what_to_bring

Paper Work:

Valid passport: your passport must be valid for at least six months after your date of departure from Indonesia
Four additional passport photos (please keep these handy as we will need these as soon as we arrive in Jayapura)
Second photo ID (e.g., a driver's license)
Photocopy of your passport
Airline ticket and expense money
All expense money should be exchanged in Jakarta upon arrival, as the exchange rate is approximately 25% higher in Jakarta than it is in Jayapura
In general, credit cards are not accepted in Irian Jaya, so please plan appropriately.
Recommended inoculations (see your local travel medicine clinic), and malaria prophylaxis.
Malaria prophylaxis is imperative for all travelers to Irian Jaya.
Travel insurance

Footwear:

In general, our experience tells us that heavy, leather hiking boots are not appropriate for trekking in most parts of Irian Jaya. The reason for this is we spend quite a bit of time walking through water and mud, and the leather gets very saturated. Given the moist climate, the leather will not dry out and could begin to fall apart. We do recommend lightweight trail shoes or even running shoes. The best qualities to look for in choosing shoes to bring to Irian Jaya are as follows:

1. Comfort. Can you walk up to 6 hours in these shoes? (your shoes should be broken in before your trip!)

2. As much synthetic material in the construction as possible

3. Sticky rubber on the bottom sole.

4. Flexible sole (a very thick sole will not allow you to feel where you are placing your feet when on wet logs, etc.)

5. Support for the ankle and the bottom of the foot

Socks:

We recommend synthetic or wool blend socks with a thin, capilene-type liner as a first layer. Cotton socks tend to absorb too much water and hold an interesting 'scent' if used repeatedly while trekking.

Clothing List:

2 pair Trail Shoes (one replacement pair, just in case!)
Tevas (or something similar for bathing in streams, around camp, etc.)
4 pair of synthetic blend socks (wool blend works well)
2 pair thin liner socks
1 pair of shorts (quick-dry or supplex nylon material)
2 pair trousers (quick-dry or supplex nylon material)
1 bathing suit
1 lightweight sweater, sweatshirt or fleece
4-6 short sleeved shirts (it is best to avoid cotton)
1 long-sleeved shirt (quick-dry or supplex nylon material)
Underwear
Sleepwear

Travel Clothing:

1-2 dress, skirt or comfortable light-weight trouser
2 shirts or t-shirts
Socks and underwear

In general, it's a smart idea to either wear or carry one pair of your 'trekking shoes' with you just in case your bags should be lost or delayed. While most things can be replaced, it is very tough to replace a good-fitting pair of shoes for trekking!

Gear:

Large durable, nylon or waterproof duffle bag
Small collapsible duffle for storing travel clothing and any additional gear that you may decided not to bring trekking)
Day pack that can fit water bottle and camera
Rain cover for day pack · Sleeping bag (rated to 60 degrees)
Ziplock bags (we recommend that you pack absolutely everything you bring in ziplock bags. It is also wise to bring a 5-10 extra to separate wet clothing from dry)
Nalgene water bottle (1 liter or more)
Water purifier (the "Safe Water" bottles cover both the purifier and the bottle, so they are quite handy)
Camera · Film-one rule of thumb is a roll of 36 for every day that you are in Irian Jaya (ASA can vary depending if you are in the jungle or in the highlands. In the jungle we find that ASA 400 is the best, with a few rolls of ASA 200 for days when we are in the bright sunlight)
Recording device and blank tapes (roughly 4-6 hours worth of blank tape)
Binoculars
Sunglasses with hard case
Flashlight
Extra batteries (for camera, tape recorder and flashlight)
Quick dry camping towel
1-2 bandannas (can be used to cool you off during the day as well as for a wash cloth)
Broad brim (collapsible) hat or baseball cap

Medical & Toiletries Kit:

Personal Toiletries (including bio-degradable liquid soap)
Sunscreen (preferably with Deet)
2-3 bottles Deet-Such as REI's Jungle Juice (remember to pack each bottle in a ziplock bag, as Deet can dissolve certain materials)
Second pair of eye glasses (if you need your eye glasses on a daily basis)
Aspirin, Tylenol, Aleve or something similar
Personal medications (anything you normally take at home and any precautionary items such as migraine medications, if you are prone to that).
Cold medicine
Allergy medicine
Anti-diarrhea medicine (e.g., Immodium and an antibiotic)
General Antibiotic
Eye drops
Poly or Neosporin
Assorted BandAids (fabric adheres better than the plastic in humid conditions)
Ace bandage and safety pins
Anti-fungal cream for the feet (prescription strength is best)

HC Home

Intro to Irian Jaya

Adventure Descriptions: Dani, Asmat, Korowai, Yali & Carstenz

What to Expect

What to Bring