Packing list - A year in Barbados

The final countdown has started, bags are being packed, weighed and repacked. Then weighed again, repacked and so on. With baggage weight limits in mind, difficult decisions are being made about what things to take and what things to leave behind. But we are packing!... which means the new life starts soon!

Here is our packing list-

Clothes

Since it is so hot most of the time in Barbados we have packed the minimum. I plan to be living in shorts and t-shirts most of the time and my packing has reflected this. I have packed two pairs of lightweight trousers for evenings more for the protection from mosquitos than because I will be cold. I do also have a few light cover-ups for my arms for the same reason. I even decided some of the t-shirts I use in the UK were probably too thick for Caribbean life, so they were given to charity, and only the really thin ones are coming with me. I had to make sure I had some to cover my shoulders as this is required for some of the sites I teach on. I think the biggest part of my clothes now are swimsuits and rash vests with built-in factor 50 protection. When we visited in summer we found these invaluable. We saw lots of people burnt and as red as a post box, but we wore the rash vests and didn't have any problems. These are definitely something I would suggest everyone gets before travelling.

3 x shorts

4 x rash vest

6 x work T-shirts

5 x casual wear T-shirts

3 x dress

1 x skirt

3 x sandals/flipflops/beach shoes

1 x dress shoes

many swimsuits

underwear, sleepwear etc

Electronics

Since we have a remote work visa I need to be able to take everything I need for the year. Most of my work is done via my laptop, but I want to be able to share my experiences, so I have made sure I have my cameras with me (look out for videos of days out and other need-to-know info in the near future). We also have contingency plans and good insurance just in case something happens, as I know getting replacements could be a problem once we arrive.

Kitchen

The accommodation we have rented does say furnished, but since we are not entirely sure to what level we are taking some supplies with us. It is mostly space-saving and camping gear that OH already had, but if we are missing some items we think we will be able to find them in local shops. We just want to be able to get settled and be able to cook and eat without worrying.

Sports equipment

Since we are on an island and I love swimming and animals I hope to be able to go swimming and snorkelling quite frequently. Swimming with sea turtles on our first visit was one of the highlights of my year. (Read about that day here) I have invested in a prescription facemask so I can see everything clearly and will take my flippers with me as I don't know how available they would be once we are on the island.

We are taking some tools just in case and we have mosquito netting that we are taking with us, plus some fittings so we can use them without drilling or damaging the walls of the accommodation. There were some other items in the if we have more space/weight allowance but I don't think we really need them. We have gone from two houses to a few suitcases, so I think we have done well. I might just need to sit on the case to get it to close though!