Doing Maui with only carryon luggage

I hate the idea of checking baggage, and have taken extended vacations in the past without having to do so. However, now with the new TSA rules, I%26#39;m not sure how to accomplish this. Aside from doing laundry (staying in a condo for 10 days), does anyone have any other tips? Has anyone done this? How easy (and expensive) is it to buy full size toiletry products once we get there? Do you just pitch them prior to leaving? There are 3 of us traveling, so that gives us each our own 1 quart ziploc baggie (big deal!)

Doing Maui with only carryon luggage

We always go with just carry on, but haven%26#39;t bought products when we get there so I can%26#39;t help with that. We just ship our luggage ahead and bypass all the check-in at the airport. Of course, this is probably more expensive than some people care to pay...but it is an option.

Doing Maui with only carryon luggage

I tend to find that for Hawaii, packing carryon is pretty easy b/c shorts, tshirts and swimsuits don%26#39;t take up much room.

If you can use any old shampoo/soap/etc, you can buy toiletries pretty inexpensively at Wal Mart or K Mart. My 1-qt baggie, for 10 days, would contain a couple of small bottles of contact lens solution, a tube of toothpaste (you may be able to find a small tube that is under 3 oz but bigger than travel size -- I usually get them in Europe but surely we have an equivalent size here) ... and my moisturizer. I would pick up a bottle of shampoo in Maui.

For your suitcase, space bags work well for packing underwear, towels (if you need ... a beach towel is another thing I%26#39;d buy in Hawaii), and other things you don%26#39;t mind getting wrinkled. (these are the bags where you roll the air out.)

I always carry my jacket or sweatshirt on ... even in the summer ... so I don%26#39;t have to pack that.

Take a single pair of shoes for walking/hiking and flip flops for the rest...

If you are taking an interisland flight, check the weight limits. Aloha and Hawaiian have lower weight limits. I travelled carryon to Honolulu last year but discovered when I was flying to Maui that my suitcase had to be under 30 lbs -- or maybe even 20 ... anyway ... it was bigger, so it had to be checked from HNL to Maui.

Since you are staying in a condo already, you will be buying some food, laundry soap etc.... just pick up the shampoo, etc when you are there, take little travel sized ones with you for the first day or so. Should be no problem. Maui is a state just like the other 49- same brands, same stores... just a bit more expensive, but shampoo etc should not break the bank.

You can either leave the left-over toiletries there, or do what I do and fly TO maui with my carry-on with me, and check it for the trip home. Then you can take the shampoo etc with you if you are inclined. I always bring home some coconut pancake syrup, (well wrapped so no leaks, or in a large zip lock) hand lotions etc, so I just check it all thru for the ride home.

Since we rent a house, not a condo, we frequently find that the last tenants have left shampoo etc. Not sure in a condo if they would leave it there for the next guests, or pitch it?

I%26#39;d check everthing if I were not afraid of losing meds, laptop, a bit of jewelry. We%26#39;ve never waited more than 20 minutes for luggage at OGG.

If you do just carry-on, you%26#39;ll be surprised how much stuff fits into that quart baggie. I could easily fit all my liquids into one for a 10 day stay. You can probably fit eight 3-oz travel bottles in each quart bag.

I have never checked bags. A good rule of thumb for me is to figure out how many days I%26#39;ll be gone, then pack half that number of outfits. This works especially well when you%26#39;re going to a ';sand and sun'; destination like Maui. As a general rule I never pack an outfit if it needs a pair of shoes that I can%26#39;t wear with anything else in my suitcase (shoes usually take up the most space) and I always pack clothes that are interchangeable (i.e. wearing a tshirt with shorts one day, then the same tshirt layered with a skirt the next). Layering and bringing complementary pieces can make it look like you packed more than you did.

Can%26#39;t go anywhere without my faithful Swiss Army knife, so check through a bag. Can, therefore, check through a bigger toothpaste and other toiletries that Mrs.S. wants with no problems.

Shantybob, my hubby always has to have his swiss army knife, or his leatherman tool. Problem is that he always forgets and leaves it in his carry-on. So, my standard birthday gift to him every year is a new one to replace the one that got confiscated the year before.