Packing for Day Trips

[dreamit]

We will be staying at Aulani in two weeks. The part of planning that I haven’t figured out is what to pack for day trips and, in some instances, where to change clothes.
For example, we’re spending an afternoon and/or full day visiting Waikiki beach, doing a 90 minute catamaran ride at some point. Where can we change from clothes to swimsuits and back to clothes? When on the catamaran, we need an ID and cash for tip/drinks. Do we bring a bag or just store in a phone pouch? I see there is a locker facility off of the beach. Is this what others have used for storing belongings during the day?
What about a day trip around the island where we’re hiking, stopping at beaches, shops, restaurants, etc.—do you wear your swimsuit under clothes for the entire day or are you changing at beaches, in the car, etc.? Another scenario is going from a muddy hike to continuing on to other sites. It’d be nice to change clothes between activities. Too, what supplies should we keep in the car for these types of day trips? So far I’m planning on microfiber beach towels, snorkel gear, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, water bottles and water, waterproof phone pouches, water shoes, snacks, dry bag/backpack, regular backpack, small waterproof wet bags for swimsuits, my Oahu travel books, and wet wipes. I have a mesh swim bag for each of us for storing our swim and snorkel gear. I’m thinking of picking up a cheap plastic tub when we arrive to keep in the rental car trunk to hopefully prevent sand from getting all over the car. What am I missing? I appreciate any advice you can provide to me!

 

[abdgeek]

My recommendation would be to take the minimum amount necessary for your day trips. Below are some things that work for me:

1) On days when I am going to the beach or taking a snorkel tour, I wear my swimsuit under my board shorts and rash guard. I take a tote bag that has a towel, money, a bottle of water, and my phone in it. At the beach, my phone, money, ID, cc, and phone are in a waterproof pouch that I keep on me at all times. I wear water shoes or shoes that can get wet. When I finish, I wipe off with the towel and put my board shorts back on. Since they can get wet, they dry pretty fast and I go to my next activity.

2) The catamaran company may make you keep your bags below deck. I’ve never had an issue with anyone stealing anything. I also have a waterproof case about the size of a pack of cigarettes that clips to my swimsuit that I put my cc, ID, and money in when I snorkel on a tour. I leave my phone in my bag on the catamaran. You can check to see if there is a bathroom on your catamaran tour, but I would recommend wearing your suit under your clothes.

3) Waikiki Beach has public bathrooms where you can change, but they are not luxurious. IMO, the less changing you have to do the better because you may not always have access to facilities. You can pay for a storage locker at Aloha Lockers on your Waikiki Beach day if it makes you feel better. I would also recommend keeping your items in view or going in the water in shifts. Definitely don’t leave your valuables unattended on the beach.

4) Some rental car companies charge extra for cleaning if the rental car is excessively dirty. Alamo at Aulani definitely does. So just be aware and shake the mats as much as possible before you return the rental.

Have a great trip!

 

[dreamit]

My recommendation would be to take the minimum amount necessary for your day trips. Below are some things that work for me:

1) On days when I am going to the beach or taking a snorkel tour, I wear my swimsuit under my board shorts and rash guard. I take a tote bag that has a towel, money, a bottle of water, and my phone in it. At the beach, my phone, money, ID, cc, and phone are in a waterproof pouch that I keep on me at all times. I wear water shoes or shoes that can get wet. When I finish, I wipe off with the towel and put my board shorts back on. Since they can get wet, they dry pretty fast and I go to my next activity.

2) The catamaran company may make you keep your bags below deck. I’ve never had an issue with anyone stealing anything. I also have a waterproof case about the size of a pack of cigarettes that clips to my swimsuit that I put my cc, ID, and money in when I snorkel on a tour. I leave my phone in my bag on the catamaran. You can check to see if there is a bathroom on your catamaran tour, but I would recommend wearing your suit under your clothes.

3) Waikiki Beach has public bathrooms where you can change, but they are not luxurious. IMO, the less changing you have to do the better because you may not always have access to facilities. You can pay for a storage locker at Aloha Lockers on your Waikiki Beach day if it makes you feel better. I would also recommend keeping your items in view or going in the water in shifts. Definitely don’t leave your valuables unattended on the beach.

4) Some rental car companies charge extra for cleaning if the rental car is excessively dirty. Alamo at Aulani definitely does. So just be aware and shake the mats as much as possible before you return the rental.

