Must haves or unwanted items; a packing question

[Cannuck.Jay]

Hello All,

I am new to board and looking for some advice regarding an upcoming trip to Aruba in February. I have been viewing this site for awhile and want to thank you for all the information I have already read.


This post will be the first of a series in hopes of making my first visit an even more memorable one. I have done many searches in the different forums and hope that I am not asking questions that have been already answered but please be patient if I post questions that have been answered previously.


I have seen many posts regarding packing lists, most notably Liz’s, but I was wondering from all the Aruba experts on here what items you wished you had packed but did not and what items did you not pack but wish you had? Not a complete list of what you took just those few objects that were vital or useless.


Thank you in advance for the info!


Cannuck Jay

[Andrea J.]

what i packed and needed MUCH less of:
shorts
socks
tees
tank tops

what i needed more of:
money
bathing suits
money
sun lotion
money
power strip
money
batteries

[Arubalisa]

Welcome to the forum :)

Tip of the Day (http://www.aruba.com/forum/f35/tip-day-44765/?highlight=packing)

Towel Clips???? (http://www.aruba.com/forum/f35/towel-clips-44421/?highlight=packing)

VACATION VAULT (what do i do w/ my stuff?) (http://www.aruba.com/forum/f7/vacation-vault-what-do-i-do-w-my-stuff-41293/?highlight=packing)

Gather all your clothes to pack into a pile. Once gathered, cut the pile in half. :)
As Andrea said, double the amount of bathing suits.

Our trip would be ruined if we forgot any of our wide array of chargers: iPod, iTouch, cell phone, battery charger for digital camera.

Useful for us has been clips to attach our beach towels to keep them from blowing off the chaise lounges in the Aruban tradewinds.

Right now, you want to make sure you pack bug repellent with DEET.
Unless you can use the relatively low spf Aruba Aloe sun tan lotions, make sure you bring twice the amount of sunscreen you think you will need. The sun in Aruba is strong and you need to reapply frequently.

[Tom and Stanley]

Do not forget the sunglasses ( 2 pair ) and a wide brimmed hat. . . . The sun is bright and the hat will keep your face,ears and neck from getting a burn. I wear in the water too. . . . Other than money, bathing suits and t-shirts, you got it covered. . . . Flip flops are a good thing too. . . .

Tom and Stanley

[Windy]

re: clothes

Leave dressier clothes at home, you'll never wear them! Aruba, like other islands, is very casual, even at night.
Take more than one bathing suit!
You only need sandals (except for Balashi Brewery tour -- (closed toes required)
Take with you or buy there a large hat for shade!
And, yes, sunglasses (good ones!)

[TomFrederick]

A Must For Me:
baseball cap for protection from sun
lots of T-shirts for protection from sun
2 bathing suites
dress shorts for dinner out
polo shirts for dinner out
coffee mug for carrying coffee to beach
swim shoes - great for wearing around the resort all day

[hstvns]

Always bring rain slickers from the Dollar Store. Two slickers in one package for $1.00. Don't need them all the time but sure did use them this last trip!!!!!:eek:

[dipeblnd]

towels clips were very usefull on our last trip, as were the large Tervis Tumblers with lids... what a perfect thing to carry to beach...with water or other beverages! *wink*

[Love Aruba]

I know this isn't anything to pack, but I would say make sure you have travel insurance. We went one year without it and should have had it. Better to be safe than sorry.

[arubaislove]

From my experience, I don't pack enough sunscreen. I like the spray on kind, and with the sun in Aruba between me and my husband a bottle is gone in 2 days. And we have found it's pretty expensive to buy in Aruba compared to buying it at home.
Also, I always bring too many dressy clothes. I don't know why I do it every time. But our dress shoes take up a decent amount of space in the suitcase and we never end up wearing them!
If your camera has a battery charger, bring it! I always forget and than we run into a problem.
A hat is a must have! My scalp got sunburned the first time I was there and boy that can really put a damper on things!
And you can never bring enough bathing suits!