What Should You Pack for a Big Island Trip?

The Big Island has more climate variety than anywhere else in Hawai‘i, which makes packing for it a tiny bit trickier than Maui or O‘ahu. You can go from 95 °F lava desert at the beach to 35 °F alpine cold at the Mauna Kea visitor station in the same afternoon.

Here’s the packing list we’d hand our own family before their trip.

Always pack

Reef-safe sunscreen (mineral-based, oxybenzone-free — it’s the law in Hawai‘i)
A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses
Refillable water bottle (at least 32 oz)
Light rain jacket or shell — useful on both coasts
One warm layer (fleece or hoodie) for Volcanoes NP and Mauna Kea
Good walking shoes — lava rock eats flip flops
Flip flops / slides for the pool and beach
Phone + offline maps downloaded — cell coverage drops in the park and at South Point

Beach & ocean

Rash guard (saves your shoulders on long snorkel days)
Snorkel + mask if you prefer your own — rental gear is fine but your own fits better
Quick-dry towel
Reef-safe sunscreen, again, because it’s that important
Dry bag for phones and keys on boats

For Mauna Kea (if you go above the visitor station)

The summit is 13,803 ft. Temperatures near sunset routinely hit the 30s and can drop to 20 °F in winter, with windchill. Pack or rent: warm jacket (puffy is ideal), warm hat, gloves, long pants, closed-toe warm shoes. Good tour operators will provide heavy parkas, but you still want the base layers.

For Volcanoes National Park

The park summit is at about 4,000 ft and frequently rains. Pack a rain shell, a fleece, closed-toe shoes, a headlamp if you’re staying for sunset/glow viewing, and a full water bottle.

For Hilo / rainforest days

Rain jacket or travel umbrella
Mosquito repellent (Hilo has a few)
Water shoes if you plan to get into any streams or natural pools

What you do NOT need

Formal clothing — nowhere on the Big Island requires a jacket-and-tie.
A heavy winter coat — unless you’re summiting Mauna Kea, a fleece is enough.
Beach umbrellas and pool floats — pack space is better spent elsewhere; rent locally.
Expensive jewelry — it will get left in the car or lost on a reef.

Explore the Big Island with Ohana Tours

Our tour vans keep a stash of sunscreen, water, ponchos and extra layers for guests — so if you forget something, we’ve probably got you. But if you’re packing for the whole week, the list above is the one our guides actually carry.

Packing for a tour day is easy — on our full-day Circle Island Tour we supply the water and snacks; you bring layers for the 4,000-foot volcano stop. Reserve your seats here.

Ready to plan your trip? Browse our Big Island experiences at ohanatours.com or reach out at aloha@ohanatours.com — we’ll build the itinerary around you.

Mahalo for reading — the Ohana Tours team