# What do you take and what do you buy



## suzanne (Jun 9, 2012)

Realizing things are more expensive in Hawaii, and with all the baggage fees and restrictions by airlines was wondering what items do you take or wait and buy once on the Island? I'm thinking things like sunscreen, bug spray for hiking, shampoo, bath soap, etc.; I have always taken my Starbucks French Roast Coffee and filters as well as tea bags, salt/pepper, to the Caribbean. But this trip to Hawaii not sure what to take or leave.

Suzanne


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## geoand (Jun 9, 2012)

First thought was you can get any coffee you want on the islands.  However, Kona beans are a delight.

Don't take too much.  My experience is that we take way too many clothes.


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## Aaron Kristen (Jun 9, 2012)

if you have washer/dryer, whatever you have packed for clothes, take 1/2 out. 
For us, you can get anything you need in Hawaii. And yes, is expensive, but the less you take, the more room you have for coffee to take home!


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## Eagle7304 (Jun 9, 2012)

We always take coffee filters, salt & pepper and a couple of good, sharp knives. If you are going to be cooking/bbq a lot, take a digital instant read thermometer. We also take sunscreen, bug spray for hiking, shampoo, bath soap, etc. Since both of us wear glasses, I take a small spray bottle of eyeglass cleaner. The Revealed book series also come in real handy for beaches, restaurants and sights.


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## JanB (Jun 9, 2012)

*As little as possible*

I once read, don't remember where/who, "When traveling, take half as many clothes and twice as much money."   I try to heed this advice, but when on a budget, you just have to take some things.  All the islands have a Costco so since we usually go for several weeks at a time, we buy much of our supplies there.  We also use the KTA stores and Longs Drugs.  I do take my shampoo and cream rinse and my personal face creams and make up.  We purchase bug spray and sun screen there (we especially like the Ocean Potion brand that comes in several strengths).  I also have a "spice wheel",  http://www.nomadgear.com/spice-wheel-en.html , that I take, minus salt and pepper, as most resorts furnish coffee filters, salt, pepper, paper towels, face tissue, and toilet tissue.  We have found that Hawaii is not much more expensive than the mainland and sometimes find our wine cheaper there.  We love the Kona blend French Roast Sam Choy's coffee so buy it there and often take several bags home when we can find it on sale.


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## talkamotta (Jun 9, 2012)

I used to take the kitchen sink.  Now Im down to one bag. I have a spice pouch with salt and peper,etc.  My family laughs at me but I take aluminum foil and ziplock bags.  I dont take any beer or wine with me because Volcano wines are great and Kona Beer is one of the best.  I like drinking local beverages because I can say Im experiencing the flavor of the islands. (Like I need an excuse) If your unit has a washer and dryer take alot less clothing.  One light water repellant jacket. 2 swim suits, and half the clothes you would think you need.  Shoes you will need one pair of flip flops (thongs) and one pair of walking shoes. 

I take my own shampoo, personal items and sun screen but you can buy most of that stuff there.  I dont worry about makeup and stuff like that because you never know when you'll see a good beach.  Your skin will feel wonderful and your hair is just going to be the way it wants.


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## BJRSanDiego (Jun 9, 2012)

*we pack lite*

I bring "steak rub", and several sheets of tin foil (for grilling).  On the mainland, I bring a pound of coffee, but don't bother for Hawaii.

I bring my waterproof container (that I bought at ABC) 100 years ago (ha ha) to hold a $20 and room/car keys while I'm swimming/snorkeling.

I think that packing for Hawaii is perhaps much easier than any other place.  A swimsuit, t-shirt, shorts, sandals, and you're ready to go.

We rent our snorkle gear by the week.  We typically go to Hawaii during the winter so I have been renting a shortie wet suit.  

GPS, digital camera and Netbook is often helpful....


