It’s been awhile since I’ve shared any practical tips, so I took note on a 10-day jaunt to the islands of what I packed, what I wore and what I could have left at home in case you want to see the method to the madness. Here are my tips on what to pack for a Caribbean vacation.
My Packing “Method”
Before I go, I lay out everything I think I want to take on the bed of the upstairs guest room, which is more or less my dressing room as it is. Then, I add some things, take away some, still add some more back; this process pretty much continues for a week straight until the very moment I’m ready to walk out the door. Then I throw a bunch of things in the bag last minute that I’m pretty sure I can’t live without.
(Newsflash: They never even get used. And yet, 130 countries later, I’m still learning.)
I also hang any complete outfits on my coat rack, so I can decide what goes and what stays.
My Bags
Normally, for a 10-day trip—and one to places like Bonaire and Aruba where you really need minimal belongings and no warm weather wear—I would take just a carry-on and a laptop bag. However, Lipault Paris sent me one of its foldable duffels to try out for this trip that I wanted to take so I eschewed by carry-on policy this time. I loved the color—so easy to spot when coming around the baggage claim—and the fact that I could fold it up beneath my bed if I chose to unpack (which I didn’t).
Next time, though, I’d opt for the smaller size as the one I got was huge (30 inches), and I only needed half that space. Instead, I found myself cramming a lot of unnecessary things in there just to fill excess room so that my belongings wouldn’t bounce around in cargo! That said, Alex has the carry-on size. I wish I could swap my big ol’ one for this model.
I also almost always take my Epiphanie camera/laptop bag; it has space for all my electronics, plus a couple small personal items should I lose my luggage again.
What I Packed
Again, this is more than I’d usually take on an average trip, simply as I wanted to fill up as much space as possible. I mean, if you’re checking a bag, why not, right?
- 15 sundresses (1.5 for every day; possibly mildly excessive)
- 10 nice dresses (1 for every night)
- 8 pairs of underwear
- 2 rompers
- 1 denim jacket
- 2 cardigans
- 2 pairs of wedges
- 1 pair of sandals
- 1 pair of Tieks
- 1 pair of running shoes
- a few pairs of socks
- 6 bathing suits
- 2 hats (no wrinkles for me!)
- a jewelry bag and toiletries
- sunscreen and bug spray
- a MacBook Pro
- a mask and snorkel (I took my fins and booties out last minutes and left them at home)
- a Canon 6D camera for above-ground shots
- a Canon G11 and the underwater housing for diving
- a GoPro Hero 3 for diving deep
- a GoPro 4 Session for shallow water sports (only works to 30 feet)
- a Polaroid camera and film for fun bachelorette shenanigans
You know, casual. Five cameras (not to mention an iPhone) is totally normal, right? But hey, when you’re with bloggers, you’re going to appear in a photo exactly every five minutes, so you gotta look good (and have the equipment to document it, too)!
I will say that packing my socks and intimates in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag is key to me being able to locate things in such a huge bag like this one. And if you’re a diver, taking your own dive gear is always helpful. I don’t own anything (yet), but it really is a pain to have to learn new rental gear (and hope it works), especially if you’re diving with multiple shops in one week!
What I Forgot
I mean, I’m not perfect (obviously)—I’m always leaving much-needed items behind by accident.
- The charger for my underwater camera, a pretty clutch item with as much time as we spent submerged (I bought a universal charger for $40 at a camera store in Bonaire)
- Enough conditioner for 10 days (many hotels in the Caribbean do not provide it, period, and with diving, you need A LOT)
- My back-up hard drive (I tend to back my photos up every few days while traveling—just in case)
What I Didn’t Need
After every trip, you always find you didn’t use the majority of what you packed. So what could I have done differently?
- Left half the dresses at home. Let’s be real, Kristin; you knew you weren’t going to wear them all.
