What do you routinely pack

I never put anything valuable in suitcases, the TSA has sticky fingers.

carry on any valuable items. pack enough clothes for yourself until your stuff gets here. anything you need can either be bought here or ordered on line-no big deal.

do not quake in your boots.

OK, so jewelry and such go in my carry on.

Sunscreen and deet sprays go in my checked luggage.

My mattress and chair, books, and kitchen utensils go in the mover's crate.

I asked because one of my new colleagues said she always brings Special K cereal and other staples from the mainland when she travels 3 or 4 times a year.

When I go to some places people love to receive from visitors things like aspirin or Ibuprofren, feminine products of a certain brand, Jack Daniels, etc. because they don't exist or they are expensive.

Money is, gulp, tight-- I'm overdrawn at the moment, I'm getting only $2,500 for relocation expenses coming from Pacific Northwest, so if I can save a dime by taking stuff like Special K cereal or super energy efficient light bulbs or what have you, I'd like to give it a try.

I try to pack light, hardly anything in my check-in luggage ... then at the last minute I freak out and throw in all my clothes and shoes that'll fit, cause I never know what I'll feel like wearing and who knows what the weather will be like. 🙂

Never check prescription drugs that you need in case the suitcase gets lost. Take with you on the plane anything you might need in the first few days you are in the islands. Don't check food items that can spoil after being lost more than 24 hours.

Of course, don't check anything in luggage that is valuable or can't be replaced!!

You'll be pleasantly surprised when you get here and find that crime is not really as big an issue as some of those here on the board make it out to be.

as stated above, you can get all those things here. we have grocery stores , kmart, payless and other stores.
you can not find a good selection of craft supplies, but they can be easily ordered on line.

when i first moved here, someone asked me to bring back the three chex cereals for chex mix, not only did he never thank me, he also never paid me. later found out they could be bought on island.

i used to not be able to find tiger sauce, but can now.

the only thing i never could find was spring onion ranch salad dressing

After a lengthy job search across the US and beyond, I've been offered a position on St. Croix!

I'm very pleased, excited, and a bit befuddled.
A first question I have is what people bring in luggage from the mainland? I'll have a couple of suitcases & wonder what you'd suggest throwing in there. I will also have a small crate shipped from my current life on the west coast. Is there anything I should add to the crate that an islander would think of but a newbie wouldn't?

(And gee, thanks for the crime thread-I'm now quaking in my boots)

Bring Tapatio! They sell so many hot sauces here on STX, but I cannot find Tapatio anywhere.

okey dokey, tapatio sauce.

And the reply:

"we have ..., kmart, payless"

suggests I need to pack my smelling salts. Oh Dear.
(just kidding-errrr, maybe)

lol, you can shop on line. kind of fun trying to figure out if what you order will fit. as a matter of fact i need to exchange my converse for a half size larger even though their website tells me to order a half size smaller

Guess it depends where you live now and will be traveling from, how expensive things are there and what type of job you will have when you arrive.

Basically only lawyers/bankers wear suits. You may need a sweater from time to time in winter and a nice suit or jacket/slacks or dresses if female for dress up events/work but people dress pretty casually in the islands. You don't see many women running around in very high heels, either. Rain gear is good to have as is sunscreen and mosquito repellent, good sunglasses, sunhat.

If you are planning on renting a furnished apt. you may still need to stock/buy basic items:
bedding, towels, kitchen utensils, pots, pans,glassware, silverware, toaster, microwave, TV, basic spices, cleaning supplies etc. and all these things are available on island, at a price. And.........it all adds up so bring $$$$$$$$!

If you have any particular brand or item you simply can't live without, bring it until you discover whether available locally.

You will get over your KMart disgust realllly fast. It really is your only option unless you want to wait for your mail.

Drugstore.com has your Special K and always has a 10% off coupon somewhere. Cashback on website and cashback through my miles program too. 🙂

Another good thing to bring would be some nice battery operated flourescent lamps and a battery operated fan. Tis hurricane season after all and if the place you rent has no generator (or even if it does), you;ll be glad to have these items as WAPA doesn't need a reason to turn the lights out so any little bit of rain and wind will do it, amongst other situations.