Indonesia is much more than pristine beaches, cocktails by the pool and sunsets. More and more hikers are making their way to this gorgeous archipelago in search of rain forests, volcano’s and, of course, that perfect Instagram shot. The chance to hike Indonesia has never been better. To do this, though, one must be prepared and when it comes to the best hiking gear for Indonesia, this post will have you covered.
As with most hiking, the number one rule is preparation. Hiking in Indonesia is no exception to this rule, and if anything, it becomes even more important. Most travelers to the region are looking to climb a volcano or two, and with 127 volcano’s, Indonesia is the perfect place to do just that. What most fail to take into account, however, is the weather on a volcano. It may be humid and hot along the coastline, and even at the base of the climb, however the summit of a volcano is totally the opposite. Warm clothing is imperative, as is something waterproof. Also, the sides of a volcano are generally very different to your average mountain, so appropriate footwear is important.
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For these reasons, among many others, we have put together a short list of essential items required for most hikes in Indonesia. Read on!
FOOTWEAR
Let’s start with one of the most essential items on any trek. Footwear. This is important for any trek anywhere in the world. Getting the right footwear is paramount to even getting through the trek, and if you’re going to hike Indonesia this cannot be understated.
Now, with trekking in Indo, several different types of footwear could be considered “appropriate”. This depends on the type of hike you are looking at doing, and therefore kitting yourself with several different types of footwear would be advisable depending on your plans.
Let’s begin with a simple one and talk about your typical rainforest hike to a waterfall. These are abundant in Indonesia and provide some spectacular photo opportunities. Most of these hikes are easily accessible and therefore can be done in a variety of footwear. Flip Flops are never advisable around slippery rocks, however can be worn at a pinch. Personally we would recommend a good pair of comfortable runners, however at Trek Indonesia we go one step further and prefer a hybrid shoe that doubles as a comfortable walking shoe, whilst also remaining open enough to drain away any water that may get inside. The Teva Women’s Omnium and the Teva Sandal for men are the perfect choices, and have traveled many miles with us.
For those more serious hikes and climbs you will require something sturdy, supportive and with the protection required from the elements. Some of the volcano hikes in Indonesia can be long and tough. A hike up Mount Batur or Mount Ijen may only take a couple of hours, however is usually taken at night time in order to catch the sunrise from the peak. Stumbling around in the dark equals trips and falls, stubbed toes and a fair bit of scrambling. Other climbs like Mount Rinjani are two or three days of hiking and climbing. For both of these options you are going to want good, trusty boots that will last the distance. As such, we prefer the Merrell Moab 2 Vent Mid Hiking boots to see us through. Merrell make some of the best hiking boots on the market. There is even a Women’s version of them, and if waterproofing is more important to you than ventilation, have a look at the Merrell Moab 2 Waterproof Mid boots.
A Trusty Waterproof Jacket
Whether you’re hiking in the rainforest, searching for waterfalls, or heading to the top of a mountain, the importance of a waterproof jacket cannot be understated. Any visitors to Indonesia will tell you about the likeliness of that sudden tropical downpour that happen everyday in the region. Likewise, the weather on top of a mountain, especially a smouldering volano, can be very unpredictable. Waterfalls? Think spray, spray and more spray!
So when looking for a jacket, you really want something trusty, that can be stowed away easily, light, and most of all, waterproof. Gore tex is the best option available and will last you a lot longer. Something else to also take into account is durability. You don’t want something that will tear at the first hint of a trailing tree branch.
We always tend to lean toward Kathmandu, Columbia or Marmot gear, and in this case we trust our comfort and dryness to the Marmot Rainjacket. It covers all of the above criteria and more. Just remember to get yourself a size above normal to allow for underclothes, and that trusty fleecy jacket.
Durable Hiking Pants
Hiking in Indonesia means weather. One minute you will be hiking in sunshine, the next it will be pouring rain and freezing cold. You could be hiking through a rainforest and rice paddies one day, and the next sliding down the rocky side of a mountain on your rear end. (Think Mount Rinjani)
For this reason you have to be prepared for anything. Now, you could pack yourself shorts and have a long pair of pants stowed away as well to quickly change into if required. But among the best hiking gear for Indonesia would have to be the versatile hiking pants that zip off of the knees. This saves you valuable packing room and saves the need to get changed when, let’s face it, it’s not exactly the most convenient time.
Our go-to pants for hiking in Indonesia are the Wespornow Convertible hiking pants. They are durable, hard wearing and convenient enough for all the elements.
Hiking Daypack
A standard accessory for any hike is a good backpack. In this situation, unless you are heading out on a multi-day hike, a daypack will do the job nicely. But what sort of features should you be looking for in a daypack for hiking in Indonesia?
First of all it has to be the right size, and for a daypack you will be looking at around 20 liters. It has to be comfortable, sitting nicely on your back with the bulk of the weight on a trusty waist strap. Good ventilation and ample storage that is easily accessible all score big points.
With all this in mind we have always liked the Osprey Talon 22 for men and the Osprey Tempest 20 for women. They tick all the right boxes, and with Osprey being one of the biggest names in backpacks, how could you go wrong?
Accessories
Having the right accessories whilst on the trail is more than just a nice bonus. It can mean the difference between capturing that perfect photo or missing it altogether. It can even mean the difference between stumbling around in the dark and fumbling with a clumsy torch, or climbing steadily conserving your energy. So in a place that combines brilliant scenery with the very real prospect of doing a lot of hiking in the dark, here are just a few accessories you really should consider packing.
Headlamp
A headlamp is a total no brainer when making plans to climb volcanos in Indonesia. Mt Ijen is seen best at night time when the blue flame comes alive (See HERE). Any tour to Mt Bromo or Mt Batur will be leaving your hotel just after midnight in order to complete the climb by sunrise. Even when Mt Agung is open for climbing it’s done in the dark. And trust me, you WILL need a headlamp.
Most headlamps will do the job, but if you are after reliability and longevity you will definitely want to get a decent one. After all, the last thing you want is to be halfway up a mountain in the dark when it fails on you. We found some great headlamps on Amazon that didn’t cost the earth and certainly did the job for us. If you are on a budget, there are plenty of smaller and cheaper headlamps that will get you by such as this. A great option that will do the job and not cost the Earth!
Compact Camera
When hiking anywhere with limited space available, a compact camera is a must. Unless you are a professional photographer of course, however I would challenge even them to lug a full dslr kit up Agung in the dark!
We searched the internet far and wide reading review after review looking for something reliable, compact enough to put in a pocket, that still took great photos. In the end we settled on the Panasonic Lumix TZ90, and weren’t we happy with our choice! It takes brilliant photos, doesn’t take a degree to figure out, and has just enough bells and whistles to make it stand out against the rest.
Selfie Stick
I can hear some eye rolling here, but the trusty selfie stick really does pay for itself in the long run if used correctly. There’s nothing more frustrating that being on a once in a lifetime mountain climb, trying to get that perfect photo and finding out your arms just aren’t long enough. So, unless your guide (if you have one) is kind enough to take it, you are going to need a selfie stick to help you out. Once again we have done all the legwork for you and settled on the Sandmarc compact pole.
So that’s it! That’s our list of the best hiking gear for Indonesia. Equip yourselves with what we have suggested and you will have a rocking time climbing some awesome Volcano’s! We will continue to update our gear lists and do some reviews in future articles.
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