- Forgone the heels. Typically, I’d never take heels on any trip, but we were having a surprise bachelorette for Angie, and I wanted to dress up. In the end, while I did don my LBD, I just threw on sandals instead.
- Packed fewer workout outfits. I had ambitions to workout every day (I always do), but the reality is that diving tires you out in a serious way, so other than caving and yoga, I didn’t hit the gym once. (Regardless, I still lost two pounds on this trip!)
- Any sort of outerwear. In places like Florida, I am forever needing a jacket when going out to eat because they really jack up the A/C. In the Caribbean, that’s not a problem and, plus, we always dined al fresco anyway. The weather was perfect; next time I’ll probably pack one cardigan (mainly for the plane) and leave all other outerwear at home.
What’s your number one tip to packing for a tropical escape?
Two important things:
1. Yellow tieks. Heart eyes emoji!
2. Eight pairs of underwear for 10 days? Do you go commando 1/10th of the time?
Ha! I didn’t even wear them all either because I was diving the entire first seven days and lived in a bathing suit all day.
25 dresses … you OWN 25 dresses?!?! I need you to teach me your shopping/dress wearing ways 🙂
25 dresses is maybe a quarter of ONE of my closets (I have three) 😉
I’m right there with Angie – I don’t think I even own half that many dresses! Of course, I always notice your super cute dresses, so I shouldn’t be shocked. I’m happy to take your hand-me-downs if you ever tire of any of them 😉
You may have to get them hemmed, but sure! 😉
Great list! I always forego the heels too..they never get worn. II recently had to pack for a 10 day trip as well – it was harder than I thought but at least I didn’t run out of underwear! P.S. Love your bikinis.
Kristin, you do pack A LOT! Wow. I thought it was hard to beat me. I backpacked Latin America with 17 kg on my bag, most of them a pharmacy as I have asthma and I am under constant medication and had to carry a supply for several months. But you beat me 🙂 BTW, nice taste in clothes and lovely bikinis!
What a great list Kristin! You had me snorting with laughter at the way you pack your stuff “then I throw a bunch of things in the bag last minute that I’m pretty sure I can’t live without….They never even get used. And yet, I never learn from my own mistakes.”
If I’m going somewhere hot. I’m British so everywhere is hot! I take a hat, sunglasses, suncream (yep. even for dark skins!), my swimming stuff, birkenstocks as I don’t like flip-flops, my lipstick, my phone, my kindle, lots of British newspapers and a writing book. Oh, and a first aid kit as you can be sure that I will catch a cold LOL!
Fantastic list! I have always wanted to travel light. I have tried several times to pack light but at the end it wasn`t light at all. Thank you for sharing this post! Love your sandals. Greets!
Could you tell me from where you get the red platform shoes? I’m in love with all of your stuff! Great taste
Hi June! They’re actually a bright orange and they’re BP, purchased at Nordstrom. You’re in luck—looks like they still have them!
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/bp-summers-wedge-sandal-women/3927040
Thank you soooo much! You’re amazing <3
Thank you for your entertaining commentary on how to pack for the Caribbean. I am a notorious overpacker and swear every time “never again”. I am like you, and lay everything out, but for some crazy reason I also at the last minute add ridiculous clothing items I can’t live without. And I really can live without them!! You gave me some perspective and I will incorporate some of your ideas that I’ve never done. Duh! It never occured to me to put sn itinerary in my bag in case my luggage git lost. I am soooo bad at packing that I start The process 3-4 weeks before my trip! It takes time to collect all the bits and pieces for travel bag and first aid kit. I hope your ideas will take The edge off my trip packing. I also go to TJ Maxx and get a Duffel for the extras I seem to acquire. I collect sea shells and need space to bring them home. I dont think I ever packed 25 dresses, so your blog was truly refreshing! So, now I need a bright Colorado suitcase!!!
Ha! For Instagram purposes, I try to pack a bevy of different outfits 😉
I actually have another packing post coming up, so stay tuned!