With any luck, I'll finally be able to get back to the DR in a month or so. Here's are some items I've added to my standard "What to Bring" list over the years.
Small Collapsible Ice Cooler. Something that can hold 8-12 cans of beer, which would hold about 4 bottles of President along with some ice. Handy for the beach and for toting frozen items from the grocery store. Some have removable plastic liners which keep items from being crushed. I've brought one twice now and I prefer it over a day pack. $15-$20 at Target and many other stores.
Portable Safe. I have one from Tractor Supply, $20 and weighs about a pound. I don't have much faith in hotel safes. Comes with a security cable to secure it to a bed or other large object. Made for handguns~they are secure. Unlock it during travel.
Disposable Credit/Debit Card. You can get these at any drug store chain though I'm not sure if you can reload them online anymore. I avoid keeping my credit cards on me unless I'm going to a fancy restaurant. Have your info online so if it does get lost or stolen, you can use the balance to close out the account shopping at Amazon or whatever. Scratch off the CCV code on the back after recording it and black it out with a Sharpie to prevent anyone else from using it online if it's stolen.
Spices. Make great gifts when you leave the island and essential if you're staying more than a week or so. I'll be bringing Old Bay, Chili Powder, GOOD Black Pepper, and Montreal Steak Seasoning. I can get disposable pepper shakers for under a buck and the pepper is fresh.
Can Opener. I bring a $10 Swing Away. They don't last in the salt air, but it beats using a knife to pop open cans. Don't expect to find one in a hotel kitchenette, (or a sharp knife.)
Reusable Grocery Tote Bags or IKEA tote bags. The cheap plastic bags cut into your fingers when you have to walk from the supermarket or ride on the back of a motoconcho. They also fail, which is no fun... I can carry four gallon jugs in my jumbo tote bag, which is more than I like to carry.
Snacks and travel food. Small tetra packs of juice, and other lunch box items. Avoid items that crush easily unless you can protect them. Essential in case your flight gets delayed or rerouted.
Burner cell phone. Bringing a fancy cell phone is asking to be pick-pocketed. I'll bring the cheapest thing that has a camera in it. If you must bring an iPhone, leave it in the hotel when you hit the bars/clubs at night. They aren't hard to get used in the DR(what with so many being stolen...) Upload your photos before you come and every couple days when you're on the island in case it disappears. Put a photo of your name and hotel info on the unlocked screen in case someone actually wants to return it you. This may also be handy if you're in some kind of accident. Make sure all your contact info is copied somewhere online.
"Handy Packs" of Kleenex Easier than toting an extra roll of Toilet paper around. Tiny bottles of hand sanitizers are nice too if there is no soap or water in a bathroom.
Tiny Personal Alarm I just picked one up at Home Depot for $2. It has a leash on it and a key chain. I might attach my wallet to it then have the leash on a belt loop. I haven't really figured out what it will be good for, but I think it might be handy. It could prevent me from losing my keys if nothing else. Maybe hot glue it to the burner phone?
So, got back a couple weeks ago. Never brought the personal alarm or missed it. The $20 personal safe was esp handy since it is a perfect fit for my tablet and kept it from harm when it was in the carry on. I need to put a bumper on the back side of the lock so it doesn't scratch the device anymore..
In rethinking the list again, one item I def forgot was
a set of tableware. This is esp important if you're in hotels and want to eat take out with something other than pathetic plastic spoons. Eating out of styrofoam is bad enough.
Another item that would have been nice was a
small plastic tub for washing socks and underwear in the hotel. I brought plenty of both, but it was so hot, I was changing out socks twice a day, sometimes more. A dollar store plastic shoe box would have been fine.
Key leash~ I brought this at the last minute and it was great to have tied to a belt loop. Had a clip which was handy for keeping the baggage claim tickets for the bus.
The shopping tote was a big hit with the GF as well as the collapsable cooler.. Those ended up being left behind and I'll bring more.
Charger packs. These are about $30 on Amazon. One thing I found in the hotels was a real shortage of outlets. I had to unplug the TV in one to charge the tablet. With the charger packs, you can have one charging while you are out of the hotel and then charge the tablet without being connected to a wall. I brought two and one burned out, but better the charger than the tablet. A surge protector might be nice too. Bring extra USB cords and adaptors.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DWPMU12?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00
Mini USB fan. A 4" fan is about $8 on Amazon. You can plug it into the wall with an adaptor or use the power pack. Those ceiling fans are usually too much and you have to get out of bed to turn them off. The fan is also nice for helping a small batch of laundry dry.
I want to say a tap light, but the problem with them is they eat batteries. On the other hand, I hate having the room be either pitch black or lit with a bare fluorescent bulb. Some
plug in night lights next time...
Zip lock bags. For organizing.
A memory foam pillow.. This is a hard call because it's so bulky, but it's a crap shoot with what hotels will give you.
Dollar Store Sewing Kit Used this once again. Something about hauling a backpack around makes buttons pop off..
Dog Tags Thinking about getting some at WalMart for about $10. Name, Passport Number, Emergency Phone, Insurance Info. Lots of folks get hurt just crossing the street. For ppl with complicated medical histories, you can also get USB memory sticks necklaces that have all your info in them and the Caduceus symbol on it to let ppl know what it is.
Cash from home and pesos. I got burned on the exchange booth at JFK. I could have waited until I got to the DR, but it's one more stop before you get out of the airport. ATMs cost, so you can save a couple bucks..
One final note on
snacks. Have a stash for you trip home. I must have spent $30 on $7 worth of food during my layovers on the way home.
and, at worst, you can buy a fork in any supermarket here.
