Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Hawaii Island-Hopping Packing List: Inter-Island Carry-Ons, Snorkel Bags & Haleakala Layers
24
items The trick to hopping between Oahu, Maui and the Big Island is packing for the short flights, not the beach: one soft carry-on per person, one small day bag, and a dry bag that keeps wet snorkel gear away from everything else. These picks are sorted b...
Roll-top ripstop bags in a big 12.5L and a small 3.8L, and the pair is my answer to the damp-snorkel-gear problem on the flight to the next island. The big one holds wet towels and a rash guard, the little one keeps your phone, keys and sunscreen dry...
Away Dry Bag Duo
Soft sides are the whole point for island hopping, because a squishy bag fits the small overhead bins on regional inter-island planes better than a rigid shell does. The front pockets hold your boarding pass, a light sweater and a water bottle so you...
Calpak Luka Soft-Sided Carry-On
A wide brim covers your ears and the back of your neck, which is where the Hawaii sun gets people even on a cloudy snorkel morning. The cotton is made to fold, so it rides in the top of a carry-on or a day bag without turning into a pancake. Bring it...
Anthropologie Packable Cotton Wide Brim Sun Hat
At 40 liters and about 2.3 pounds, this is the bag Away says fits up to a four-night trip, which is about right for one island leg. The water-repellent fabric shrugs off a wet sidewalk at a resort or an unexpected rain shower on the Hilo side. A trol...
Away Active Duffle 40L
A thin waterproof shell earns its place in Hawaii twice: on the windward side where showers pop up in minutes, and at the Haleakala summit where sunrise temperatures can sit near freezing. It is lightweight recycled polyester with a water-repellent z...
Athleta RainOut Traverse Jacket
Compression cubes let a swimsuit-heavy week fit in a carry-on, because bikinis, cover-ups and rash guards squish down well. I give each island its own cube so I can pull one out at the hotel and leave the rest zipped in the suitcase. The compression ...
Béis Compression Packing Cubes, 4-Piece in Beige
Twenty liters is the right size for a snorkel day: towel, reef-safe sunscreen, a dry bag and lunch without hauling a giant backpack. Two water bottle pockets matter more than you think in the Hawaii heat, and the breathable back panel keeps your shir...
Away Active Daypack 20L
The foam is water-friendly and dries fast, so these are the slides to wear from the hotel pool to the airport shuttle without worrying about wet feet. They are light enough to toss in a carry-on corner or hang off a day bag after a hike. Use them for...
Nike Calm 2.0 Women's Slides
This one folds down small, so it lives in your suitcase until you need extra room for souvenirs, snorkel gear or the wet-clothes bag on departure day. It is the cheap fix for a gate-check surprise, because you can move the overflow into it and keep y...
Calpak Compakt Duffel Bag
A hybrid carry-on gives you the wheels of a roller with a squishy soft body, so you can compress it into the overhead on a smaller inter-island plane. It rolls through three airports without dragging your shoulder, and the soft sides forgive a last-m...
Béis The Hybrid Carry-On Roller in Dusty Blue
Mesh tops let you see inside, so you do not unzip every cube to find the cover-up. Four sizes cover tops, bottoms, swimwear and a small one for underwear, and the color blocking helps you tell them apart at a glance in a dark hotel room. I would use ...
Away Insider Packing Cubes, Set of 4 in Tidal Blue
A hands-free carrier for your water bottle plus phone and cards, which is exactly what you want on a lava tube walk or a waterfall stop. The magnetic closure means you can grab a drink without opening a zipper, and it sits flat against your side rath...
Béis The Magnetic Water Bottle Sling
The Featherlight line is made to weigh almost nothing, which leaves room under your airline's weight limit for the heavy stuff like snorkel fins and a tripod. It works as the personal item tucked under the seat while your carry-on goes overhead, so y...
Away Featherlight Weekender in Blush Pink
A belt bag is the safest place for your phone, ID and room key on a boat or a loose trail, because you can wear it in front where you can see it. The oatmeal color goes with swimwear and hiking gear alike. Use it for the short stops, like roadside sh...
Calpak Luka Belt Bag in Oatmeal
This packs down into its own crossbody pouch about the size of a sandwich, then unfolds into a full backpack for a hike or a market day. It lives in your suitcase at almost no cost in weight, then comes out for the volcano trail where you want both h...
Béis The Compactible Backpack in Deep Teal
Sandy sandals and muddy hiking shoes should not touch your clean clothes, so this is the cube that keeps them in their own zippered lane. It holds a pair of water shoes plus hiking sneakers, and the black color hides the red dirt you pick up on the H...
Away Large Shoe Cube in Jet Black
A clear quart bag is what TSA expects for your carry-on liquids, and this one has a tidy black trim that looks better than a baggie. Keep it stocked with reef-safe sunscreen minis, because Hawaii restricts some sunscreen ingredients and you will want...
Calpak Clear Quart Zip Pouch in Black
Thirty-two ounces with a handle is what I want for a hot lava rock hike, where you can go through a whole bottle before lunch. It is insulated, so the water stays cold in the rental car all afternoon. Empty it before the security line and fill it at ...
Béis x Hydrojug Travel Water Bottle in Oat
Pack a grocery run into this leakproof tote for a beach picnic of fresh pineapple, poke and cold drinks from the local market. The shoulder strap makes it easy to carry from the car to the sand, and it collapses flat for the suitcase. It also doubles...
Away Insulated Cooler Tote
The most practical thing on this list: inter-island airlines enforce weight limits, so weigh your bag at the hotel instead of at the counter. It needs no battery, which is one fewer thing to die before your flight, and it takes seconds. If you are ov...
Calpak Battery-Free Luggage Scale
Sunrise at Haleakala usually means a 2 or 3 a.m. alarm, so the best nap you will get is the one the afternoon before. The mask blocks out bright hotel curtains, and the earplug pocket helps if you are in a busy resort. It also helps on the early inte...
Away Travel Sleep Mask
Open crowns keep your head cool and let a ponytail through, which is great for hiking in humidity or sitting on a catamaran. It is a more structured shape than the packable hat above, so wear it on the plane or hang it from your daypack. Pick this on...
Anthropologie Open Crown Sun Hat
Mesh pouches breathe, so they are where damp socks, a towel and a swimsuit can ride home without turning musty. The small one holds a snorkel mask and defog while the larger takes the rest. I would keep these in the duffel as the laundry-day pouch, s...
Béis The Mesh Pouch Duo in Maple
Even domestic Hawaii trips need an ID and boarding pass at every gate, and this keeps both zipped together in a pocket you can find fast. It has room for a few cards and a rental car confirmation. Treat it as the spare row if any link fails at paste ...
Calpak Luka Zip Passport Wallet