What to Pack for Kauai, Hawaii

Welcome! Today I am sharing some packing list must haves for Kauai! This could probably apply to other Hawaiian Islands as well but as we are just coming off of our honeymoon trip last month, I am focusing on Kauai.

You can see our recaps here, here and here. And what we ate here and our top activities here.

Of course I would start your packing list with the normal tropical vacation stuff: bathing suit, swim suits, coverups, dresses, shorts, sandals, sunglasses, beach towel, sunscreen, hat, beach bag etc. But here are a few things that you may forget that were super important that we had!

Light Jacket: You’ll want one that is “nicer” for dinners/nights and then also an “active” one for morning hikes. It can get a little chilly with the winds!

Bug spray: I was covered with bug bites the whole trip! Bring bug spray with you everywhere, even dinner! Since everything is outside in Hawaii, you can get bit at anytime, and I did.

Umbrella: It does rain a lot so pack an umbrella for those showers.

Shoes that you don’t mind getting ruined: We bought “trash” shoes that got so so muddy and stained and super smelly (even after two washes). We both used old tennis shoes so don’t forget these because I would hate to ruin my new running shoes!

Backpack that can be wiped off: I bought a cheaper small black nylon backpack on amazon before the trip and I am so glad I did. It was the perfect size for exploring so I could fit everything in it but I didn’t worry about it getting dirty or ruined. I dropped it on some muddy ground and just wipes the mud right off. It was awesome.

GoPro and Nice Camera: I’m so glad we had a GoPro (waterproof) and a Nikon D3400 for some awesome video and pictures!

Baggies: Always bring baggies. Liquids, wet stuff, to protect from wet stuff (and mud). They come in handy.

Trash Bags for clothes: We brought a trash bag for dirty clothes in the room but we also had one for our muddy shoes and clothes. (We washed super muddy stuff at the hotel before coming home).

Water Shoes: We bought cheap water shoes on amazon and I’m glad we did for the tubing adventure. We will use them again probably so I justified the purchase.

Waterproof phone cover: I bought this one and am glad I had it for wet/muddy activities to protect my phone!

A small pouch bag: I had a little zip pouch that I put “emergency” stuff in and then threw it in whatever bag I was using at the time. It held bandaids, Advil, hand sanitizer, etc in it. That way I could just pack all that stuff in one bag and easily transfer it depending on which bag I wanted to use.