Hawaii Packing List: 10 items You Need to Bring

So you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, how exciting! If you’re anything like me I started buying a few things and planning what to pack a few months in advance. No matter what month you visit, there are certain items you should always take to Hawaii with you. Below are my top 10 essentials, scroll to the bottom to download a free Hawaii Packing list!

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Can’t Miss Items on Your Packing List

Sunscreen- and lots of it. You’re most likely going to be spending a lot of your time outdoors, whether you’re hiking or swimming. Be sure to pack coral reef safe sunscreen, the chemicals in regular sunscreen harm coral reefs and are illegal to use in Hawaii.
Waterproof phone case– you don’t *have* to take one of these, put I definitely recommend it. Even if you don’t plan on taking your phone into the ocean, it’ll keep the sand out of it and keep it safe from accidents. You can also get some really cool pictures of marine life while snorkeling.
Water shoes– while most beaches are nice and sandy there are a few that have rocks in the water. I thought I’d only use mine when visiting tide pools, but they came in handy a lot more than anticipated. Water shoes will help protect your feet.
Portable chargers- long days outside will likely leave you without access to a charger. Be sure to pack a portable charger so your phone stays charged to take pictures. If you plan on renting a car I’d also recommend bringing a car charger for this same reason.
Sun dresses/coverups- I loved having a few different dresses to throw on top of my bathing suits.
Beach/Hiking Clothes- this one is a given, see below for some recommendations!

7. Hiking boots– optional, but I definitely recommend! We encountered a few muddy trails and were very thankful to be wearing hiking boots! They offer more traction that tennis shoes and also didn’t have to worry about ruining our tennis shoes. Even if you’re lucky and don’t encounter muddy trails, they still offer more traction and ankle support on trails.

8. Sun glasses- another obvious one but is easy to over look! If you’re like me and usually wear prescription glasses, I suggest ordering a pair of prescription sunglasses ahead of time. They were honestly a game changer and I’m so glad I did. I ordered mine from Firmoo and love them! Be sure to order at least 2-3 weeks in advance as shipping does take some time.

9. Beach Blanket- chances are your hotel will supply you with beach towels, I like to use those for drying off and use a beach blanket when chilling on the beach. I recommend this small one that fits easily in your backpack.

10. Backpack- If you plan on hiking in Hawaii (which you definitely should), I’d leave the beach bag at home and just use your hiking backpack at the beach too. It’ll likely fit more items and is easier to carry around-especially if your hotel isn’t right on the beach.

Clothes to Pack

Below are a few clothing items I packed that I LOVED wearing in Hawaii!

Hiking Shorts– My wife prefers to wear pants when hiking but once its over 75 degrees you’ll find me in shorts. I purchased two pairs of hiking shorts on amazon and love them! They are quick dry material, super breathable and stretchy. I love the light green and blue because it feels so fun and summery.

My wife loves these hiking pants for most of the same reasons, she has three pairs and swears they are the best hiking pants.

UV Protecting Shirts– we spent 90% of the days outside so sometimes it was nice to throw on a long-sleeve shirt to protect from rays- and wind- without lathering on more sunscreen.

Light Raincoat/Wind Breaker– its not uncommon to encounter a few rain showers during the day. Anywhere we went kept these light rain coats in our bag so we could through them on why we waited for the rain to pass.

Swim Suits- this goes without saying but I recommend packing at least 2 so you have a dry one to start the day off with.

Casual Dresses– I bought two dresses before our trip and was so glad I did! I packed one short sleeve and one sleeveless. They were perfect to wear around the city or to throw over a bathing suit before walking to the beach. I highly recommend these two from amazon, the material is so soft, I could literally wear it all day.