What to Wear in Maui: Mineral-Only Sunscreen Law, Freezing 3,055m Haleakala Gear & Aloha Attire

Packing for Maui requires an unusual suitcase combination that exists almost nowhere else in the tropics: swimsuits, flip-flops and linen Aloha shirts for 29°C (85°F) beaches, packed right alongside a warm winter puffer jacket, beanie hat and gloves for the freezing 3,055-metre (10,023-foot) summit of Haleakala Volcano.

Five Essential Packing Rules for Maui

1. Maui's Strict 'Mineral-Only Sunscreen Law' (Ordinance 5306): Hawaii passed a state law banning oxybenzone and octinoxate, and Maui County went even further: in Maui, all chemical UV filters (including avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene) are banned. The only sunscreens legal to wear or buy in Maui are 100% Mineral Sunscreens whose active ingredients are exclusively Non-Nano Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide. Better yet, pack a UPF 50+ Long-Sleeved Swim Rashguard Shirt for snorkelling at Molokini and Black Rock so your back and shoulders never burn while floating face-down.
2. Pack a Warm Winter Jacket, Long Trousers, Closed Shoes & Beanie for Haleakala Summit (3,055m / 10,023 ft): every morning and sunset at the top of Haleakala, visitors who drove up in shorts and sandals shiver in the wind. At 10,023 feet above the ocean with 30 mph summit breezes, temperatures routinely sit between -1°C and +7°C (30°F to 45°F) even in the middle of July. Pack a packable down puffer or fleece jacket, jeans or trousers, warm socks and a knit beanie.

3. Closed-Toe Trail Trainers + Water Shoes for the Road to Hana: never hike the 4-mile Pipiwai Bamboo Forest Trail to Waimoku Falls in flip-flops (muddy banyan roots and slippery stream rocks twist ankles), and wear rubber-soled water shoes on the volcanic pebbles of Wai'anapanapa Black Sand Beach.
4. What Is 'Aloha Resort Casual' for Luaus & Fine Dining (Mama's Fish House, Merriman's, Spago)? Leave suits, ties and high heels at home. In Hawaii, a short-sleeved floral or geometric Aloha Shirt with chinos or tailored linen shorts and leather sandals or loafers for men, and a tropical sundress or maxi dress (plus a light shawl for ocean breezes) for women is considered formal evening attire at every five-star restaurant and luau on the island. Check seasonal weather.