Hawaii-Bound: Shipping Strategies and Essentials for Moving to Hawaii

One of the comments or questions I often get from my clients is what do I ship and bring to Hawaii when I move. The cost of shipping to and from Hawaii remains high for all the obvious reasons. Even with shippers like Amazon now on the island, most companies have extra charges for Hawaii, and some companies flat-out will not ship to the islands.

Shipping Methods and Considerations

Most goods and services that must be delivered faster come via plane and air. Large items such as cars or non-essentials are often shipped by boat, which can take weeks or, in some cases, months. Cars often ship out of California into Oahu with companies like Matson or Pasha. As a side note, most car shippers require the cars to be completely empty with almost no fuel. This means you can not pack a car up with clothes and household goods and expect that to be shipped to the island.

Freight and Moving Companies

There are freight companies, moving companies, and companies such as PODS that will ship canisters to the island. PODS is popular since they will drop off a pod at your location, have you pack it up, and then they will come and seal it and ship it to the new destination. All of the above options come with some pretty hefty prices. Larger canisters can run tens of thousands to ship to the island. If you are not in a port or shipping town, then you will likely have the additional cost of having the items moved via truck to the port of call.

Military Moves

If you are a military member and this is part of a PCS move, then the military most often covers this, which is a huge bonus. Additionally, the hired company will come and pack you out so that the military member has limited time to do with packing. For most civilians, the logistics are on them to figure out, pack up, and pay.

Availability of Goods on the Island

The upside is that an island such as Oahu has almost everything you could want or need. This is from companies like Costco, Target, home improvement stores, and a good amount of home furnishing stores on the island. As of today, there is very little we can not get or source locally.

What to Bring and Ship?

So, coming back full circle, what should you ship or bring, and that answer is very little. Unless you have some items you can’t live without you can get new things such as furniture here on island. Of course, this is not taking into account family heirlooms or items that cannot be replaced.

Clothing and Dress Code

On Oahu, you certainly do not need much in the way of warm-weather gear. Certain islands can get cold at elevation, but Oahu stays fairly warm year-round. With the exception of a light jacket and a possible raincoat, you are good in shorts and slippers. The other upside is that a Hawaiian shirt works for most dressier events. For the most part, board shorts and a t-shirt work for almost all occasions.

What Do You Need to Bring to Hawaii?

So again, what do you need to bring and ship? Not much. Enjoy the island life and get new island-style clothes and furnishings to fit your new life. Want to know more? Feel free to reach out via text, phone, or email anytime.