[Nursenini]

Pool thermometer

I was wondering about that...I'm doing the Hayward Omnilogic which I think will give me pool temp, but do I also want a manual floating thermometer to corolate the temp?

 

[kimkats]

I have one BUT I do NOT leave it in the water...........guess where I found some algae last summer.......yep in my cute shark thermometer now I put it in to get a reading when I need it and take it back out. That is what those deck boxes will be good for.

Do you have something to store the MA (muratic Acid) in? With you having littles coming over you will want it to be in something safe as in lockable. MA and chlorine do not play well together so should be stored away from each other. Janny found one that is purrfect. It has a place to put a lock.

Sterilite 2-Shelf Storage Cabinet - Walmart.com

Kim:cat:

 

[Nursenini]

I was actually going to put the MA in one of the boxes. They can also be locked.

Thanks for for the heads up on the thermometer breeding algae! I'll be sure to take it out!

 

[Kevandra]

You might want to consider a First Aid Kit. Lots of hanging plastic box type models around.

K

 

[Nursenini]

You might want to consider a First Aid Kit. Lots of hanging plastic box type models around.

K

I do have one in the house, but a poolside one is a really good idea! Thank you!

 

[DKT113]

I have my towel hooks at staggered heights for the little kids and adults to use. Initially I started them all up high and we're a very tall family, but realized if the little ones didn't have hooks their towels got put on chair backs and eventually fell on the ground.

I run a garbage can and a burnable paper only can ~ the burnable paper only can is for bonfire starting and the fire ring as well (toss your dryer lint in here ~ Dryer Lint is the mother of all fire starters.)

Small bucket ~ think mine is (2) gallon for the water guns, soaker balls, pong balls, cheesy snorkel tubes, dive sticks, all the little pool "fun stuff" that retains water/ doesn't completely dry or empty. I bleach these items at least twice a week minimally more so if temps are up and they are getting heavy usage. I use this same bucket and scrubber to sanitize the coolers after their use.

I have some "pretty bungee" cords that I use for securing all the pool rafts & tubes to an area of the fence. We were going to build a pvc holder but the bungees do the job and nothing can escape when the wind kicks up.

A keeper for body, face & lip lotions and potions / Aloe/ bugspray/ bugbite sticks/ neosporin, etc. / Ponytailers / A keeper inside of that keeper for spare contact lens cases and juice / a couple of spare eyeglass cases (just the ones they issue when you get a new pair of glasses).

Swim Diapers: You never know when someone will show with a little one and no swim diaper.

Arm Floaties ~ always needed for little ones

A keeper for visitor beach-towels and lendable bathing suits.

We use ice in the coolers for drinks but we also have a few homemade iceblocks that work nicely and keep the food dry because they don't melt off like the ice does. (jugs filled 3/4 with water and salt). I wrap them in a towel. I don't like foods in a cooler floating in water, this stops that.

Trivets for the tables (for candles, hot bowls, pans etc.)

We run the grill and we also use a turkey fryer, restaurant stock pot for cooking our cobbed corn, (large gatherings).

Pie Irons / Wiener Sticks

 

[Nursenini]

I have my towel hooks at staggered heights for the little kids and adults to use. Initially I started them all up high and we're a very tall family, but realized if the little ones didn't have hooks their towels got put on chair backs and eventually fell on the ground.

I run a garbage can and a burnable paper only can ~ the burnable paper only can is for bonfire starting and the fire ring as well (toss your dryer lint in here ~ Dryer Lint is the mother of all fire starters.)

Small bucket ~ think mine is (2) gallon for the water guns, soaker balls, pong balls, cheesy snorkel tubes, dive sticks, all the little pool "fun stuff" that retains water/ doesn't completely dry or empty. I bleach these items at least twice a week minimally more so if temps are up and they are getting heavy usage. I use this same bucket and scrubber to sanitize the coolers after their use.

I have some "pretty bungee" cords that I use for securing all the pool rafts & tubes to an area of the fence. We were going to build a pvc holder but the bungees do the job and nothing can escape when the wind kicks up.

A keeper for body, face & lip lotions and potions / Aloe/ bugspray/ bugbite sticks/ neosporin, etc. / Ponytailers / A keeper inside of that keeper for spare contact lens cases and juice / a couple of spare eyeglass cases (just the ones they issue when you get a new pair of glasses).

Swim Diapers: You never know when someone will show with a little one and no swim diaper.

Arm Floaties ~ always needed for little ones

A keeper for visitor beach-towels and lendable bathing suits.

We use ice in the coolers for drinks but we also have a few homemade iceblocks that work nicely and keep the food dry because they don't melt off like the ice does. (jugs filled 3/4 with water and salt). I wrap them in a towel. I don't like foods in a cooler floating in water, this stops that.

Trivets for the tables (for candles, hot bowls, pans etc.)

We run the grill and we also use a turkey fryer, restaurant stock pot for cooking our cobbed corn, (large gatherings).

Pie Irons / Wiener Sticks

DTK113- That is the motherlode of tips!!! Thank you! Such great ideas! By "keeper" do you mean a plastic container of some sort?
I'm definitely going to put these in action!

 

[needsajet]

My thermometer is robotic with artificial intelligence and stores itself neatly away in the skimmer because it likes to bob around in the dark studying insect behaviour. Only $8

I do like the style down here for the skimmer cover. They cut a piece of your deck stone, or if it's concrete they form and cut a little square or round plate, and then make a recess for it so it fits nice and flush. You lift this out to get at the skimmer, but otherwise the skimmer pretty much disappears. They cut a notch out of one side or a hole in the middle so you can get hold of it. It weighs maybe 3 to 4 lbs, so not a big deal to lift out.

