Aside from the usual stuff, we bring down an inflatable kayak by Innova. Gives us a chance to explore a little bit further than normal.

Here's our grand packing list:

Clothing:
2-3 swimsuits
2 pair shorts/skirt
3 shirts
2 pair flip-flops (in case 1 breaks)
1 pair tennis shoes
1 pair long pants for hike (cause I am like a buffet dinner for bugs)
1 nicer outfit for dinner (when I say 'nicer', I mean nicer than my beach clothes)
pajamas...although I usually end up sleeping in my swimsuit, haha

Toiletries:
sun block for my body
special sun block for my face
chap stick
lots of bug spray & cream
hydrocortisone cream (again...I get eaten alive and itch like crazy)
aloe
shampoo/conditioner
liquid soap & spongie thing (to get the sand off)
rubber bands/hair clips (I leave the hair dryer at home)
very small amount of make-up in case we decide to go out...usually just mascara & lip gloss

Beach Gear:
Collapsable ice chest
Beach Bag
beach chairs (currently trying to figure out how to pack a foldable chaise, lol)...your villa may be able to provide these for you
2-3 sets of fins
4-5 sets of masks/snorkels (cause it seems like they work differently for everyone)
(no worries on the towels...your hotel or villa will provide them)

Food:
First, we buy a lot of our food at costco and freeze the meat before we leave. We then pack the frozen meat into the collapsable cooler and put the cooler in a suitcase.
Huge pack of ground beef (for burgers)
Huge pack of chicken (for kabobs...and we use the leftover kabobs for omelettes in the morning)
Lunch Meat
Marinade ingredients for kabobs (soy sauce, sesame seed oil, olive oil, ginger, garlic, teriyaki sauce, onion powder, pepper, and we buy oranges or lemons to add on the island)
Yellow rice (I just use a box recipe)
Red Potatoes (for roasting, mashing, etc)
Cheddar Cheese (potatoes)
American Cheese (bugers)
Provalone Cheese (burgers & sandwiches)
ketchup
mustard
mayo
butter
spices (season salt, sea salt, pepper, onion powder, ginger, italian seasoning, basil, rosemary, etc)
we buy our bread, milk, ice, and other items which don't pack well on the island

I think that's about it. Hubby and I share one suitcase of clothes/toiletries. Then we get our food into a 2nd suitcase, snorkel/beach into a 3rd and if we need to bring our own beach chairs, that makes #4.

This is an excellent list for clothes and toiletries. Most villas have coolers, beach chairs, masks and fins. We only brought our masks and snorkels. I would skip the food, spices, etc. But that is a personal choice. Even if you are planning to cook most meals in, unless you have very specific tastes or food needs -- just get whats available on-island.

But some people enjoy planning for meals and bringing their own food. Too each his/her own.

It was too late to edit my posting.

There are three things we always do take on any vacation. I have a certain type of tea that I use in the mornings. We also take artificial sweetener. And I usually take some type of powdered drink mix to add to water. These three things add no weight and take up very little space in our luggage. We use so little of each on a one-week vacation that it is much more economical to just bring them from home.

And for years I've taken this type of tea with me on vacations. My special time is early mornings. While Ric is sleeping I brew a pot of tea and sit outside with my book or crossword puzzle, watch the sun rise, and remember all the other sunrises over the years.

Thanks, you gave some good suggestions. We do like to cook one meal each day at the cottage/villa, either breakfast or dinner usually. Lunch is always out at some fun place after a snorkeling trip.

We've always picked up our meat at the local markets. Last time was in Red Hook and their selection seemed pretty fresh. What is the selection like on STJ? Is there a place to pick up fresh fish in Coral Bay? We love to grill fish! We have to overnight in MIA and am a bit nervous about bringing frozen food.

Patrick,
More info on the kayak..how big? inflated & not..cost..how sturdy & were do you use it in STJ? Sounds like a great idea.

Crystal..great list. Got to print that ..once again this board is Wonderful!!

hmmmm...after revisiting my list I noticed that apparently I don't brush my teeth or wear deodorant, haha. Of course, I have a few extra personal items I forgot to add, lol.

I don't recall having a problem finding anything on St John. If I can't find something, I just modify my menu. The main reason I bring my meat is because I love the quality of costco's chicken and their ground beef pack is huge. I rarely eat burgers at home, but love to eat them at least 3 times a week on the island. Crazy, I know.

I'm from California, so the veggies are never really to my standards on the island...that's probably my only complaint...that it's difficult to sort through and find quality vegetables. That's usually where I'm forced to modify my menu. I just pick and choose whatever looks good.

Agreed...nothing like a fresh grilled burger and a cold beer after a day at the beach! 🙂 It's a great list and I'm printing it down.

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Just a great tip for those with coolers at the beach, or while boating. Keeping your Aloe Gel on ice for sunburns, works so-ooo much better!!

Patrick,
How heavy is your inflatible kayak, and is it for just one person or, two??

Great tip on the Aloe!

DreamConch--go to the Innova website. The Vagabond looks like it might be good for two. It weighs 38 lbs, so the 50 lb limit is met for check in at the airport. We live on a lake in CO and see these quite often. They look easy and fun! I think my hubby just added it to his Christmas wish list! 🙂

P.S. They start at around $1,000. So if you can't use it more than once a year...that's hard to justify in my mind.

Fret not Crystal, this Caifornia guy is getting ready to put a couple of New York cut, California Costco store bought steaks on the barbie in about two hours. And they were in the cooler. But first for some music at the Beach Bar.

Promo,
You...bring meat from Costco...to STJ??? Really? J.K., right? After looking at your posts, I imagine you as flying in on your private jet to your private yacht on Coral Bay! 🙂 Help me out here! And Ronnie has told me your age, by the way!

While costco's meat is definitely priced well, the quality really supercedes that of most markets. I don't know how they do it, but their meat, fish, chicken...it's all top quality. Love it!

I guess we'll be joining Costco soon as Whole Foods is killing us $$ wise!

Crystal,
Since we're not familiar with Costco...and one just opened up down I-25 20 mins. away...what are the costs to join. We have friends that have been putting on fabulus parties and telling us that they bought it all as Costco.. We need to get in on this great secret! Please help!

As to the questions on the kayak, we have both the Helios 2 and the Sunny. Both can hold two people or a load of just about 400 lbs. They come with their own backpack type duffel bag about the size slightly larger than that of a carry-on suitcase. They inflate in less than ten minutes and are made of a tough material similar to that found on zodiacs and weigh in the ballpark of 40 lbs. So no problems checking them in on the plane.

You can check them out at innovakayak dot com to get an idea. We paid less than $400 per boat off of fleabay. The Helios is a few years old now with the Sunny being the newer of the two. I prefer the Sunny over the Helios as I find it more stable and prefer taking that down with us. Aside from using it in the islands, we take it out on the local lakes and rivers so they are used more than just once a year. The kids love it!

Also recently picked up the Junior for the kids at less than $100 and will see how that goes. Still need to get a break down paddle for that though.

The best part about having the kayak with us is that we can deploy it at whatever beach we happen to be at for the day and extend our explorations and snorkeling range. All within a safe distance of course.

Thanks Patrick, I would love my boys to each have one, but, we'll see by Christmas.

Eagle,
Costco's membership is around, $40.00- $45.00 a yr. the last time I checked. They have loads of stuff besides food items, and in my most humble opinion, would be worth checking out.

DreamConch,
We just opened one not too far away. Will check it out for sure. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll support anything other than WalMart!!! 🙂