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## Luanne (Jun 9, 2012)

Things I routinely bring:
- all of my toiletries (face stuff, hair stuff, sunscreen)
- snorkle gear
- a few paperback books (I just leave them when I'm done)
- coffee filters, buy your coffee there (100% Kona)
- something to use as a beach bag (although one year we bought a grocery bag at Safeway for around $1 and used that to carry stuff to the beach
- good knife
- tea bags

I can do with less clothes since there is a washer/dryer in the unit.  I usually take a couple pairs of shorts, one skirt, a few t-shirts and 2 bathing suits.  I wear the kind of pants on the plane that you can zip off into shorts.


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## Passepartout (Jun 9, 2012)

I have my 'multi-spice' for the BBQ. A decent knife if I'm checking. A wine opener. 7 coffee filters some little salt/pepper/ketchup/mayo/sweetener packets. Hair moisturizer (VO5 for gray hair is the greatest!) 'cause the salt water/chlorine does ugly things to it. Board shorts, 'regular' shorts, 2 T-shirts, 2 Hawaiian prints, 2 undies, 2 pr socks, flip-flops, light rain jacket. iPad w/2 movies and couple of books on the Kindle app. Phone & both chargers. It'll all fit in a carry-on except you can't take the knife and wine opener without checking it.

Jim


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## suzanne (Jun 9, 2012)

We will be snorkeling quite a bit and will bring our own snorkel gear. Hadn't thought about a shorty. Since we will be there in November and will be doing the night Manta snorkel should I bring ours or just rent one if needed?

I will be bringing my laptop and all my camera gear including tripod.  Who new camera stuff weighed so much?   We will have a washer/dryer in both resorts on Big Island and there is a free laudry onsite at the Ohua resort. Clothes will definately be cut back to bare bones. I always toss in some plastic trash bags and some ziplock baggies they come in handy for lots of things. I also take a small first aid kit.

My DH is laughing at me :rofl:  because I'm already planning what to take, where to go, what to see and do, and trip is not until end of October. Do any of you start making lists this early?

Suzanne


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## MommaBear (Jun 9, 2012)

suzanne said:


> We will be snorkeling quite a bit and will bring our own snorkel gear. Hadn't thought about a shorty. Since we will be there in November and will be doing the night Manta snorkel should I bring ours or just rent one if needed?
> 
> I will be bringing my laptop and all my camera gear including tripod.  Who new camera stuff weighed so much?   We will have a washer/dryer in both resorts on Big Island and there is a free laudry onsite at the Ohua resort. Clothes will definately be cut back to bare bones. I always toss in some plastic trash bags and some ziplock baggies they come in handy for lots of things. I also take a small first aid kit.
> 
> ...



I have my lists on the computer- one set for winter, one for summer vacations. I am always thinking about the next vacation! 
I take pretty much everything already mentioned. I also take a small pair of binoculars. This last time I had my buddy who gets two free suitcases to bring a case of wine. I know that is excessive, as Costco has great wines, but I wanted to winnow down my stash.

Next Hawaii vacation in November! And yes, I will take my shorty for longer snorkeling trips.


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## DeniseM (Jun 9, 2012)

We take carry-ons only - no matter where we go.  Hawaii has major stores of all types and you can find everything you need there.  We start off with our carry-on quart bag with liquids to get us through a day or two, and then buy what we need there.  Living in California, I don't find the prices in Hawaii to be high enough to be concerned about, and dragging around extra suitcases of stuff from home is not my idea of a vacation!


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## BJRSanDiego (Jun 10, 2012)

*Shorty wet suit*



suzanne said:


> We will be snorkeling quite a bit and will bring our own snorkel gear. Hadn't thought about a shorty. Since we will be there in November and will be doing the night Manta snorkel should I bring ours or just rent one if needed?
> 
> I will be bringing my laptop and all my camera gear including tripod.
> 
> Suzanne



We used to drag our own fins, mask and snorkel but it took up a whole lot of space.  So now we just rent for a week.  Fairly cheap.