Yes, Kim! An unavoidable towel rack that children can reach and also comprehend its purpose, aha, and a gallon jug of sunblock.

 

[kimkats]

nini, when he said "keeper" for all of that stuff I thought of the plastic silverware holders with holes in the bottom to let stuff and water through. They have handles for easy carrying. That would be purrfect!

Kim:cat:

 

[Nursenini]

My thermometer is robotic with artificial intelligence and stores itself neatly away in the skimmer because it likes to bob around in the dark studying insect behaviour. Only $8

I do like the style down here for the skimmer cover. They cut a piece of your deck stone, or if it's concrete they form and cut a little square or round plate, and then make a recess for it so it fits nice and flush. You lift this out to get at the skimmer, but otherwise the skimmer pretty much disappears. They cut a notch out of one side or a hole in the middle so you can get hold of it. It weighs maybe 3 to 4 lbs, so not a big deal to lift out.

Yes, Kim! An unavoidable towel rack that children can reach and also comprehend its purpose, aha, and a gallon jug of sunblock.

Ohhh...I'll have to look for one of those...

I really like the travertine skimmer kids I have been seeing, also. With the way my deck is going, I doubt I can get them to do matching skimmer lids. I definitely need to buy the pretty ones online though, because my lids are very scuffed up (already!!) thanks to the various trades. They look awful. I'm just waiting until they "finish" the deck to figure out if I need the bronze or the cafe color.

I think it was emersonsdad who posted a link to step by step instructions on how he made his towel holder. If I can get the holes drilled, I'll do something like that. Hanging on the fence isn't going to be a great option.

Thanks for chiming in!

nini, when he said "keeper" for all of that stuff I thought of the plastic silverware holders with holes in the bottom to let stuff and water through. They have handles for easy carrying. That would be purrfect!

Kim:cat:

Yes, that's a good idea!!

I never thought about about the fact that all of these items will need to be bleached regularly so they don't "grow" things...
Is doing a bleach water soak sufficient or do they need to be scrubbed?

 

[DKT113]

Yes a container of some sort. The one that holds the goods ~ lotions, potions, lens cases I do keep out of the sunlight and as cool as possible (solid color is preferred for me) ~ just to get the most duration out of lotions and potions. We go through the stuff like crazy so it doesn't really get the chance to age on us. For contact wearers, if they rub their eyes they can lose their lens ~ so I always ask if they want a case prior to jumping in. If they are on their last set or have places to go after and can't see to drive it sucks. That came about for us because it has happened more times than a person would think it could. Little ones who don't have a backup set of glasses have to put theirs in a case before jumping in. If they cannot see well enough to enjoy swimming theirs get strapped on.

Have learned too ~ I just set a phone alarm for 90 minutes when the young kids are in in, if it buzzes and there is still action everyone out to dry off, potty, lotion back up & hydrate in the shade while the next application of sunblock sets. Nothing worse than a dehydrated lobster at the end of a fun day ~ it's a heart breaker.

Something helpful if you have little ones learning pool etiquette . I let the kids know if they potty in the pool a purple cloud appears. If we see purple that means everyone out. When I was in the 6th grade I swam at a friend's house and that's how her Mom taught her Granddaughter (Erin's Niece)to learn the importance of getting out of the pool to use the potty.

Figured I would share some of the non necessity stuff just because when it comes to the glasses and contacts it's nice to avoid problems by a routine from the start. And the other stuff has just helped us, might not be to everyone's taste/liking but it keeps the little ones from getting burnt, dehydrated and overtired.

Edit to add: The little items... I toss them in the bucket with a bit of liquid chlorine and soak them. I have a scrubby brush if necessary, but I have found if I squeeze them and joggle them in the water and then set them in the sun to dry I don't have problems. The super soakers and water guns I fill with that same cleaning potion and spray them ~ I let them air dry as well. Haven't had any problems, it's been enough for us just doing.

 

[mariane]

If you have kids over: swim masks and fins. They love it. Adults: swim goggles.

What about a mini table that sits in the pool by the tanning ledge or clips on the side? That might be fun. swimming pool tables and bars - Bing images

For furniture: consider a type of mesh chair for wet swimmers. An outdoor cushioned chair, although water resistant, still retains water from a wet bathing suit, which then transfers that water to a dry pair of pants/shorts (ask me how I know). LOL
We went to the Home and Garden Show looking for patio furniture. One manufacturer was so proud of their water resistant fabric that she said wiped dry. She poured a little water on the cushion and wiped it. "See, its dry". After asking permission, I dumped an entire cup of water on the cushion and then leaned on it with my hands. The water soaked right in. Needless to say, we did not buy that for our pool deck. Our chairs get very wet from wet bathing suits.

 

[kcindc]

Love all of these ideas!

I have a large storage container for my party supplies like paper plates, cups, plastic ware, table cloths, decorations, holders to keep the table cloths from flying around, holders for the paper plates, etc. I put the silverware in rectangular rubbermaid storage containers... close it up and store away.

Folding tables for large parties.

Margaritaville frozen concoction maker. Small bleached cooler to store ice for frozen concoction maker. Mixer for frozen concoction in the hopes the guests will run the machine as I often get stuck making drinks all day.

Tunes! I control my tunes and volume using my phone. I also have some manual volume switches on the wall so volume can be adjusted easily.

 

[mariane]

You will be all set for some amazing pool parties!
Don't you just love TFP?!!

 

[Divin Dave]

This!

I don't see coolers or ice buckets to keep the drinks cold.

I would,say skip the syringe/tubing to get water samples. Too difcult to clean/keep clean just use a small plastic bottle. The pool $tore will generally give you one for free so you can bring them the water sample