So you booked your Kauai Hawaii Camper Van Adventure! You are going to have an absolute blast and see some of the most beautiful views in the US! Kauai has so many different landscapes which provide a ton of different activities! This means you will need to pack for all those adventures and the fact that you will sleeping a camper van. No worries I got you covered, Faris and I completed our own 10 Day Kauai Hawaii Itinerary in November 2019. This Kauai Hawaii Camper Van Packing List will provide everything you need for your own trip.
Kauai Hawaii Camper Van Packing List Agenda
- Bag Size
- For the Flight
- For the Camper Van
- Awesome Playlist
- Electronics
- Camera / Charger
- Canon 15-35 RF Lens
- Camera Tripod
- Camera Bag
- Phone Charger
- Cigarette lighter to USB adapter (just in case your camper van is older and does not have USB ports)
- Clothing
- For Her
- For Him
- Shoes
- Toiletries
There are essential items both Faris and I take with us no matter where we are headed to. These items make traveling way more comfortable and helps you prepare for all kinds of unknown situations. Sign up to get your free Travel Starter Kit, which includes our Essential Packing List for any Vaca!
Bag Size
- Lisa’s Luggage
- Faris’ Luggage
Kauai Hawaii always has warmer weather, so you won’t have to worry about any winter wardrobe. Although they do have rain so a light rain jacket is the heaviest item you will need to bring on your own Kauai Hawaii Camper Van Packing List.
I fit all my luggage into a roller Samsonite Carry On bag and a 36L Sirrus Osprey backpack.
Faris fit all of his items into a 50L Stratos Osprey backpack. Shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops don’t take up too much room!
Travel Tip – wear all your heaviest items on the plane so they won’t take up any room in your bag. I wore my hiking boots, joggers, t-shirt, sporty zip up, rain jacket, and hat on the plane!
For the Flight
Hawaii is a 13 hour flight for us not including the layovers. It can be a long flight depending on where you live! There are a couple items we always bring with us on the plane for comfort!
We always bring a nice neck pillow (not the cheap kind) and eye mask which will also come in handy for your road trip around Kauai. Do not forget a pair of headphones, that’s the absolute worst, they will also come in handy for nights in the camper van.
Like I mentioned in the previous section, we always wear our heaviest items on the plane so they don’t take up all the room in our carry-ons. When you do this you need to make sure you are wearing layers. Sometimes planes are hot and sometimes they are cold, wear layers so you can be prepared for everything.
Sign up for our Travel Starter Kit to get our “Essential Travel Packing List for Any Trip” to see all the necessities we bring along with us!
For the Camper Van
Faris and I traveled to Kauai in November 2019 and stayed 7 out of the 9 nights in a camper van. Check out our 10 Day Kauai Hawaii Itinerary: For the View Seeker and How to Travel Kauai Hawaii in a Camper Van blogs for all the details. I’ve linked the highest rated hotels if the camper van life is not for you.
The camper van life can be described as simple, yet it takes some planning to ensure you’re comfortable. If you do decide to rent a camper van you will find that some companies include a cooler, portable burner, pots pans, utensils, paper towel, plates, beach chairs/towels, pillows, blankets, camping gear. Go with these companies!!! The last thing you want to do is worry about all these items.
If you are traveling in a camper van it is more than likely your goal is to save some cash. Everything in Hawaii is expensive including restaurants, bars, and entertainment. That just means you grocery shop, buy a 6 pack and provide your own entertainment. Check out our Kauai Hawaii Cheap Budget Travel Blog to see how we only spent $1400 on our trip including flights!
We totally recommend bringing a good Book / Audible / Kindle / deck of cards, Nintendo Switch, and some downloaded movies. The sun set at 6:30 when we were in Hawaii and we quickly realized we had to depend on ourselves for entertainment.
Most of the campsites have bonfire pits, buy a 6 pack and you are all set! By the last couple nights we watched a movie on my laptop.
Overall, the camper life is pretty simple, the rental company really provided all the necessities we needed. Plan to buy some groceries and drinks along with some entertainment!
Electronics
If you are traveling to Kauai Hawaii you must bring some sort of camera to capture those views! I’ve listed our favorite camera and accessories below. Don’t forget any chargers or batteries!