Same thing for the short wet suit.  IIRC I think it was around $20 ? for the week from Boss Frog's.  So, by renting on island, half of my suitcase is not filled with snorkle gear.

I went to the dollar store and bought a mini-tripod to take pictures of me and my DW on the lanai.


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## talkamotta (Jun 10, 2012)

suzanne said:


> My DH is laughing at me :rofl:  because I'm already planning what to take, where to go, what to see and do, and trip is not until end of October. Do any of you start making lists this early?
> 
> Suzanne



When it comes to Hawaii, thinking ahead will save you money.  Besides I just got back from a trip yesterday so its time to start planning more. 

I just booked my ff miles for April 2013.  We will be going to Oahu, Maui and Hawaii (3 weeks).  I dont know if Oahu has a washer and dryer but the other 2 resorts do. You have got some good ideas for what to bring.  I bring books,too.  Kindle is sounding better all the time. My phone is my computer a way from home these days.  On my last flight from Dallas, someone left thier Kindle in the pocket of thier airline seat.  I felt so bad, all those books, its getting to the point we cant do without our electronics. I bring my camera, I have one on my phone (better pixels) but I cant see the screen sometimes with the sun.  

If we dont get married before then, I think thats what we are going to do.  Jeff said he would marry me anytime or anywhere he just doesnt want to get dressed up and have a big hoopladoo.  This is both our 2nd time around and so that sounds great. 

The hardest thing to do on any trip is driving out of the driveway.  So no matter what you forget, you can buy it there. HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME.


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## geoand (Jun 10, 2012)

BJRSanDiego said:


> We used to drag our own fins, mask and snorkel but it took up a whole lot of space.  So now we just rent for a week.  Fairly cheap.
> 
> Same thing for the short wet suit.  IIRC I think it was around $20 ? for the week from Boss Frog's.  So, by renting on island, half of my suitcase is not filled with snorkle gear.
> 
> I went to the dollar store and bought a mini-tripod to take pictures of me and my DW on the lanai.



We bring our own snorkel gear including our own shorty suits.  There is just something nice about knowing that no one else has used my stuff nor have they abused it in any way.  If you have a waterproof camera, you will want to have that with you.


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## UWSurfer (Jun 10, 2012)

I can see the snorkel gear going both ways.  I'm a very experienced diver, expecting my fins, mask and snorkel to fit and perform in the way I'm accustomed.  I'm in the water daily if not more.  My wife, not so much. :ignore:   She rents and uses them a couple times on the trip.  I've got some compact, light fins which travel well and the mask and snorkel don't take up much space either.  

Sort of have two minds on what else to bring.  Definitely I spend the majority of my time in a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops.  Occasionally in running shoes and I usually bring a pair of casual brown shoes for eating out...but it never really matters.   I always take a pair of jeans and rarely wear them unless we go ATV  riding.  So long as you have a washer/dryer available just bring enough for three days.  My wife is sensitive to laundry soaps, so we usually pack enough of what she can tolerate when we travel. 

Food is also tricky as some food does cost more (such as dairy)  and it's really a matter of planning on what you will make.  As already mentioned, coffee filters, SPICES, tea bags and sometimes cooking oil.   I've heard of some tuggers bringing a ham with them or other pricy'r items.   

We usually stop at Costco upon arriving and buy the large bulk items which will last the week (or two).  We try to plan so that a cut of meat can be used for several meals and then bring the spices we anticipate needing based on those menus.  There's usually a selection of Cook Brothers Hawaiian shirts at Costco as well, so I often pick up three or four while we are there.  Macadamia nut packs for presents are also there, although we often pick those up on the way to the airport so we know what we can carry.  Safeway is also on the islands and we fill-in those items we don't need large quantities of there.  It takes the same member cards as the mainland so you can shop for specials if you choose.  

OTC meds and toiletries are a mixed bag.   Usually it's cheaper to bring them along so long as you already have them in stock at home.  As already noted in this thread, there are CVS's all over the place and you can get just about anything you need from them should you forget or have something arise.


