What to Pack for Club CoreMed

Club CoreMed is an annual 5-day bonus trip to the Caribbean with CoreMedical Group!  You can earn the trip by working and meeting requirements as a travel therapist with CoreMedical Group. While you may be tempted to overpack and bring all of your favorite fair-weather clothes, you surprisingly need to pack very little for the trip.

Club CoreMed is a bit of a “no judgment zone” when it comes to appearance.  You can dress as you want.  A new outfit every day or the same board shorts or bikini and flip flops every day.  The choice is yours.  The vibe is to be comfortable, relax, and have fun.

The resort hotel rooms are well-stocked with a lot of basic items. This includes soaps, shampoos, conditioners, hair dryers, lotions, bathrobes, slippers, bottles of water, and beach towels.  So, you can leave those at home.

Here are my recommendations for what to pack for Club CoreMed

The Essentials:

• Passport and itinerary envelope: You won’t go anywhere without your passport!  It is also helpful to bring the itinerary that CoreMedical Group mailed to you.  This is helpful in case you get lost at the airport or need to contact anybody on the trip.

• Sunscreen and bug spray: Do not forget the sunscreen.  It is expensive at the resort and they do not provide it for free.  Nighttime can reveal mosquitoes, so it’s best to prevent the bites before they occur.

• Medications: Be sure to bring any medications you may need.  

• Toiletries: Bring what you use. Unless you have a personal preference for a brand, you do not need to bring soap, lotion, shampoo, or conditioner as it will be provided by the hotel.

• Dry bags: I carry multiple dry bags with me to the beach.  I put water-sensitive things (such as electronics) in them to avoid getting wet.  I can also put my wet bathing suits in them to avoid getting the rest of the things in my bag wet.

• Club CoreMed Swag Bag: CoreMedical Group sent out lots of wonderful gifts in their swag box. I recommend bringing the swag with you on the trip. It’s functional to use for one. It also helps other CoreMed travelers to identify you as part of the group. Wearing the Club CoreMed swag can help you meet a new friend.

• Camera gear: For some, this may be your smartphone.  Bring your GoPro if you want some fun underwater or action shots.  DSLRs for your camera buffs!

• Cash: Tipping is optional at the resort.  If you tip it is helpful to bring small bills with you.  If you know you are going to leave the resort, you will probably want cash. There are ATMs on the resort, with a higher fee for use than others.

Day Wear For the Beach Bum:

• Bathing suit(s): Don’t forget to pack your bikinis and board shorts!  I recommend packing 2-5 suits depending on how much time you plan to spend in the sun.  The rooms do have lines to dry your clothes, so you could dry your suit after use and wear it again.  If you wanted to wear a new suit every day, then pack 4-5.  They probably take up the least space of anything in your bag so no problem with packing more.  

• Beach hat: Protect yourself from the sun with a wide-brimmed hat

• Sarong: As a woman, I love the flexibility of having a sarong.  I can wear it as a wrap skirt, use it as a blanket or fold it into a dress.  There’s a lot of flexibility for just one item.  

• Beach coverup: For men, bring some tees and tanks to cover up on the beach. For women, perhaps a loose-fitting dress or kimono.
• One pair of flip flops and/or sandals.  You truly don’t need more footwear than that.

Day Wear for the Adventurer:

• An adventure outfit: If you plan on doing something adventurous like zip lining, don’t forget to bring your comfortable clothes.  

• Workout clothes: There is a gym on the resort and a walking path for several miles that can be great for a morning run. Bring your workout clothes as needed.

• Cap: Keep the sun out of your eyes and your hat firmly attached to your head.
• Sneakers: For those morning runs, lifts at the gym or adventures outside of the resort

The Welcome Reception:

The welcome reception happens on Day 1 and is a night to meet and greet the Club CoreMed family.  It is in a beautiful reception room with a buffet of food and DJ’s getting the dance floor hopping.  It feels a lot like a fun wedding reception.  With that in mind, wear what you feel comfortable wearing.  

Personally, I will be wearing either a floral maxi dress or a floral mini dress.  I HIGHLY recommend wearing comfortable shoes!  The floors are marble and I have seen people trip and fall on the stairs leaving the party in high heels.

Evening Wear (up to 3 nights):

Nighttime tends to be a bit more formal on the resort, especially for men.  According to the resort, the formal restaurants with air conditioning (the ones open at night) have a dress code that includes dressy shorts/bermudas as well as dressy sandals for men.  Closed-toed shoes are not necessary. If you choose to go out at night for formal dinners, the dress code kicks up a notch. If your nighttime is more of a laid-back, drink at the swing bar on the beach type of thing then daytime clothes or evening clothes can apply.

Also, it can get chilly at night. Don’t forget to pack a long-sleeved shirt or sweater: Night-time temps can drop below the point of comfort in a t-shirt.  Having a long-sleeved shirt or sweater is nice for those “chilly” nights.

Dinner Wear

• Men: Nice shorts(bermuda shorts)/pants.  Nice sandals and shirts.
• Women: I would describe the style as “Beach Chic”.  Wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident, whether it be capri pants, a romper, linen pants with a nice top or a maxi dress.  For shoes,  I recommend bringing one pair of nicer shoes that you have not been wearing to the beach all day.  Perhaps a nice pair of flat sandals.  There is a lot of walking at the resort, so I would personally avoid heels.

Hope that this helps you to pack for the trip!  If you have not read it already, check out my MUST DO’S for the trip.  Please contact me if you have any specific questions.  Comment below if there is anything that you would like to add to the list!