- Camera / Charger
- Canon 15-35 RF Lens
- Camera Tripod
- Camera Bag
- Phone Charger
- Cigarette lighter to USB adapter (just in case your camper van is older and does not have USB ports)
Clothing and Footwear
Like I said previously, Hawaii is warm all year round so packing should be relatively light. Also Kauai is a very casual island so I would leave any dress clothes at home
For Her
My daily wear included a bathing suit, shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops, and a hat. unless we were hiking I had more athletic gear on and boots. I always carried a rain jacket in my backpack.
Clothing
- 3 Bathing Suites – I love sporty bathing suites so you can surf and hike in them!
- 1 Beach Coverup – The crotchet look over a bathing suite is so cute!
- 2 Pair of Jean Shorts – Love the Levi’s high waisted.
- 1 Pair of Linen Beach Shorts – Obsessed with these, super cute yet functional .
- 1 Athlesure Wear Skirt – Lulu’s is perfect to dress up or down, I have this in black and I bring it everywhere!
- 4 T-Shirts – Amazon Essentials has you covered for any color
- 2 Tank Tops – I always bring a white tank top
- 1 Light Athletic Zip-Up – for the evenings and plane
- 1 Pair of Joggers – for the plane! I’m obsessed with the GAP joggers, I have them in navy and black.
- 3 Pair of Athletic Shorts – Lulu’s have the best quality, I wear these for all athletic activities!
- 4 Athletic Tops – Merino wool shirts are great because they leave you dry and do not smell after a long hike, which means you can re-wear!
- 1 Light Rain Jacket – Love this North face because I bring it on trips and wear it to work in the spring time
- 10 Pair of Underwear – Seamless, perfect for athletic activities
- 1 T-Shirt Bra – Calvin Klein’s are super comfy
- 5 Sports Bras – I wore these almost every day of the trip
- 3 Pair of Wool Socks – for hiking, merino wool is the best
- 2 Pair of Ankle Socks – for walking around
- 1 Athletic Hat – to cover your face from the sun!
Footwear
- 1 Pair of Sandals – love Tevas cute and functional
- Optional 1 Pair of Sneakers – for the plane. Honestly, I wore my sandals for the most part. You could leave these at home.
- 1 Pair of Hiking Boots – Salomons are the best quality and provide stability especially climbing through all the mud in Hawaii. Totally recommend I’ve had my fair share of boots and these are my absolute favorite
For Him
Faris mostly stuck to athletic wear and a bathing suit! His pack was super light.
Clothing
- 3 Bathing Suites – Amazon essentials are perfect!
- 4 Pair of Shorts – Faris loves the lulu shorts because they look good but also function well for hikes
- 1 Pair of Joggers – for the plane, Faris is obsessed with the ABC joggers at Lulus
- 4 Cotton T-shirts – Faris sticks to a simple black tee on a normal day
- 3 Merino Wool T-shirts – Faris is the biggest Merino wool advocate because you can wear them for multiple workouts and they don’t smell
- 10 Pair of Underwear – Tommy John’s for the most comfort
- 7 Pair of Ankle Socks
- 3 Pair of Merino Wool Socks – for hiking
- 1 Athletic Hat – to cover your face from the sun!
Footwear
- 1 Pair of Flip Flops – Teva’s are great for outdoor activities
- Optional 1 Pair of Sneakers – love the Adidas. Optional if you plan to wear sandals on a normal day.
- 1 Pair of Hiking Boots – The Salomon boots are the best for hiking in mud and rain!
Toiletries
There are a number of toiletries you will need to bring especially to combat the hot humid weather! Don’t make the same mistake as me and not bring enough bug spray – mosquitoes love me, you can tell from my legs in the below picture.
Make sure to pack all liquids in travel size. I’ve listed them all below:
- Reef Safe Sunscreen / Reef Safe Aloe
- Bug Spray
- Shampoo & Conditioner / Face Wash / Body Wash / Razor
- Makeup Wipes
- Deodorant
- Tooth Brush and Tooth Paste
- Water Bottle
- Ibuprofen
Kauai Hawaii Camper Van Conclusion
Kauai Hawaii is an incredible island to explore via camper van! You just can’t beat the rigid cliffs overlooking the blue water. Not to mention the sunny mid 80’s weather and beautiful beaches. Kauai is very casual place so you don’t need to bring much, but there are a couple things to pack in order to enjoy your vaca! I hope you enjoyed the Kauai Hawaii Camper Van Packing List! Make sure to check out our other Kauai Hawaii blogs:
