MeaganSo I heard you’re headed to carnival, huh?
Well lucky you! You are about to have the time of your life :). Carnival is an exciting time of the year. So exciting you may forget some necessities back at home. You may also run into a few clothing mishaps or last minute issues while trying out your mas costume, which isn’t fun.
Well, after coming back from Carnival and dealing with a few mishaps myself, these are the things that I would DEFINITELY recommend that you bring (especially if you’re playing mas). I found that not only did I use every single item on this list, but the people in my crew also kept asking for permission to use these same items (especially the body tape!).
Now, I have to say this – the shoe does not always fit for everyone. Some things you DEFINITELY may not need at all (yay save money!). I’m just speaking for myself and my experience and observations. But I hope this article helps you out!
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Carnival Packing List – Things You May Forget to Bring
- Things To Help Organize Your Stuff
Keeping all of your stuff is key, especially since you will be receiving a LOT of extra items while out. Here are a few ideas:- Folders to hold your printed out receipts or important documents
- Smaller bags (such as these small travel makeup bags) to hold your makeup and toiletries
- Extra plastic bags to hold your shoes if they get dirty (so that they won’t ruin your other clothing)
- Packing Cubes to help organize your belongings
- Things To Help Keep You Walking
If you planning on playing mas/watching the parade/walking around a lot/attending a fete/going out period, then I HIGHLY recommend that you do your feet a favor and get some gel insoles or a foot numbing spray. I gotta admit – I mainly relied on both (I work a 9 to 5 desk job, plus I don’t exercise – what can I say *shrugs*) . The two items I used were these gel insoles by Timberland and the Still Standing Spray . Both products have pretty good reviews online, and most important of all – they actually worked!!! - Receipts for your costume/fetes/hotel
You should definitely try to print out the receipts for everyyy purchase you’ve made towards carnival. Maybe even print out a copy of your passport just in case. Why? You’ll never know what may happen. You might lose something or you might be in an area with no signal nor wi-fi. For instance, when I went to Cropover, nobody knew that we needed to bring a printed receipt for our costumes. As a result, we all spent an extra 10-30 minutes per person getting our receipts printed out at the costume pick-up area. - Body Tape
Now if you know me, you know that body tape (tape that is sticky on both sides) is a must-bring for almost every event. It has been a life saver in so many ways for me, especially during Crop Over this past year. You can use body tape to help keep your clothing in place or to fix things that may have broken. For an example, let’s say your carnival costume doesn’t fit right. You can use body tape to help tape it in place. I actually forgot to pack my body tape before leaving for Carnival and had to go to a mall to search for it. The one I picked up, and have always relied on, is the Braza Doubled Sided Flash Tape. - Water Bottles
Bringing water bottles from home is very useful. You would never know when you’ll feel dehydrated and water is not readily available to you at the moment. And of course, for carnival it is very important to stay hydrated, especially since you’ll be out in the heat. - Sunscreen
More than likely, you will be out in the sun for a long period of time. No matter what anyone tells you, sunscreen is very important for your skin. - Bug Spray
Well, for obvious reasons – to keep those biting insects away! - J’ ouvert Clothes
Don’t forget your clothes for j’ouvert! You will need a separate pair of shoes (a pair that you don’t mind get messy), shorts, and a top (unless they give you one) for this type of event. Aim for clothes that you either don’t care about, or can easily remove paint from. I also found wearing boots really helpful when you accidentally step in mud. Plus they seemed more fashionable. If you do want to buy J’ouvert clothes for an inexpensive price, then I recommend the site Shein. They have very fashionable clothing – such as shoes, t-shirts, etc – for reasonable prices. - Vitamins (to help fight off sickness and hangovers)
Vitamin C is a very popular vitamin that helps keep your immune system strong. You never know if you might get in contact with someone else who’s sick. - Portable Battery
During Carnival, it’s always great to have a portable battery with you to help charge up your phone, especially if you’re at a long fete or out for a long period of time. The one I used here was pretty good and was able to fully charge up my iPhone X at least 3 times. Also be aware: If your portable battery contains a lithium battery, according to the TSA you must bring it with you on your carry on bag. But hey, at the end of the day, if you have a long flight and/or layover, most likely you’ll want to have your portable charger on you anyways. - Wrinkle Release Spray
Don’t feel like carrying a huge iron? Well, this is a cheat you can use to get wrinkles out of clothes. All what you have to do is spray it on your clothing, smooth out the wrinkles with your hands, and then hang it up. Now I do not know how it would react to silk-textured clothing, however on regular cotton clothing it did very well. - Sunglasses
This is something a lot of people (including me) forget to bring from home for some reason. So of course it deserves a place on this list. Don’t forget your sunglasses to Carnival! - Face Jewels
If you want to spice up your Carnival mas costume, or just be in the spirit of carnival, face jewels would work. They can run as cheap as $2 per pack. I would also recommend buying eyelash glue to help make them stick on.
I had bought a pack of rhinestones from eBay and they pretty much stayed on all day. You can see them in the picture below.
- Mas Tights
Tights help to cover up the areas that you do not want to be exposed too much and make you feel less naked. This is especially helpful if you don’t know what your costume is going to look like in person, or if you’re playing j’ouvert and don’t want your skin to get contact with the paint. From what I see online, most people say mas tights are a must. - Flag
Bringing your country’s flag from home would save you the hassle of trying to find one while on vacation. It doesn’t even matter if you’re at Carnival in a Caribbean country – you still might not find your flag. For instance – in Barbados I tried to buy either a Guyanese or Dominican flag. The street vendor I approached ran out of Guyanese flags and didn’t even sell Dominican flags (weird right?). Everyyy single vendor we passed by didn’t have EITHER of the flags. I was flag-less the whole trip. - Mini Deo Sticks
To freshen up while out, since it’s going to be hot and being stinky ain’t cute. Getting an extra travel-sized one would be best, since it would be able to fit in your purse or bag. - Anti-Chaffing Solutions
If you tend to chaff around your thigh area very easily, then bringing something to stop the chaffing would really help. They’re sooo many different solutions out there, but here’s an article I found that lists a few great ones. - Strapless Underwear
Now these are great if you’re wearing an outfit or a costume that would show a bit more thigh than usual. However be careful – these started to become less sticky once I started to sweat more – or in other words, they are not sweat-proof. - Fanny Pack
Fanny packs are great if you do not feel like holding a purse in your hands or over your shoulders. Don’t worry about it clashing with your costume – pretty much everyone is wearing a fanny pack and/or a drawstring bag anyways. One place that has a nice variety of different types of fanny packs is Showpo – they come in all different colors and sizes, and I find them to be pretty durable.
Optional Items:
These are items that you probably do not need, but it all depends on what you’re getting into.
Optional 1: Scissors and Markers
Great for if you want to design your j’ouvert outfit or any other type of clothing.
Optional 2: Plug Adapter
Nothing is worse than going to another country and not being able to use your appliances because you do not have an adapter! I suggest searching online whether or not you need to bring one (FYI – if you’re traveling to Barbados, you do not need one :))
Optional 3: Portable Luggage Scale
This can come in handy if you have a lot to pack in your suitcase, or you’re planning on bring home a lot of new items/souvenirs (filled liquor bottles, for an example). You use the Portable Luggage Scale to see how much your luggage weighs.
The one I personally use is this one from Amazon. Not only is it pretty inexpensive, but it works really well weighing my suitcases.
Optional 4: Waterproof Phone Case
Now this is mainly for those who will be attending fetes that involve water/paint/any other elements.
Did I miss anything on the list above? What would you consider a “must bring” for carnival?
