USVI-On-Line

We have been thinking about taking carry ons only this trip. This past weekend I got the suitecase out and decided I was going to practice packing. I was suprised to find that I had plenty of room with room to spare. I even added a few thing that I thought I wasn't going to have room for. I think rolling the cloths instead of folding them made a big difference. I was even able to put our masks and snorkels in the suitcase.
Final tally
4 t-shirts
2 button up shirts
2 swim trunks
2 shorts
2 cabana paints
2 pair of boxers
2 pair of beach shoes
2 masks and snorkels
camera
one small bag of personal items.

Now my wife will have room in my other bag if she neesds.

just the inspiration I needed! We have carried on once before and want to do it this trip, too. Problem is I have no practice packing time, and will be throwing stuff in the bag this weekend last minute But it WILL be done!

Have certainly had a problem with overpacking for STJ in the past. Was going to practice this weekend. Question is, what to do with the sunscreens/bug stuff that is too big to carryon per TSA.

2muchsnow wrote:Have certainly had a problem with overpacking for STJ in the past. Was going to practice this weekend. Question is, what to do with the sunscreens/bug stuff that is too big to carryon per TSA.

Either just buy it on STJ or send a package ahead of your trip with that stuff in it.

We've done it both ways, and if that's the difference between being able to do carry on only or not, either alternative is worth it!

I use a solid sunscreen for my face (looks like deodorant), and pack a small bottle in carry on for the first day. I buy a bigger bottle and bug spray once I'm there- contributing to the local economy!

I load up our "liquids and gels" ziploc bags with as many of these as I can fit: http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgre ... gle_Beauty

These little bottles of sunscreen carry us through until we can get to the drugstore on STJ to buy more. Having to check bags just to save a few bucks on sunscreen isn't worth it for me.

and many times we find leftover bug spray at the villa, so no need to bring or buy.

i envy you. i can get along with a carry-on but my wife grabs the biggest suitcase she can find and packs it to 49.999 lbs. (if she goes over then i stand in line while she transfers stuff to her carry on)

We have learned to like the carry on too. Our biggest problem is if we fly in winter what to do with the jackets, jeans etc that we have. I can remember now waiting in one of the parking lot shuttle pick up areas wearing capris and a light sweater, while it was snowing 'cause of that we now use one of the commercial lots where they pick you up right away and you're not waiting 15 minutes freezing your bum off.

As to lotions we buy the little empty travel bottles they sell at walmart for 75 cents and fill them up with our stuff. You can squeeze a number of these into your tsa baggie! Just make sure you label them well enough to know the difference between shampoo and sun tan lotion

I pack multiple times, setting aside everything I think I might want and then whittling it down.

Rolling the clothes helps too. And it's the islands, you really don't have to get too dressy.

We fly carryon as well. In winter (here in upstate NY) I leave my jacket in the car and hightail it into the airport. For shampoo I also put my own shampoo in bottles. I try to bring a small tube of sunscreen and then buy a bigger one on island.

We bring masks and snorkels and rent the fins on island.

A negative to carry on is having to lug (is that why it's called luggage?) it all over (we always have flight connections).

I pack 3 oz Neutrogena sunscreen tubes - perfect for carry on, 1 in each ziplock baggie and a 2 oz 3M Ultrathon bug lotion(34.4% deet)and still have room for the other items, shampoo etc.

I am finally getting this down to a science! We leave for the rock on Saturday and are 99.999% packed.

2muchsnow wrote:Have certainly had a problem with overpacking for STJ in the past. Was going to practice this weekend. Question is, what to do with the sunscreens/bug stuff that is too big to carryon per TSA.

We have several 2 oz tubes of sunscreen in the ziplock bag. As for bug spray, I hate to say it but we don't take any. We have only been on the rock twice and have never used the stuff. Maybe its our tough Midwest tanning bed skin?

This family of fellow Hoosiers only does carryon for our trips to St John. Once you do it, you won't miss any of the stuff you really didn't need anyway. Even our fashionable daughters have learned to be savvy travelers and appreciate not being weighted down. We also don't miss waiting for our bags to come off the plane in STT.

hoosierdaddy wrote: As for bug spray, I hate to say it but we don't take any. We have only been on the rock twice and have never used the stuff. Maybe its our tough Midwest tanning bed skin?

I think we went 8 trips without bug spray. Last July I threw in a small bottle of deep woods (lots of DEET) off and holy cow, we needed it! I won't take any in February, if we do need it, I will buy it on island.

This past May I tried carry-on, and mailed a box of goods down to Cinnamon Bay Camps and it worked well for me.No more waiting for luggage at the airport-loved it!I hope I can avoid check on's from this point forward.