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## DougH (Jun 11, 2012)

Call me crazy, but when our family of 6 travels to Hawaii (almost always Kauai), we either rent a beach house or rent at the Marriott Waiohai from a owner that won't be using their weeks.  These accommodations always have a full kitchen, so we eat the vast majority of our meals in, and only go out to eat 3-4 times over the 2 weeks we're there.  

Having said that, we usually pack 1 or 2 large suitcases full of non-perishable food items, spices, etc.  We can buy it here in the continental 48 for about 1/2 of what it costs in Kauai...so we figure we save a couple hundred dollars easy right there.  We only grocery shop for items that need refrigerated.

Then by the end of our 2 weeks, all the items we took over have been consumed, and we have 2 empty suitcases which we can now pack with souvenirs, clothing, macadamia nuts, etc to take home.

Other than those 2 large suitcases full of food items, we each only take 1 carry-on for our personal clothing and toiletries.  Our housing always has a washer and dryer, so why pack 2 weeks of clothes when 3-4 days of clothes is plenty ?  Just toss a load of laundry in every other day as you head out to the beach, and toss them back in the dryer at days end.


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## california-bighorn (Jun 11, 2012)

DeniseM said:


> We take carry-ons only - no matter where we go.  Hawaii has major stores of all types and you can find everything you need there.  We start off with our carry-on quart bag with liquids to get us through a day or two, and then buy what we need there.  Living in California, I don't find the prices in Hawaii to be high enough to be concerned about, and dragging around extra suitcases of stuff from home is not my idea of a vacation!



Ditto to above and most snorkel and dive shops will provide wet suits when the water temp drops making it otherwise uncomfortable.  call the company you are planning on going with and ask if they provide wet suits.  If not, try another company.


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## daventrina (Jun 11, 2012)

DeniseM said:


> Living in California, I don't find the prices in Hawaii to be high enough to be concerned about, and dragging around extra suitcases of stuff from home is not my idea of a vacation!


Exactly. Taking dive gear... we can't get away with carry-on. We do double bag or take a duffel bag to take home all the goodies we can get in Hawaii but not at home.

When were done diving we ship our weights home in a flat-rate box. Along with a box or two of Hawaiian Sun 

If you don't have a Safeway/Von's card, get one. Walmart and Kmart both generally have a reasonable food selection. Foodland n have a good selection of fresh fish (Costco - not so much)

We just tend to adapt out menu to what we can get on sale or a at a reasonable price.


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## UWSurfer (Jun 11, 2012)

I'd explore a different weight system if you shipping weights back and forth.  All the dive operators expect to provide weight and many will have soft weights for use. 

For scuba I usually pack a wetsuit as off the rack suits don't always fit well...but tanks, weights, and sometimes BC's and regulators I will rent to avoid the hassle and cost of shipping them around.  It depends largely on the destination, the airline baggage fee policies and the dive operator.


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## artringwald (Jun 11, 2012)

*Priorities*

1) driver's license
2) credit card
3) smart phone

The rest doesn't really matter.


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## LisaRex (Jun 11, 2012)

When I go to timeshares/house rentals, I'll pack things that are light and price prohibitive or wasteful to buy full-size upon arrival:


Purex combination washer/dryer sheets
Snack sized baggies filled with Montreal steak seasoning and garlic powder
Salt & Pepper, and ketchup & mustard packets that I pick up at restaurants
6.4 oz size toothpaste
Travel size deodorants
Disposable razor 
Prescription bottle filled with assorted OTC medicines, such as aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, Benadryl, Dramamine and Tums
Small first aid kit that contains band-aids and single use neosporin packets
3 kitchen garbage bags (for hauling wet clothes & snorkel equipment home)
Assorted baggies for packing lunches 
Soft-sided cooler and reusable ice packs for day trips
Aquapack dry pack for carrying keys
Coffee filters
Snorkel mask & flippers

*Things I've jettisoned over the years*


Nikon D50.  Love the pictures it takes, but it's a major PITA to lug around, plus I constantly worried about it getting stolen.  I traded it for a much smaller, but still nice, point and shoot. 
Laptop and personal DVD player.  iPad works just fine for email and internet, as well as listening to music and watching movies.
Books.  Kindle is great for plane rides.

