Here’s a look inside one of our carry-on suitcases. Some of our packing items may come in handy on your next Hawaii vacation.
1. Clorox Wipes. We have done this for so many years now that we can’t even remember. Way ahead of Naomi Campbell’s viral YouTube video. We do a thorough cleaning of everything that we come in contact with. Tops, backs, sides, you name it. It used to be kind of embarassing, but now it is both vogue and essential.
2. Po Chai Pills. These were introduced to us many years ago by a friend from Hong Kong. Po Chai has been around for over 100 years. These can be a lifesaver when air travel expands the intestines, leaving the gut feeling rotten. Some of us just would not travel without them.
3. Duct tape. Either several feet, wrapped around a pencil, or now to just pack Gorilla Tape To Go. This is beyond useful for fixing, sealing, labeling and much more. We’ve even used duct tape with a plastic garbage bag to seal up or redirect a misbehaving A/C duct. Essential.
4. Nylon rope and/or indoor clothesline. Useful for, among other things, tying up rolled down pillows in luggage or for self-laundry when combined with a drain plug and some dish washing soap in a small travel bottle.
5. Extension cord (light weight) and 3-way plug adapter. These comes in handy when the power is in the wrong place for laptop, chargers and more.
6. Assorted bags of different types. Quart, one and two gallon zippered, plus larger resealable ones and trash bags. The uses are unlimited, including organizing clothes, packing liquids and wet bathing suits, for lunches on the go, to protect and organize electronics, stow shoes and to protect souvenirs.
7. Reusable plastic envelopes for receipts, gifts, books, reservations, and any old fashioned paper things.
8. Traveling food supplies. If you wisely choose not to rely on the airlines for your in-flight food.
9. Pocket Monkey. This came as an odd-looking gift. It includes screwdrivers, wrenches, bottle opener, and more. We’ve already used this to repair air conditioners and eyeglasses among other things. Slips into wallet, is TSA approved and is so small that it is easy to forget you have it with you.
10. Electronic luggage scale. This is also something many of us could not travel without. Being overweight by even a few pounds is something the airlines will rarely tolerate. A few dollars well spent. Essential.
11 Foam earplugs for hotel and airplane. These are all about personal preference. Some just fit better than others, which is more important than 1dB plus or minus.
Bonus items:
Quick-dry clothes. We like those from Ex Officio.
Space saver bags that require no vacuum.
Extra plastic hangers.
Now it’s your turn. If you have anything to add to my list, please share them with our readers.
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Two unrelated comments.
1. An unusual item I pack. Address labels for my grandchildren, which makes sending post cards quick and easy.
2. We flew Delta from SLC to Kona, during the day on Nov 1, 2019. Pillows and blankets were provided. We flew Delta home, Honolulu to SLC, on Nov 14th, 2019. Blankets, but NO pillows were provided. First time ever that they haven’t provided pillows. And, does that make sense – pillows on a daytime flight, and no pillows on a red eye flight!!!
Many hotels are starting to only provide Keurig machines; although many people like the convenience, I have yet to find a Keurig that produces good coffee. I tend to bring a few teabags, a couple of filters, an ounce or two of ground coffee (I live in Hawaii, and a small baggie of Lion always accompanies me!), and a filter cone. Even if the only thing I can get is hot water, I can at least get reasonable coffee and/or tea.
roll your clothes when packing instead of folding them into squares. they take up lots less space. small disposable led table candles in case there’s no night light in the bathroom. small flashlight in case of power loss. car cellphone charger for use in rental car.
Tajin (Chili powder) for all the wonderful tropical fruit. We couldn’t find this anywhere in Hawaii. Lady at Aloha Stadium Swap Meet had some she was putting on Mango’s she was selling but wouldn’t sell me a bottle. Cooler bag to take food and drinks to beach or go by Costco and buy a Hawaii one for $7 and then use bag for my carry-on home. Sheet for the beach. Inflatable rafts or inner tubes from Walmart.
We use a time share condo and take our own spices so we don’t have to buy a lot or purchase a bigger container. Not much is supplied.
Organic charcoal capsules, good for intestinal uncomforts. No taste. Black fine charcoal capsules making it look foreboding. Many health food stores.
“Being overweight by even a few pounds is something the airlines will rarely tolerate.”
How dare they? As a Grandpa-of-size, I take great offense at any airline that dares to judge me for being a few (ok, many) pounds overweight!
The nerve of these folks!!
I’ll never fly on an airline that wants to weigh me!!!
Never!!!! Do you hear me? Never!!!!!
Oh…Grandma says they’re talking about luggage.
Never mind.
You’ve probably seen the commercials for vacuum sealed plastic zip up bags. Best prices and quality can be found at Wal-Mart. Medium size works well for suitcases. When leaving home, suck out as much air as you desire then stack a few of these bags in your suitcase and Voila! You are ready to go. And when returning home, roll them up pushing out the air, zip and it’s just about as effective.
Was watching suitcases being loaded on an airplane once in the pouring rain. All those nylon bags were soaked. Many a passenger would be in for a shock when they opened up their suitcases. Another reason for using these sealable bags. And they are a great solution for damp clothes too… especially when traveling to Hawaii.
This may sound kinda obvious, but I always bring a small travel-size container of advil where I’ve dumped out half, then added back some tylenol and zyrtec (allergy meds) in their place. I keep that little container in my purse all the time. It’s very handy–it gets you by if there isn’t a shop nearby, and can be a total lifesaver when you’re desperate. I figure if I was in huge migraine-style trouble, I would have enough medication to get me through until I could find a store.
I also always bring a little iPod charger you can plug into the wall. It will take any usb connector, so I can use it for both the Touch and the shuffle. It’s very handy for keeping kids entertained, and you no longer require a laptop for simple charging.
Instead of regular nylon rope, i would use 550 cord (aka Paracord).
It has many more uses and packs well. You can usually find it at a local military surplus store. A 50 foot hank should be under $5 US, but you can find great deals online. You can sometimes find 500 and/or 1000 ft. rolls if you find that you use it a lot. It is also handy to have around the house, in the car, camping, etc.
Po chai, a remedy that was always in our household while I was growing up and still is today.
I always pack a few wooden clothes pins with each person’s name on it. You can pin it to your towel to ID it, close curtains that just won’t close all the way, or actually hang clothes up…
Re: Unlikely Things to Pack
We get up in the night, and I always pack two night-lights – one for the bathroom (where there is always a receptacle for shaving and the alternative is a full-on bright light) and one for the room (where there isn’t always an outlet) so you can see to get to the bathroom.