The water at home is cooling off, which makes fall and winter the right time to point yourself at the Caribbean. The water stays warm, the crowds thin out after summer, and the days are built around the same handful of things: swim, boat, beach bar, dinner. Here's what we pack for a trip like that.
Pack pieces that do two jobs
Island travel means small planes, small bags and sometimes a boat transfer. Carry-on space is the whole game, so anything that only does one thing has to earn its place. A Sullivan towel wrap skirt is a cover-up and a towel at once, which means you can leave the bulky beach towel at home. It's 100% cotton terry, so it soaks up water on contact and dries you off while you wear it.
Same thinking with jewelry. Our gold-filled shell necklaces go from a swim to dinner without a change, so you're not packing a second set of accessories for the evening.
A Caribbean carry-on list
- Two swimsuits, so one can dry while you wear the other
- A towel wrap skirt that doubles as your beach towel
- One linen shirt for sun cover, boat rides and cold airplane air
- A pair of shorts and one easy dress for dinner
- Sandals you can walk in, plus flip-flops for the sand
- Water shoes if you're snorkeling off a rocky beach
- A hat you can crush in a bag
- Reef-safe sunscreen, which several islands now require, plus lip balm with SPF
- Layerable jewelry that works for day and night
- A tote for beach days that doubles as your personal item on the plane
- A dry bag or zip bag for your phone on boat days
Why a wrap skirt beats a beach towel on an island trip
A folded beach towel eats a quarter of a carry-on, and resort towels rarely leave the property. The Sullivan rolls down small, works as a cover-up at breakfast, dries you off after a swim, and hangs over a balcony rail or a boat rail while it air dries. There's a side pocket too, sized for your phone, your room key, your sunglasses and your lip balm, which is everything you need for a walk down the beach or a trip to the bar for another round.
New to wrap skirts? See how to tie it in seconds, and check the size guide to choose between S/M and M/L.
A few things we've learned
Boat days are wetter than you think. A catamaran day trip means spray on the ride out, swimming at every stop and wind the whole way back. Something that dries fast beats something that looks good dry.
Check the luggage limits on the small planes. Island hoppers often cap bags well below what your first airline allows, which is another reason to pack light.
Dinner is casual, but not that casual. Most places want you out of a wet swimsuit. A wrap skirt, a linen shirt and a necklace covers it.
From the Lowcountry to the islands
We're based in Charleston, where beach season runs late and the first cool mornings are showing up now. The same pieces that work here in September work in the islands in December. Pack light, stay in the water longer.
Shop the Sullivan towel wrap skirts in seven colors.
0 comments