*Things I've learned the hard way*

Use a backpack as your carry-on!  We use our backpack daily for hauling stuff back and forth to the pool/beach and on hiking and day trips.

Won't leave home without my soft-sided cooler and reusable ice packs.  I like to eat out, but not every meal and not every day.  Medium sized soft-sided coolers are very light and they are great for packing lunches and drinks. 

I have two teenagers.  We all get the same phone when it comes time to renew the contract so that we can share chargers both at home and when we travel. 

I always buy new toothbrushes for everyone when we travel.  Then we don't have to worry about remembering to pack them the morning before we leave.


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## daventrina (Jun 12, 2012)

UWSurfer said:


> .... All the dive operators expect to provide weight and many will have soft weights for use.
> 
> ...but tanks, weights, and sometimes BC's and regulators I will rent to avoid the hassle and cost of shipping them around.  ....


They will generally provide weights if you're diving off a boat... but if you're beach diving like we do in Hawaii most dive shops charge several dollars as day for weight rental. 

If we're diving for more than a day or two, we like our own gear.


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## Beje (Jul 8, 2012)

MommaBear said:


> I have my lists on the computer- one set for winter, one for summer vacations. I am always thinking about the next vacation!
> I take pretty much everything already mentioned. I also take a small pair of binoculars. This last time I had my buddy who gets two free suitcases to bring a case of wine. I know that is excessive, as Costco has great wines, but I wanted to winnow down my stash.
> 
> Next Hawaii vacation in November! And yes, I will take my shorty for longer snorkeling trips.


Momma Bear I am in awe of your organization with your packing lists!  And, yes, I always start planning in advance and it's usually a year so I got you beat on that one!
Barb J


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## rifleman69 (Jul 9, 2012)

LisaRex said:


> When I go to timeshares/house rentals, I'll pack things that are light and price prohibitive or wasteful to buy full-size upon arrival:
> 
> 
> Purex combination washer/dryer sheets
> ...




Soft sided coolers are also great to pack shoes in for the plane trips...leaving your suitcases with more room to pack "luxuries".


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## DeniseM (Jul 9, 2012)

rifleman69 said:


> Soft sided coolers are also great to pack shoes in for the plane trips...leaving your suitcases with more room to pack "luxuries".



Shoes?  You take extra shoes to Hawaii?   

We just got back from 2 weeks on Kauai - this is what I had in my carry-on (my only bag.)

I wore old tennies on the plane for hiking and threw them away before I left.

Packed:
-2 pairs shorts
-2 pairs cropped pants
-2 tank tops
-2 nicer tops
-2 pairs socks
-2 bathing suits
-2 cover ups
-1 wind breaker
-decent flip flops
-underwear
-carry-on size toiletries
-camera
-mask and snorkel (rented fins)
-laptop
-eReader

We did a load of laundry in the timeshare every other day, and I had more than enough stuff for 2 weeks.


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## rifleman69 (Jul 9, 2012)

DeniseM said:


> Shoes?  You take extra shoes to Hawaii?
> 
> We just got back from 2 weeks on Kauai - this is what I had in my carry-on (my only bag.)
> 
> ...



Considering that you're wearing shoes on the plane and then brought along flip-flops...then yes.   Way to step in your own crap on that one.


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## JulieAB (Jul 9, 2012)

Leaving for Oahu in 3 weeks.  Do we really need windbreakers?  What are they for?  We're not hiking anywhere.


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## DeniseM (Jul 9, 2012)

JulieAB said:


> Leaving for Oahu in 3 weeks.  Do we really need windbreakers?  What are they for?  We're not hiking anywhere.



