Recommended Travel Gear To Bring On Your Hawaii Vacation
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Packing your bags? This easy list will help you add what you need into your bag. You can view our packing list on our Amazon storefront for an easy add-to-cart situation.
And you can find the short version of packable items here:
- Sun-protective shirts/rash guards: here’s what we pack for men, women, and kids.
- Mineral-based sunscreen: Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen
You’ll find more detailed descriptions of what you should bring (and why!) below. And if you’re searching for a comprehensive packing list that goes over what to bring for specific tours and to specific islands, you can find that here: What to Pack for Your Hawaii Vacation.
Hawaii Reef-Friendly Sunscreen
Keeping the reef safe is a big deal in Hawaii and most of the sunscreens that are sold in other states come with chemicals that damage and bleach the coral. Help keep Hawaii’s reefs safe for generations to come with reef-friendly sunscreen. We prefer mineral-based sunscreens to keep the reef safe.
These are our favorite and most economical brands:
For more sunscreen options, check out this post: Hawaii Reef-Safe Sunscreens: How to UV-Protect Yourself
Sun-Protective Shirts
We love snorkeling and we’ve found the best way to protect Hawaii’s reefs and our skin is by using sun-protective clothing during our snorkeling trips. Here are the rashguards we currently use and recommend:
Water and Hiking Shoes
If you plan on hiking, ditch the hiking shoes and bring a pair that can easily be used while you’re walking up a trail or walking through a creek. Erica wears her Teva Women’s Original Universals daily almost daily.
As we mentioned in our 7 Unique Things to Pack for Hawaii video, Teva sandals are a great example of hiking and water shoes that are good for Hawaii. Check out the sale below to find some for yourself!
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Favorite Snorkel Gear
Before you rush out to buy snorkel gear, we recommend renting when on the islands. Save on luggage space by renting. There are a lot of great, local renting shops on all the islands. Prices range from $1.50 a day to $6 a day.
One can get discounted rates by renting for the week. With a local shop, you can make sure you get quality snorkel gear and they can fit the mask properly. Many resorts also provide snorkel gear!
If you are still eager to purchase, here are our favorite snorkel gear sets that are travel-ready and fit very well! They are well-priced for the quality.
Camera
There’s a lot to see underwater. We love capturing the memories as we snorkel, scuba dive, SUP, or learn to surf. This is our favorite camera for getting it all:
Bug Spray
You won’t need this everywhere, but if you’re visiting the wetter sides of the island, it’s a good idea to have bug spray with you. Just use caution when wearing bug spray and swimming — we want to leave as few chemicals in the water as possible.
Water Bottles
It’s hot in Hawaii and you’ll likely be spending a lot of time at the pool, the beach, hiking, or touring around the islands. Bring a reusable water bottle to save money and reduce the amount of plastic you’re leaving in Hawaii. Any water bottle will work, but we love these two:
Packing Cubes
We are packing cube converts. While we are minimal packers, these help keep our things organized.
Travel Car Seat
This isn’t specific to Hawaii, but if you’re traveling with a child who needs a car seat, this is our favorite. It’s super lightweight, we bring it with us everywhere, and use it on the plane to keep Henry in his seat. I can’t rave about it enough.
- Cosco Convertible Car Seat
- Way B Pico car seat – foldable, carry-on car seat that we’ve been using for years!
- Ride Safer Portable Car Seat – a harness that is lightweight and easy to pack. We’ve been using this for our son for the past few years.
Polarized Sunglasses
We highly recommend bringing polarized sunglasses that have UVA and UVB protection. Our favorite sunglasses are Goodr, which offers excellent sun protection at a great price.
An Itinerary That Finishes Your Planning
Our detailed itineraries cover every aspect of Hawaii trip planning. Pick from full excursion days, or use our Quick Hits to piece together your perfect vacation with activities, beaches, places to eat, and where to stay that are guaranteed to create an unforgettable trip. Don’t take my word for it, happy customers agree!
My wife and I just returned from 2 weeks in Hawaii, 1 on Maui and the other on the Big Island, and we had a blast, in large part due to the advice and resources you provide. We read the articles on the website, watched dozens of your videos, and purchased your itineraries for those 2 islands. Your descriptions of the attractions and recommendations were very accurate and helpful. Our favorites included Ocean Adventures manta snorkel, the road to Hana (guided by Yvonne from Holo Holo tours), multiple farm tours (Maui gold pineapple, Maui chocolate, Greenwell coffee, Kona Salt, Hamakua macadamia nut factory, and Hawaii Vanilla Company), and many restaurants. Our 2 favorites were Mama’s Fish House and Merriman’s in Waimea. Thanks again for a great resource.
Arthur S.
