Stop 1 · Bearing 21.3°N · Aloha
Hawaii Packing List: Island Escape Gear
Hawaii rewards the people who pack right: your own snorkel set, a sunscreen you'll actually reapply, and a bag that can take sand and boat decks. Here's everything on my island list, and why each one made the cut.
You know that song stuck in your head from the tiki room — and the pineapple soft serve you waited twenty minutes for? Hawaii is the real version. This is the kit for turning your kitchen tropical now and packing right when the islands call.
01. Ninja CREAMi Swirl
Real soft-serve swirls at home — pineapple whip any night of the week. The gateway drug to booking the flight.
Frozen pineapple, a splash of juice, and a night in the freezer is all it takes to get that tropical whip at home. It's the easiest way I know to keep the islands on the brain until the trip is booked.
02. Tiki Mug Set
Hand-painted ceramic mugs that make Friday night feel like a luau on the lanai.
Pour a fruit punch or a mai tai into one and the back patio turns into a luau. Eight mugs means the whole family and a couple of neighbors all get one.
03. Cressi Palau Snorkel Set
Italian-engineered mask, dry-top snorkel, and travel fins — the kit I trust in real surf, not just the pool.
Rental snorkel gear is hit or miss. Bringing your own means a mask that fits your face and a snorkel only you have used, whether you are at Hanauma Bay or off a catamaran.
04. YETI Crossroads 40L Duffel
Expedition-grade, carry-on legal, holds its shape fully loaded. One bag from tarmac to tide pool.
Forty liters is a long weekend of island clothes, or the gear bag that rides along next to the suitcase on a longer trip.
05. EltaMD UV Daily SPF 40
The dermatologists' favorite — daily face protection with hyaluronic acid that disappears into skin.
The island sun is stronger than the sun at home. A face sunscreen you actually like wearing is the one you'll reapply.
All the Island Escape picks
Ninja CREAMi Swirl
Real soft-serve swirls at home — pineapple whip any night of the week. The gateway drug to booking the flight.
See it on Amazon →Read Captain Ron's review
Tiki Mug Set
Hand-painted ceramic mugs that make Friday night feel like a luau on the lanai.
See it on Amazon →Read Captain Ron's review
Cressi Palau Snorkel Set
Italian-engineered mask, dry-top snorkel, and travel fins — the kit I trust in real surf, not just the pool.
See it on Amazon →Read Captain Ron's review
YETI Crossroads 40L Duffel
Expedition-grade, carry-on legal, holds its shape fully loaded. One bag from tarmac to tide pool.
See it on Amazon →Read Captain Ron's review
EltaMD UV Daily SPF 40
The dermatologists' favorite — daily face protection with hyaluronic acid that disappears into skin.
See it on Amazon →Read Captain Ron's review