We wore them up to Waimea Canyon where it is much cooler.  It is also handy to have them in the rain, and if you are going on any boat trips.


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## DeniseM (Jul 9, 2012)

rifleman69 said:


> Considering that you're wearing shoes on the plane and then brought along flip-flops...then yes.   Way to step in your own crap on that one.



Gee - you take your shoes very seriously don't you?


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## rifleman69 (Jul 9, 2012)

Or I know how to count.


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## DeniseM (Jul 9, 2012)

rifleman69 said:


> Or I know how to count.



Ok - you got me - I took one pair of shoes to Hawaii - how many did you take? 

Don't you think it's kind of unhygienic to put shoes in an ice chest?


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## Passepartout (Jul 9, 2012)

DeniseM said:


> We just got back from 2 weeks on Kauai



No wonder things were so quiet here. Nobody stirring the stew!?!?! 

Jim


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## DeniseM (Jul 9, 2012)

Passepartout said:


> No wonder things were so quiet here. Nobody stirring the stew!?!?!
> 
> Jim



Jim - You didn't miss be, because I was here every single day!


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## Passepartout (Jul 9, 2012)

DeniseM said:


> Jim - You didn't miss be, because I was here every single day!



Yeah, I know. I saw the laptop on your packing list. You were just too busy hiking, swimming, just Hawaii'ing to spend much time 'stew stirring'. Not to worry, other Mods stepped in and took up the slack. Then there's that pesky time change. By the time 'just before bedtime TUGging' comes along in Hawaii, it's 'oh-dawn-thirty' on the East coast. One of the challenges of travel. Welcome home. Time to start planning the next getaway. 

Jim


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## SmithOp (Jul 9, 2012)

JanB said:


> We love the Kona blend French Roast Sam Choy's coffee so buy it there and often take several bags home when we can find it on sale.




We send ourselves and friends a care package before we leave, love those flat rate USPS boxes.  In the past we've had to buy a cheap bag at the swap meet because we bought too much stuff. No need to haul it all home, divvy it up, then run around delivering to friends. . 

It's amazing how our friend list that like Hawaiian goods grows every year.


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## daventrina (Jul 10, 2012)

DeniseM said:


> I wore old tennies on the plane for hiking and threw them away before I left.
> -decent flip flops


Thought we were the only ones
We'll sometimes take decent enough to get by flip flops and leave them too sometimes wear back a new pair
We're thinking about leaving the laptop behind and just taking the tablet this trip. Just have to solve the problem or archiving photos...


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## JulieAB (Jul 10, 2012)

daventrina said:


> Thought we were the only ones
> We'll sometimes take decent enough to get by flip flops and leave them too sometimes wear back a new pair
> We're thinking about leaving the laptop behind and just taking the tablet this trip. Just have to solve the problem or archiving photos...



We just took the tablets last trip.  So much more free!    Don't you have an SD card, thumb drive or something in the tablet?


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 10, 2012)

I just bought some Keen water shoes. They are comfortable and have great arch support. So they will replace my tennis shoes, my sandals and my reef shoes. Yeah! I try to just take a carry on that fits under the seat and a bag with my purse and odds and ends, so getting rid of 2 pairs of shoes is a big help.
Liz


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## daventrina (Jul 10, 2012)

JulieAB said:


> We just took the tablets last trip.  So much more free!    Don't you have an SD card, thumb drive or something in the tablet?


Yes, but we take a LOT of pictures. Not sure how to get them on a memory stick or DVD from the camera through the tablet. The tables is supposed to talk to a USB drive, but still have to be able to copy the photos from the camera. If the tablet doesn't by default, there may be an app for that. Just haven't had a chance to get the parts to work together yet.


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## JulieAB (Jul 10, 2012)

daventrina said:


> Yes, but we take a LOT of pictures. Not sure how to get them on a memory stick or DVD from the camera through the tablet. The tables is supposed to talk to a USB drive, but still have to be able to copy the photos from the camera. If the tablet doesn't by default, there may be an app for that. Just haven't had a chance to get the parts to work together yet.



