Member-only story
Getting Ready for Hawaii: Packing and Preparation
It’s really happening. We’re a week away from departure. Even though it wasn’t intentional at the time, I’m so glad we are getting off the mainland, away from the political strife. For those of us who have had their school-aged children home since March, we’re already dealing with a level of anxiety not understood by anyone. I need sunshine, ocean breezes, and sand between my toes — my happy place.
For the most part, planning for beach vacations is easy. My normal approach is ‘I’ll just pick it up there if I forgot something.” After all, Kauai has several grocery stores, plus Costco, Wal-Mart, and Macy’s.
But this isn’t a vacation and we’re still in a pandemic. With the disrupted supply chains, even nine months later you feel like you hit the lotto when you find a package of wipes on the shelves. And that’s on the mainland, not on an island where most supplies arrive by boat. So, just in case, we are taking new, full-sizes of all the standard stuff like deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, vitamins, etc.
So, what do we really need to take for the month? Clay started an organized packing list. I’ve really appreciated how much he’s helping make this happen. He only left off one major category, kids’ school supplies.
Our major packing categories are as follows: Electronics, Our Personal Items, Kids Personal Items, Pool/Beach Items, Kids Miscellaneous, Adult Miscellaneous, Work Needs, Food/Beverages, and School Supplies.
Electronics
In total, we have almost forty items on our electronics list, including ten lightning cables. We now travel with charging blocks that allow us to charge multiple devices at one time. If we include my Mom’s electronics we will have at least eight devices that will need charging every night. Don’t forget specialty cables for FitBits, Garmins, or Apple Watches.
Speaking of charging, right at the top of our long list is the number one item we always forget: Car Charger. It’s easier these days as more cars have USB ports, plus being able to keep your phone charged on the airplane. But, there have been many flights where we wished we had a car charger when we arrived.
Personal Items