Have a great trip!

Thank you so much for all your great advice!

 

[cgattis]

We basically took all the things you listed, plus a roll of heavy paper towels (paper “shop towels”) for wiping off if we were muddy. Another poster (maybe @corgimonster) suggested a gallon jug of water to help with cleanups.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the car—every car we rented in Hawaii (5 total) was already pretty dirty, pretty much just like what we experienced in Alaska. I think it’s pretty much expected that it’s coming back dirty, so they don’t try very hard LOL

As PP said, we basically layered up swimsuits and quick-dry stuff everywhere we went, to avoid changing. And after seeing most of the public bathrooms, I was glad we did. (Another reason your clean up kit is useful!)

 

[nkereina]

Since you have your own car, it doesn't hurt to keep a change of clothes in the back. You'll inevitably find a place to change - be it public restrooms at the beach, or even the bathroom at a McDonald's or grocery store. As PP said, not the most luxurious but options, nonetheless.

We have a KYSS bag that we transport a lot of this stuff in it, but the benefit of it is that the bag locks shut and comes with a chain lock that can be fastened to something to prevent anyone from walking off with it. Its also said to be slash proof. Just gives a little extra peace of mind.

Keep everything in the trunk and don't keep anything of value in the car at all. Take the bare minimum. Theft is rampant on Oahu and there are many car break-ins across the island.

Lastly, keep the stuff you have to bring to a minimum. Break up the day a little more if you have to. For example, we chose to hike Diamond Head on a day by itself because we knew we'd have to come back and shower after before doing anything else. We were staying in Waikiki at the time, but we were done with the hike by 11-11:30, so we still had the whole afternoon to do something after we showered and changed. Even if the logistics aren't ideal, it sometimes is just better and easier than trying to change in a tiny, dirty bathroom.

 

[dreamit]

We basically took all the things you listed, plus a roll of heavy paper towels (paper “shop towels”) for wiping off if we were muddy. Another poster (maybe @corgimonster) suggested a gallon jug of water to help with cleanups.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the car—every car we rented in Hawaii (5 total) was already pretty dirty, pretty much just like what we experienced in Alaska. I think it’s pretty much expected that it’s coming back dirty, so they don’t try very hard LOL

As PP said, we basically layered up swimsuits and quick-dry stuff everywhere we went, to avoid changing. And after seeing most of the public bathrooms, I was glad we did. (Another reason your clean up kit is useful!)

Thank you! I will plan to bring paper towels, as well.

 

[dreamit]

Since you have your own car, it doesn't hurt to keep a change of clothes in the back. You'll inevitably find a place to change - be it public restrooms at the beach, or even the bathroom at a McDonald's or grocery store. As PP said, not the most luxurious but options, nonetheless.

We have a KYSS bag that we transport a lot of this stuff in it, but the benefit of it is that the bag locks shut and comes with a chain lock that can be fastened to something to prevent anyone from walking off with it. Its also said to be slash proof. Just gives a little extra peace of mind.

Keep everything in the trunk and don't keep anything of value in the car at all. Take the bare minimum. Theft is rampant on Oahu and there are many car break-ins across the island.

Lastly, keep the stuff you have to bring to a minimum. Break up the day a little more if you have to. For example, we chose to hike Diamond Head on a day by itself because we knew we'd have to come back and shower after before doing anything else. We were staying in Waikiki at the time, but we were done with the hike by 11-11:30, so we still had the whole afternoon to do something after we showered and changed. Even if the logistics aren't ideal, it sometimes is just better and easier than trying to change in a tiny, dirty bathroom.

Thank you for the tips! I do have a slash-proof, cable-locking pouch that I’ve used at WDW pools and water parks. I plan to bring it but didn’t know if there are places to which I can attach it. That’s good advice about the hikes. I may be over-estimating our endurance, but currently we have a day planned where we will hike Diamond Head, have a snack or lunch, and then hike Manoa Falls, and do the Tantalus Lookout drive. I read that you can get fairly wet and muddy on the Manoa Falls hike so I don’t want to add in anything to that day which would require us to look presentable.

 

[cgattis]

I kept all the “support equipment “ stuff in a big clear tote and left it in plain view hoping that any would-be thieves would see it was just crap. Don’t know if it worked or if I was just lucky, but in 14 days of that, we were fortunate enough to not have a break-in.