My camera has a cable that I just hook up to the USB drive and transfer.  I also have an SD card slot in both of my tablets so pictures just get saved on there.  I can upload or transfer to my laptop when I get home. 

EDIT:  I should say that these are android tablets.  I have no clue if you can do that with an ipad!


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## geoand (Jul 11, 2012)

We take a lot of pictures also.  We have 2 Nikon DLSR's.  One has the wide angle lens and the other has the telephoto lens.  Our experience has been the  fewer times one changes the lens on the body, the fewer times the insides of the camera needs cleaning.  I think we took home over 5000 photos in RAW format so DW could process them at home with Photoshop and Aperture.  If I recall the size of each photo was 30+ megs.  We solved the problem of storing the files by using several compact flash cards.  We have them in 4 and 8 gig capacities.  They are very inexpensive at Costco.  Much more convenient.  We have been doing this for years and we are comfortable with it.  Admittedly, we were concerned in the beginning hearing all the alarming stories about losing the files because the compact flash card became corrupted.  Has not happened.  She does delete the obviously blurred pictures from the cards.  She doesn't know why I take so many pictures of my feet.  When she used the Nikon waterproof point and shoot, she would delete the blurred shots.  She could not understand how I managed to take pictures of my feet with that camera since I only carried it and never used it.  This deleting process was occurred while I cooked lunch or dinner.


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## LisaRex (Jul 12, 2012)

I second the suggestion to use flash drives to download photos.  

We used to lug our Nikon D50 everywhere.  Now we have a decent pocket camera and used post editing to crop.


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## MOXJO7282 (Jul 13, 2012)

DeniseM said:


> We take carry-ons only - no matter where we go.  Hawaii has major stores of all types and you can find everything you need there.  We start off with our carry-on quart bag with liquids to get us through a day or two, and then buy what we need there.  Living in California, I don't find the prices in Hawaii to be high enough to be concerned about, and dragging around extra suitcases of stuff from home is not my idea of a vacation!



I agree 100%. Minimum luggage, prefably just carry-ons. We've been doing so for years even for 2 week trips to Maui and it makes for the flights to be much less time consuming and stressful.

First off we find that we're usually just in some beachwear or shorts and tee so we don't pack more than two "nice" outfits and the rest just a few sets of the casual stuff. I do all the laundry on vacation and don't mind at all. 

As for the toiletries prices and what not, Maui is slightly higher than on LI, Aruba definitely more but not enough to pack and HHI is less so we find we do buy those types of things when we get to our location except for the things we know we may not be able to find or do know will be pricey.


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## daventrina (Aug 7, 2012)

JulieAB said:


> My camera has a cable that I just hook up to the USB drive and transfer.  I also have an SD card slot in both of my tablets so pictures just get saved on there....


We upgraded to a Canon SX40 on clearance. Plugged the USB cable into the Acer tablet ... and nothing    Installed Save My Photos ... plugged in the camera and up pops the gallery with the SX40    Select transfer and all are saved to the SD.  

Would then be easy to copy to and external USB drive.

Looks like the heavy laptop stays home...:whoopie: 
BTW: love the 24-800 lenses

We'll have to see if the SX10 works now...


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## gnipgnop (Aug 11, 2012)

Denise:  When reading your packing list I did not see pj's.  What do you sleep in...or shouldn't I ask??? :ignore: lol  (just kidding)


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## cgeidl (Aug 11, 2012)

*Take one*

I take my wife and buy whatever she wants.It's simple that way.


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## cmh (Aug 11, 2012)

cgeidl said:


> I take my wife and buy whatever she wants.It's simple that way.



I think my husband needs to read this post!


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## daventrina (Aug 12, 2012)

cgeidl said:


> I take my wife and buy whatever she wants.It's simple that way.


That's. Funny ... I don't think care who you are - LTG :hysterical:


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