USVI-On-Line

Well kids the packing has begun!! With 25 days to go, hubby and I are having a blast pulling out what to wear and digging thru our dive/snorke gear.

As I'm going through our STJ bins I am re-discovering some of my favorite MUST have "finds" from a decade of traveling to STJ. Not that you need anything to have a good time on STJ, but these are tried and true products that have worked for me and are functional, practical and sometimes fun.

Everything I list is extremely durable-- a MUST for me since I am really rough on things. They aren't always cheap, but they are quality and have lasted for years of wear and tear. Plus they fit well with STJ's laid back atmosphere and rugged environment.

ladies: leave the fancy stuff at home. No frilly hats or girly shoes required. Comfortable t-shirts, shorts, capris, bathing suits, a sarong and what I list below are all that you need (along with good sunscreen) to be comfy and fit in on island.

So in no particular order I thought I'd share my favorite "finds" for those folks who are interested.
I was having trouble with the URL feature so just cut and pasted the links below.
One of my absolute favorite items is my Akona convertible back pack. It looks like a back pack, but the bottom zips out and a mesh extension drops down to hold fins etc. I love this item and i was hoping to share the link. Unfortunately, it's not available anymore but I did find Akona's newest version (minus the cool convertible factor). Looks decent and should do well for anyone with snorkel gear. The price is great too. Their stuff is especially suitable for STJ since you often have to do a bit of walking to get to the beach and the back pack feature allows you to keep your hand free for other stuff.

Snorkel Bag from Akona:

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/Category ... KNBSB.html

My other fave if you don't want a bag is the Akona Mask Bag (with pouch for No fog drops on side). Protecting your mask is a must and Ilike the fact that this bag isn't as bulky to pack as a hard case. All of Akona's gear is super heavy duty and sturdy. What it lacks in girly sexiness it makes up in function.
http://www.leisurepro.com/prod/AKNBMB.html

I also wear prescription glasses and sunglasses. Anyone who wears glasses knows that these are pricey and can ruin a vacation if broken or damaged. I like to protect my glasses in case like this one:
http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/Category ... /OTR9.html

Mine's a bit different with an elongated triangular shape to it that snaps shut. But I love it.

I also have a small square waterproof case just big enough to hold a house key, car key, CC, Id and a little cash. Pelican makes these and you can buy them on line or on island at the dive shops.

Another item I can't LIVE without is a HAT CLIP. This item is especially useful if you plan on doing any boating. My favorite caps have been SAVED from certain drowning and loss in the deep blue ocean too many times to count because of this little beauty. The $4.50 - or so - that they cost are worth it IMHO:
http://www.amazon.com/Chums-Rope-Hat-Clip/dp/B00026SIT2

Also, can't live without a good pair of Tevas or similarly styled shoes. My latest fave are the Keen Venice shoes. Not cheap but super comfortable and durable. http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/15323178/c/3.html
I found mine at REI on sale for $63.00.

For around town and a more fun look I love Eliza B flip flops. Not cheap but they will last forever and are available in a million fun colors that you can customize yourself. Made in the USA. I also have a couple of their cloth bucket bags to use as a purse when going out to dinner. Super cute.
http://elizab.com/

Faves for Multifuntional headwear are the Buff's available in tons of colors and patterns http://www.buffwear.com/ They also have them in UV protection fabrics. They can be used in a multitude of ways (just watch Survivor).

And Life is Good ball caps. Any will do but my favorite is the chocolate with the tattered heart. Perfect for LOVE City
http://www.jakeslakeplace.com/index.asp ... ategory=24 I'm also a fan of their t-shirts. Very soft and have that broken in feel. Plus the images and philosophy "work" on STJ.

Another can't live without item for me is my Kiplinger Drawstring backpack in black. I don't bring any of my leather purses down due to the high humidity and frequent rain showers. But this pack serves me well. I swear this thing is like Mary Poppin's purse. It's smallish and casual looking but it holds a TON of stuff. Plus it's made of this really water resistant material and doesn't get phased by water or sun. I actually bought this bag on STJ. AND it has those cool little gorillas attached! Highly recommended. http://www.ebags.com/kipling/strength_d ... elid=12218

I also tracked down a wallet and small bag (for girl stuff) both in pink to go with it. Same fabric, but the pink coordinates with the Eliza B fabric bag: http://www.ebags.com/search/index.cfm?f ... ing+Wallet

I recently posted my new love for Key West Aloe prods. Especially the Too Cool spray which, as I found out the hard way, can save you from a miserable burn. They also have some other really good after sun prods: http://www.keywestaloe.com/items.asp?Cc=00402&Bc=

I also ordered some of their SPF 12 which smells great. But not sure how well it works yet. Stay tuned!

Other must pack items:
Band Aid waterproof blister bandages,
Ben's bug spray,
afterbite or bendryl clear gel,
first aid kit,
walkie talkies,
baby powder to prevent sweating in place you don't want to sweat,
eye shades (for the early AM sunrises that will wake me up when I want to keep sleeping-- silk ones work best, because they are light and are soft against sunburned skin),
scrunchies made of swimsuit material (this keeps my hair out of the way while snorkeling and doesn't rip my hair,
Slap strap for my snorkel mask (to keep my aforementioned hair from getting ripped out)-- you can buy these at the dive shop on STJ,
A good nalgene bottle (which I stuff full of Crystal light to go packets and other stuff),
My USVI on line "Haven't I seen you on the forum T-shirt!!)

