Plug adapters in Hilo, HI
February 25, 2019 4:06 PM Subscribe
Where can I buy inexpensive UK to US plug adapters in downtown Hilo, Hawaii? Alternatively, is there somewhere I can get an Amazon delivery that is not the place where I am staying? There are no Amazon lockers in Hilo.
I will shortly be travelling to Hilo and wanted to ensure that I have the UK to US plug adapter (Type G to A/B -- not voltage converter) I need for my laptop. The ones at airports are usually quite overpriced so I was planning to order it from Amazon for about $2 per plug. Unfortunately the place where I am staying does not allow guests to receive mail.
I will not have a car so I am restricted to taxi/Uber or walking from where I am staying, about 1 km north of the downtown/ waterfront area of Hilo. Since my trip is during a very busy time at work I don't want to have to spend hours trying to track down adapters. Nor can I bring one with me as I'm flying from a place which uses a different type of plug altogether and UK-US don't seem available.
So, my questions:
(a) Is there somewhere in downtown Hilo where I will be sure of finding a UK to US adapter for a reasonable price? I see there is an Office Depot a bit outside the central bit of town, but are there any other shops that might be easier for me to get to? I am not based in the US so I don't know if, for example, pharmacies typically stock adapters for tourists.
OR
(b) Is there somewhere I can get an Amazon package delivered that is not the place I'm staying? Again, somewhere I can get to easily around the downtown area.
OR
(c) Is my best bet just getting it from the airport at Hilo? I will be flying through Honolulu but have a tight connection so I don't think I can depend on having the time to find one at that airport.
I will shortly be travelling to Hilo and wanted to ensure that I have the UK to US plug adapter (Type G to A/B -- not voltage converter) I need for my laptop. The ones at airports are usually quite overpriced so I was planning to order it from Amazon for about $2 per plug. Unfortunately the place where I am staying does not allow guests to receive mail.
I will not have a car so I am restricted to taxi/Uber or walking from where I am staying, about 1 km north of the downtown/ waterfront area of Hilo. Since my trip is during a very busy time at work I don't want to have to spend hours trying to track down adapters. Nor can I bring one with me as I'm flying from a place which uses a different type of plug altogether and UK-US don't seem available.
So, my questions:
(a) Is there somewhere in downtown Hilo where I will be sure of finding a UK to US adapter for a reasonable price? I see there is an Office Depot a bit outside the central bit of town, but are there any other shops that might be easier for me to get to? I am not based in the US so I don't know if, for example, pharmacies typically stock adapters for tourists.
OR
(b) Is there somewhere I can get an Amazon package delivered that is not the place I'm staying? Again, somewhere I can get to easily around the downtown area.
OR
(c) Is my best bet just getting it from the airport at Hilo? I will be flying through Honolulu but have a tight connection so I don't think I can depend on having the time to find one at that airport.
Nor can I bring one with me as I'm flying from a place which uses a different type of plug altogether and UK-US don't seem available
You might have better luck sourcing a NEMA 5-15P to IEC-320-C5 power cable, assuming your laptop's power brick has the usual cloverleaf-style power entry socket.
posted by flabdablet at 5:26 PM on February 25, 2019
You might have better luck sourcing a NEMA 5-15P to IEC-320-C5 power cable, assuming your laptop's power brick has the usual cloverleaf-style power entry socket.
posted by flabdablet at 5:26 PM on February 25, 2019
This one is $12.99 at Target in Hilo. Their website shows they have several universal adapters available but some are $30 or $40.
posted by soelo at 5:32 PM on February 25, 2019
posted by soelo at 5:32 PM on February 25, 2019
I was in Hilo last October, though I am not a permanent resident.
I would not count on being able to procure your item, either in the airport or at Longs, because it is a very backcountry-feeling island and certain things you would think would be readily available (matches!) are not always.
I think calling the drugstores and small electronics stores (or general retailers, like Target, mentioned above) as suggested by charmedimsure is a good approach.
As would be calling Island Mailbox Plus, Hilo, or even the U.S. Post Office to see if you can arrange for your package to be received and held. Good luck!
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 5:36 PM on February 25, 2019 [2 favorites]
I would not count on being able to procure your item, either in the airport or at Longs, because it is a very backcountry-feeling island and certain things you would think would be readily available (matches!) are not always.
