What to Pack

[hare2party]

a few HUGE suggestions:

If you plan to dress for toga night, take one night out of your busy schedule prior to going and MAKE ONE to TAKE ONE. Both times SUCKED when we went because we got crappy little scraps, or they were all awkward to work with. Then we didn't have SCISSORS and it was just a HASSLE. Go to walmart, get a twin flat sheet for 5 bucks, and create one for each of you and pack it in. It'll save you the trouble!

Absolutely, we always bring our own. Even if just so we don't have to worry about being in the right place at the right time to pick up materials, or to have to track someone down to get them while we are there.

Don't forget the safety pins.

ALSO, whatever you pack, pack travel size! Most people go for around a week. So to minimize your packing, get travel sized stuff. It helped a bunch on our second trip. A couple little bars or soap, the little travel toothpaste, etc. Even the port-a-packs of tylenol, benadryl, etc. You'd be surprised after adding it all up how much space you really save.

Ditto. Between the travel sized toothpaste, shampoo, etc and the veritable pharmacy we bring to make sure we have anything we might need for ourselves or to help out friends it gets to be a lot of stuff.

Hard shell suitcase. Go to the salvation army or whatever and see if you can find one. Craigslist even. I notice even if you tip DECENT, the bag handlers with the bus smash the SHIT out of your bags. We had about 15 fricken bags STACKED on OURS and my big bottle of shampoo (thankfully in a ziplock) was squirted out everywhere in the baggy lol.

ZIPLOCKS. Pack anything in your bag SQUISHABLE in one lol.

I always do this and while doing it I can't help but debate which end knowing how the baggage is going to be handled - you never know which way is going to be up

I do put them on the ends though - at least there are hard shells on the ends of our luggage. We have had some things explode inside their ziplocks pretty much every trip.

Baby wipes. They are great for EVERYTHING from ass wipes to A/C vent fresheners, to getting lipstick off of clothes. TRAVEL PACK!

Our first trip we OVERPACKED. 2nd trip we were smarter with it. This next trip in July I plan to take my time and really cover ground on minimal space. I'm not taking my big DSLR camera again and big camera bag. I set everything out by theme night and try to throw in a couple "alternates" just in case.

We have overpacked and underpacked in the past. Our goal is to overpack by just a little. I think we have gotten it right on just one trip so far. We can never predict how a trip will go or what we will do, so we just try to be prepared.

[NorthIndyLovers]

Someone asked about inflatable rafts.....should we really bring one a piece? Is that smart?

Lisa of Mike and Lisa

[bibabe]

First aid kit..the smallest cut can get infected and you don't want to have to go to the doctors in Jamaica!!!!

[magjoy]

two years ago one of my pills (I only needed ONE of these) got lost in the shuffle.

I always pack a lot of drugs in a few suit cases and a carry on. lose your medicine = screwed.
It cost us almost 100$$ to replace ONE pill!!

[CandG]

Definitely bring your own cigarettes. My understanding is that the cigarettes there are not class A, but I could be wrong about this because it's only hearsay. We make suure we have enough that we don't run out so we've never bought any there.

[CandG]

We always bring them in case it's crowded there and there aren't enough lounge chair pads to use out in the water. I just picked up a couple yesterday at Wal-Mart for $5 apiece. They're nicve and flat and don't take up too much room (but they are a bit heavy so watch your 50 pound limit). If we don't use them we just leave them in the room for the housekeeper.

Someone asked about inflatable rafts.....should we really bring one a piece? Is that smart?

Lisa of Mike and Lisa

[CandG]

Yes, definitely, definitely bring Neosporin and bandaids. The chances of you getting through a week at Hedo without some scratch, or scrape are somewhere close to zero. We also bring antibiotics and prescription pain meds. It's best to be able to doctor yourself because you have to remember that you are in a Third World country

First aid kit..the smallest cut can get infected and you don't want to have to go to the doctors in Jamaica!!!!

[CandG]

We use a duffle bag, but we have a hard plastic container that we put things like shampoo, lotion, etc in so it doesn't squish out. Has worked well so far.

MsJaxin: Hard shell suitcase. Go to the salvation army or whatever and see if you can find one. Craigslist even. I notice even if you tip DECENT, the bag handlers with the bus smash the SHIT out of your bags. We had about 15 fricken bags STACKED on OURS and my big bottle of shampoo (thankfully in a ziplock) was squirted out everywhere in the baggy lol.

Hare2party: ZIPLOCKS. Pack anything in your bag SQUISHABLE in one lol.
I always do this and while doing it I can't help but debate which end knowing how the baggage is going to be handled - you never know which way is going to be up

I do put them on the ends though - at least there are hard shells on the ends of our luggage. We have had some things explode inside their ziplocks pretty much every trip.

[couplecurious26]

As for inflatable Rafts we were just at Hedo the 12th-21st and brought a raft it never made it out of our suitcase there were plenty of ones to use and it takes up to much valuable space in your suitcase.

[Elle & Jaybyrd]

Bring lot of extra of zip-loc bags (large & small) to use at the beach/pool for any items you don't want wet & they can be used for wet items on the trip home.
Not only do I put all liquid items in zip loc bags, but I will also put a piece of duct tape over the top of the bottle for extra strength. It sucks when all of your shampoo is all over a plastic bag.

[bibabe]

We have a dry bag. You can buy one at any local sports store, Like Sports Authority, Dick's,REI, EMS.....They work awesome!!!! We use them when we go whitewater rafting and your stuff stays totally dry..cigs, book. everything!

[ShyGuyBlueEyes]

Ok. just a suggestion that I learned when my ex-wife and I went to Tahiti years ago. If you take vitamin B1 daily a week before your trip and during your trip, the odor that gets into your pores keeps the mosquitos away. Though you can't smell it they can and won't bite. I don't know what kind of other bugs this works for or bugs there is in Jamaica, but it worked for us. Better than having to take bug spray.

[Downunder Fun]

I little tip I learnt after years of travelling professionally, keep a snap lock bag in the room safe with your passport, camera, wallet, phone etc. I've been through so many evacuations in various countries, fires and drills. It's easy just to grab the bag and go & all your essentials are there ( and waterproof, if you happen to be on a cruise ship, really, it happens)

[MelvinDixon]

The first time we went, I spent a week on motrin carrying my wifes bags, the next time two days, this trip I think I might only need the motrin for a hangover. I pack t-shirts and boxers and toiletries. I wear pants only on the trip there and back, and I wear the same pair both ways. My wife packs a little more, but not much more, she has to have a different pair of pants for trip back, but she is a girl. Depends how you are, but I live in the buff or boxers all week, wife lives in the buff or lingerie all week. Ohhhhh, if you are a smoker, bring lots of your brand, sometimes you lose or soak a new pack, people bum them, and generaly you stay up a little later than at home more days in a row and smoke more becuase you are awake.

The best way to enjoy trip is to carry least luggage and if you are rich enough you can do lots of shopping. I do that every time I went to some trip

[Naughty Nudists]

We will bring a small easy to use ALARM CLOCK,less clothes,and night time lingerie only for her packed in ziplocks for each evening for convenience sake.One pair of long slacks for a guy to travel in is plenty also.Note,the alarm clock is for old people to take a night nap and get up in the wee hours to enjoy the late night piano bar,disco,tub etc.
NN