What to pack for Hawaii

The more I find out about Hawaii, the more I want to go right now! Did you know that the temperature stays between about 27°c and 31°c ALL YEAR? And that most of the rain conveniently happens OVERNIGHT? Could a place possibly be better suited to a tropical holiday in the sun? If you were going right now, what would you wear? With some gorgeous summer gear starting to come in to the shops, right now is the perfect time to be thinking about what to pack for Hawaii.

Fairlie from Feet on Foreign Lands is a Melbourne-based travel blogger, who set me the challenge of deciding what to pack for Japan earlier this year, when she was heading there for her first visit. Now, only a few months later, this lucky lady is planning a trip to Hawaii.

This smart mama gave her 17 year old daughter the option of going to Schoolies (a trip somewhere local with other high school grads) or a trip to Hawaii with mum, a friend and the friend’s mum. Smart daughter chose Hawaii. They’re really packing a lot into their 10 day stay – visiting both the Big Island for hiking in Volcano National Park, as well as some relaxing and shopping time in Honolulu. And they are staying in some absolutely fabulous accommodation, including The Modern in Honolulu, so they’ll need to be looking super cool!

I can’t wait to read all about their trip, but first she needs to pack her bags!

What to pack for Hawaii

Weather forecast

The weather in Hawaii at the end of November when they’re going is around 27-30°c, with the chance of a bit of rain (but not too much and generally short-lived showers). Up on the summit of Kīlauea in Volcano National Park however, the weather varies daily and temperatures are more likely to be around 21°c.

The basics

Whether you’re going to the beach, shopping or hiking, these basics will have you ready for anything.

Country Road tee  –  Lee Cooper top  –  Lee Cooper shorts  –  Sportsgirl cargos

The dresses (and the colour!)

Pop a casual dress (Ruby Yaya or Namastai) over your bathers and slip on some espadrilles when you’re off to the pool or beach, wear a stretchy dress (Sportsgirl) with some sneakers on the plane, or dress up a little (Sussan or That Bird Label) with flat or heeled sandals for shopping or a meal out.

Ruby Yaya dress  –  Sportsgirl dress  –  Sussan linen maxi dress  –  Namastai dress  –  That Bird Label dress

The layers for warmth

Whether it’s for the plane or when there’s an evening chill, a few cosier layers always come in handy.

Country Road sweat  –  Seed leggings  –  French Connection long sl tee  –  French Connection cardi

The cool weather going out outfit

Dining out at altitude requires some extra items that can easily be mixed and matched. Wear the wrap top with cargos in cool weather, or the skirt with the khaki tee and flat sandals in warm weather.

Metalicus wrap top  –  Elise skirt  –  Ambra opaque tights  –  Wittner sandals

The accessories

1   Seed cap
2   Seed sunglasses
3   Kathmandu rain jacket (folds into a tiny package when not in use)
4   Isola by Megan Gale Gypset top
5   Isola by Megan Gale Gypset bottom
6   Sportsgirl sandals
7   Witchery cross-body bag
8   French Connection espadrilles
9   Country Road sneakers

The outfits

This wardrobe needs to suit relaxing and shopping in warm weather, hiking in cooler weather, and going out to some fancy restaurants in both warm and cool weather. A mixture of climates is the biggest packing challenge!

Here are some of the outfits needed on this mother-daughter trip …

For the inside info from families who have holidayed there recently, visit 8 sun-soaked reasons to head to Hawaii.

Want to save this to read later? Just hover to pin the image below –