We just returned from STJ and saw several people with something new we wished we had brought - backpack coolers! They could be worn like a backpack but had strong sturdy handles if you preferred to carry them. Looked like most would handle at least a six-pack of cans and a few were clearly larger than that. Thought that would have been especially handy for the longer beach treks like Waterlemon, Drunk Bay and Salt Pond. Frees up the hands for the snorkel gear and beach chairs!

While not necessarily cheap - the coolest and best beach chair in my experience is the WearEver Aluminum Hi Back Beach Chair. Just 'google' it. Its lightweight. It has a cup holder. It has a pouch in the back that can hold a small cooler (though you'd have to be sitting in it to avoid the chair falling over) or your beach stuff. Its folds up into a backpack. Walmart had them here in FL for $20 and they flew off the shelves.

Don't get the wheeled version if you intend to take it to the beach. It won't roll so you will be carrying or dragging it through the sand. I also have a big issue with the 'cheap' styrofoam coolers. The are intended to be disposable and their low price means people have no financial attachment to what happens with it.

Get something you can use when you return home so you are sure not to leave it on the island (land fill or worse, pieces floating/blowing around the island).

Leave nothing but footprints. 🙂

I am loving the backpack cooler! Found a website to get an idea. Check them out! www.keepyourcooler.com

Where are you staying?? My villa has beach chairs and a cooler for guests to use....I imagine others do, too.

The soft sided coolers are my favorite and the backpack is a great idea. i always seem to be running out of hands. Rather than buy beach chairs (STT WalMart or Kmart, can never remember which it is) buying a What-a chair. I have two. these sturdy beach chairs come in several styles, but all colapse and go into their own ballistic nylon carry bags with shoulder strap. I just check them and pick them up when I arrive. If you're renting a villa or condo, most have beachchairs. If the what-a-chair is too much, just buy on St Thomas and donate them to locals or the next visitots.

I, too, suffer from OCVPD - lol - and am happy to find a fellow compulsive. We bring a super-insulated large tote type cooler from Sam's Club but now I am going to investigate these back-pack coolers others suggested. We also bring down a couple of those "bagged" chairs for the beach. We have found coolers in the villas but they have all been hard-sided and although advertised to be there, sometimes the beach chairs have disappeared. The ones we have found have been heavy and hard to tote. We use a super-long rolling duffle to pack all of this stuff with our snorkle gear. If you want to get anything along these lines after you land in STT, and if you are driving out to the Red Hook car ferry, stop at the Cost U Less and/or at the K-Mart at Tutu Park Mall to shop. One thing we found here last year were the noodle chairs for pool and beach. We used to bring inflatables but they were heavy to pack and we always ended up leaving them at the end of vacation because they were so hard to deflate completely. With the noodle chairs we just stop at the K-Mart and pick up a couple of the noodles - about $1.75 each and then we have pool and beach chair floats. We either leave the noodles at the villa or give them away to kids on our last day at the beach. The "chair" itself is mesh and folds up no larger than a scarf to pack.

IMHO...if you're renting a villa i would not bring/buy chairs or a large cooler. villas have, or should have these items for renters use. that said, check w/ the company you're renting from regarding such. the chairs i've always had were not heavy. i do bring a folding insulated cooler... has plenty of room for what we need on our beach/island explorations !! for me, the less i bring to st. john the better/ we ALWAYS do carry on..like to have a bit of control with my baggage..don't want my "stuff" hanging in airline limbo and throw a wrench in my 1st few days. just my opinion ! have a great trip !!

We too are returning to StJ for our third visit and plan to carry on. Somehow last visit my suitcase was opened before we arrived. This was summer of '01. Nothing was missing but I plan to pack less and watch more. Our place is suppose to have a cooler and beach chairs.