buying stuff on the rock....

[link626]

how is the price and selection of stuff on the island?

toiletries prices are reasonable aren't they?

I want to get a brita water filter pitcher, but I don't wanna pack my luggage with too much stuff. Is it available down there for a good price?

[FoxTrot]

Things are way expensive here. I would stuff your suitcases with as much as you can in terms of toiletries such as deodant, mouthwash, etc, etc. Save luggage space by getting used books here from students. Life is much easier here the more comfortable that you are. I could name a whole list of stuff, but maybe some other time.

[MitchDC]

Yeah, for some reason MOST toiletries are quite expensive here -- especially if you are brand specific. I brough it down with me and had more shipped down. There is a Colgate factory in Dominica, so Colgate products are more fairly priced. Everything else is shipped in and thus will cost you.

You can buy a Brita filter in Roseau. They will cost you more than in the States, but if room is a factor a few extra dollars won't kill you. You can also buy them from other students sometimes....

MitchDC

how is the price and selection of stuff on the island?

toiletries prices are reasonable aren't they?

I want to get a brita water filter pitcher, but I don't wanna pack my luggage with too much stuff. Is it available down there for a good price?

[LuckyLuciano]

Don't bother with the Brita. I thought the same thing when I first got here. 2 things.... Mine broke on the luggage carts at the airport...they tend to throw bags!
Second...it was probably a good thing....the bottled water here is fine. I don't recommend the tap water. But hey, everyone's system is different.

[Nooks]

Maybe someone else has better insight , but I brought mine down and tried to use it, but I noticed that when it rained, the water that filetered thru was still brown cruddy water. Other times, its clear as can be, but it makes you wonder, what IS being filtered, if the water ends up brown after it passes thru. Bottled water is fine, you can buy it by the case and they deliver it for you. Works for me. Penny pinching is hard here, everything is so expensive, because its all imported. I shipped thru amerijet and if you are close to Miami, you could use tropical shipping which is very economical and gets here in 7-10 days, unless customs is on strike. Hehehe, this island never ceases to amaze me.

[Ganja Magic]

If you don't mind the cost, buying water by the case is the safest route. Trois Pitons is the best Dominican company, and the price is reasonable compared to Blue Mountain, which is imported from Trinidad.

The smartest thing to do is to save your water bottles, keep them clean, and fill up at the campus water fountains. The 0.5 micron filters on the fountains is better than Brita and you can be 99.9% sure that there aren't any unsavory organisms making their way past the filters. Keep about 10 bottles and fill up every weekend. You'll have plenty of clean filtered water for the week.

Yes, it is a little more work and time-consuming lugging all that water back home. But you're in a third world country and you're lucky you don't have to boil and filter the muddy tap water yourself...!

[MitchDC]

Yeah, I noticed that the PUR filters were better than the Brita. Even by reading the outside of the box, you can tell that PUR will actually filter out more "stuff".

MitchDC

Maybe someone else has better insight , but I brought mine down and tried to use it, but I noticed that when it rained, the water that filetered thru was still brown cruddy water. Other times, its clear as can be, but it makes you wonder, what IS being filtered, if the water ends up brown after it passes thru. Bottled water is fine, you can buy it by the case and they deliver it for you. Works for me. Penny pinching is hard here, everything is so expensive, because its all imported. I shipped thru amerijet and if you are close to Miami, you could use tropical shipping which is very economical and gets here in 7-10 days, unless customs is on strike. Hehehe, this island never ceases to amaze me.

[oc23]

how is the price and selection of stuff on the island?

toiletries prices are reasonable aren't they?

I want to get a brita water filter pitcher, but I don't wanna pack my luggage with too much stuff. Is it available down there for a good price?

i made sure to bring ALL my toiletries down, which turned out to be great because they don't carry my brands here. and like others have mentioned, toiletries can be expensive down here.

bring school supplies too. i have found the bookstore prices to be up to double the US retail price sometimes. Most books are marked up by up to 66%! if you don't mind used books, i suggest you either contact island thrift (info@islandthrift.com) to put some books on reserve, or wait until you're down here and buy used books from other students. but if you want your books new, i suggest you buy them from the states and NOT B.I.G.!!!!! I NEVER RECOMMEND B.I.G. TO ANYONE!!!

[Ganja Magic]

I NEVER RECOMMEND B.I.G. TO ANYONE!!!


Yeah, BIG is bad, really bad. They got their business model from Tony Soprano.

[link626]

The smartest thing to do is to save your water bottles, keep them clean, and fill up at the campus water fountains. The 0.5 micron filters on the fountains is better than Brita and you can be 99.9% sure that there aren't any unsavory organisms making their way past the filters. Keep about 10 bottles and fill up every weekend. You'll have plenty of clean filtered water for the week.



great tip. I"ll keep that in mind. carrying 1 gallon home each day is cake.

[fightintxaggie98]

Sure, buy some bottled water and save the bottles... and then fill them up at you kitchen tap. The water is safe and does not pose a threat to your well-being. Relax, folks.

[Ganja Magic]

Sure, buy some bottled water and save the bottles... and then fill them up at you kitchen tap. The water is safe and does not pose a threat to your well-being. Relax, folks.

Wait for a nice big rain this season, and gulp down some "mineral" water from your tap. And get back to us on how your stomach feels the day after.

[Nooks]

that was funny!!!!

The nurse at the health clinic recommended not even brushing your teeth with tap water....

Remember, there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. :lol:

[Michael10101]

Well, I brought a Brita with me, and to tell you the truth, I never use it. You have to be home to use it, and I'm never home.

Water's cheap to buy. Buy a 1.6L bottle and fill it up at the fountains. But, be sure to keep a couple in reserve. This semester the filters got clogged and either the brown water was coming out, or nothing at all.

Oh, and, I brush my teeth with the water.... unless it's brown. Then I use stored bottle water. I'd worry more about having a "shack attack" then getting something from the water.

[rdecastro]

I have a pur filter on my faucet here in beautiful Santa Clarita, CA. I've had it for less than two months, and I'm getting ready for my third filter - because the flow rate decreases so much. And, about all I used the filter for is a pot of coffee every morning - not for regular drinking water or any other use.

If this is typical, this is ridiculous.

I expected the first filter to not last too long (and it didn't) because I'm the first occupant in my apartment, in a brand new development, so there could be a lot of crud in the water pipes (my faucet aerators plugged up too). I expected the second filter to last a LOT longer, and it's getting to the point where it takes 2-3 minutes to fill up a 12 cup coffee maker caraffe.

Considering the cost, I'm sorry I bought the filter - buying 2.5 gallon bottled water containers seems a better deal. I'd spend less than the $10 for a filter every month.

[MitchDC]

You're correct. Those faucet filters aren't very good - they clog up really fast -- no matter where you are. The PUR pitcher filters do last a long time in Dominica.

-MitchDC

I have a pur filter on my faucet here in beautiful Santa Clarita, CA. I've had it for less than two months, and I'm getting ready for my third filter - because the flow rate decreases so much. And, about all I used the filter for is a pot of coffee every morning - not for regular drinking water or any other use.

If this is typical, this is ridiculous.

I expected the first filter to not last too long (and it didn't) because I'm the first occupant in my apartment, in a brand new development, so there could be a lot of crud in the water pipes (my faucet aerators plugged up too). I expected the second filter to last a LOT longer, and it's getting to the point where it takes 2-3 minutes to fill up a 12 cup coffee maker caraffe.

Considering the cost, I'm sorry I bought the filter - buying 2.5 gallon bottled water containers seems a better deal. I'd spend less than the $10 for a filter every month.