This all sounds like a lot of stuff, but it's really not. These items are what have worked for me over the years and I have left off the extras that I think are useless.

Anyone else have a favorite product or item that has worked well over the years?

Great list!

Tell me about your backpack! I like the picture of the one you posted. I always bring a backpack instead of a purse, and I would love one that can go from hikes to a casual dinner. It's really hard to find a good, lightweight, but sturdy backpack (and my current one is falling apart.) Have you hiked with yours? If so, does the fabric get really hot on your back? (I know that depends on the temperature, but some backpacks are just beastly!) Are the straps wide enough to be comfortable when you've got the pack loaded with water, etc?

Thanks!!

I love Eliza B/Leatherman flip-flops ever since buying my first pair on Block Island a few years ago. Each trip I pick up a new pair. It is the soles, they seem to be more stiff and supportive than other flip-flops.

Also use Nalgene bottles. I freeze water the night before to take to the beach.

I assume you're talking about the Kipling? The fabric is very light and sturdy and it comes in a few colors. Honestly this one is holding up REALLY well. There's no real structure to it. Heavy duty woven straps. I just sling it over one shoulder when going to restaurants. It's casual but not sloppy. It will hold a water bottle and other stuff pretty well.

If you're talking about the Akona the straps are padded and it's heavy duty fabric. Haven't hiked long distances with it but I didn't find it hot at all, even in black.

I prefer black because it doesn't get dirty.

PA girl-- me too on the freezing. This works great as the water melts pretty quickly and stays cold for a while.

This doesn't help you at all Chicagoans but I love this bag.

LL Bean Bag

I wanted something minimal that would let me be handsfree through the airport w/ Butterball baby in tow. I got it in black but it comes in great colors. I can attest after a test run this weekend it is awesome for a mama trying to keep her stuff and kid stuff separate.

It has a main compartment (diapers, wipes, a change of baby clothes in a ziplock, 2 containers of baby food and a baby blanket).

A medium compartment (mom's stuff - my small wristlet size wallet, phone, pen, passports, conf. will fit here).

A small compartment (big enough of singles of formula & a ziplock with baby spoons and a thin nylon bib).

In addition to this when you put in on there is a small zipper that is part of the strap that sort of lands on the front of you for cash.

Oh, and an ipod spot w/ a hole where the headphones can be poked through.

And, finally ... mesh pockets on the front and side (one very small & one big enough for a bottle of water or formula - depending on your needs).

It was extremely lightweight and worked well for me this weekend. My lower back hates me and I could hardly feel this bag on me when fully loaded.

Gromit wrote:
If you're talking about the Akona the straps are padded and it's heavy duty fabric. Haven't hiked long distances with it but I didn't find it hot at all, even in black.

I have an Akona mesh dive backpack. I was able to fit both sets of snorkel gear, as well as a large drybag, beach towels, and neat sheet in it, with room to spare. Was indispensible on our recent trip.

Gromit - yep, I was refering to the Kipling. It's in my ebags cart right now, with 2 on-sale rollerbags!

Flip - thanks for the link to the LL Bean backpack. It sounds great! Does the sling style work pretty well for longer walks? Do you think it would work for hikes? I haven't tried a sling style, so just wondering if I would feel unbalanced.

Gromit - I second you on the Keen sandals. I wore those daily on our trip to Maui -- the protected toes are great for hiking. I wear mine for biking, canoeing, ref'ing soccer... they're great because they work for all the physical/sporty activities, but they don't look dorky like running shoes if you happen to be doing something else later. I'm trying to find something similar for my kids -- their feet are really narrow, and the Keens don't fit well.

Chicagoans an anyone else who cares-- My favorite suitcase (and I have many) hands down are the E-bags Mother Lode bags. I have the regular and the junior and love them both. They are also fairly light and have a more structured duffle bag look than the LL bean Duffle bas that we used to use.

I have traveled all over with the Mother Lode bags: Italy, London, STJ and they really hold up. I love the way the top is soft but the bottom is more structured.

A GREAT Overall suitcase: http://www.ebags.com/products/index.cfm ... Bags_54633

Check out the video below the bags.

What I also like is that even the biggest one meets the max size allowable on the airlines. So no extra charges! It's also amazingly light so you can pack the weight, not start with it to begin with!

chicagoans wrote: Flip - thanks for the link to the LL Bean backpack. It sounds great! Does the sling style work pretty well for longer walks? Do you think it would work for hikes? I haven't tried a sling style, so just wondering if I would feel unbalanced.

I am not kidding you when I say even fully loaded I barely felt it. I do not like to lug things. I am not a big purse girl, esp. if I know I am going to be walking a lot (shopping, etc). I think it would work great for a hike. I felt more balanced w/ this bag than any backpack I've ever put on.

The absolute best part is that you can rotate it around and dig stuff out w/o ever taking it off. The zippers are set so that everything doesn't shift and try to fall out.

Extremely comfy.

Don't forget that LL Bean guarantees everything for as long as you own it... another bonus.

We had one of their rolling duffles adn it started to tear after the first year. We took it back and they gave us another no questions asked.

Good point Gromit. The LL bean person could not have been nicer. I told her (in detail) what I was after and she helped me sort it out. She even said it if didn't work out or I didn't LOVE it after my trip to bring it back in for a refund.

Love them. You pay more but you get more.

Great list Gromit! I have looked at that ebags Mother Lode before, but didn't buy it. I may have to reconsider! Thanks!

Hey, I'll be on island December 1-11 th!!

I just love the color and fit and I usually HATE ballcaps, but I LOVE this one.