I think calling the drugstores and small electronics stores (or general retailers, like Target, mentioned above) as suggested by charmedimsure is a good approach.
As would be calling Island Mailbox Plus, Hilo, or even the U.S. Post Office to see if you can arrange for your package to be received and held. Good luck!
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 5:36 PM on February 25, 2019 [2 favorites]
If you're going to check Target, you might as well check Walmart; Hilo has one and their website seems to indicate you can order certain items for in-store pickup, though it would not surprise me if the Hawaii locations fall outside of this general policy.
That said, have you ever been to the big island? I'm not sure if "backcountry" is exactly the right adjective, but both Hilo and Kona (not to mention everywhere else on the island) have a very small town, friendly vibe. If you are basing your "can't receive packages" rule on the hotel website, I would call and explain your situation and see if they're willing to make an exception. It's possible they don't want guests representing that they live there long-term, for example, and they would be cool with a single package for a clearly non-US guest who's committed to leaving in a week.
Failing both of those, I would consider literally calling bars and cafes near the hotel to see if they would be willing to receive your package. That's really the kind of place Hilo is - a neighbor might be willing to receive a package in order to help an overseas guest charge their laptop.
Good luck!
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 5:51 PM on February 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
That said, have you ever been to the big island? I'm not sure if "backcountry" is exactly the right adjective, but both Hilo and Kona (not to mention everywhere else on the island) have a very small town, friendly vibe. If you are basing your "can't receive packages" rule on the hotel website, I would call and explain your situation and see if they're willing to make an exception. It's possible they don't want guests representing that they live there long-term, for example, and they would be cool with a single package for a clearly non-US guest who's committed to leaving in a week.
Failing both of those, I would consider literally calling bars and cafes near the hotel to see if they would be willing to receive your package. That's really the kind of place Hilo is - a neighbor might be willing to receive a package in order to help an overseas guest charge their laptop.
Good luck!
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 5:51 PM on February 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
I would check at either your hotel or even another chain hotel in the area. They usually have lots of adaptors that have been left. As a guest they will clearly let you borrow one - but even walking in off the street I would bet they would let you borrow or buy...
posted by NoDef at 6:48 PM on February 25, 2019
posted by NoDef at 6:48 PM on February 25, 2019
I tried to find an adapter available to ship to store at both Walmart and Home Depot with no luck. They both have free pickup, as does Target, so you can place an order a day or two ahead of time if you can find something good on their websites.
posted by soelo at 7:44 PM on February 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by soelo at 7:44 PM on February 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also, if you do order one from Amazon to be shipped somewhere in Hawaii, remember before you do that their shipping to the non-contiguous United States is crappy and slow. Like: they do not guarantee Prime shipping speeds there and because of that if you order something it may not even leave the warehouse for a week because they don’t guarantee it arriving in AK/HI and thus: whatevs on their end. So unless you pay for one or two day shipping it is likely not getting there within a week.
posted by charmedimsure at 7:48 PM on February 25, 2019
posted by charmedimsure at 7:48 PM on February 25, 2019
You can get Amazon packages shipped to a USPS location for General Delivery (that's where you go to the counter and pick it up), as long as the item is not so big that it can't go via USPS. This is a pretty common thing for RVers and boaters to do.
The trick is to put "PO BOX General Delivery" in the address line. This is stupid and not consistent with USPS guidelines, but it will cause Amazon to send the package via USPS and not a private courier service. (Anything with "PO BOX" in the address line automatically goes via USPS.)
You will need to know the ZIP Code associated with that post office (add -9999 as the ZIP+4, if you need it), which should be fairly easy to determine. Worst case you can just go to the PO and ask.
posted by Kadin2048 at 6:32 AM on February 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
The trick is to put "PO BOX General Delivery" in the address line. This is stupid and not consistent with USPS guidelines, but it will cause Amazon to send the package via USPS and not a private courier service. (Anything with "PO BOX" in the address line automatically goes via USPS.)
You will need to know the ZIP Code associated with that post office (add -9999 as the ZIP+4, if you need it), which should be fairly easy to determine. Worst case you can just go to the PO and ask.
posted by Kadin2048 at 6:32 AM on February 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by charmedimsure at 4:16 PM on February 25, 2019