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Kit list The objective is to take the smallest amount of equipment needed to be comfortable and safe. You will need to carry your equipment and baggage on occasions and there are also maximum weight allowances which vary depending on the airline used.
Always aim to buy equipment that is compact, light weight, durable, quick drying, versatile and in good repair. You may find that you have suitable gear already, so don’t feel you have to buy everything new. Shop around and price everything before purchasing anything. Some items you may be able to borrow from friends or relatives, pick up second hand, or get deals off the internet.
We have done some research and certain outlets will give you some excellent deals if you mention our name. In the UK our main contacts are: Nomad Travel (0207 833 4114), and Travel with Care (01980 626 361) for the terrestrial projects, Nomad offer discounts on both equipment and vaccinations at their clinics, for a voucher please email alison.darlington@opwall.com. Watersports Warehouse provide good deals on any marine equipment needed. You will receive a discount voucher for Watersports Warehouse with your PADI form but if you want to purchase anything before this arrives please email alison.curtis@opwall.com with Dive Voucher in the subject box and we will send you a copy.
In North America Back Country Gear and US Outdoor Stores have a good selection of equipment for the forest for volunteers in the US, whilst Mountain Equipment Co-operative is the best for Canadian volunteers. Scuba Store has a good range of marine equipment with outlets in both the US and Canada.
Try out your kit in realistic circumstances if at all possible before your expedition, especially new boots which can often need time to fully mould to the shape of your feet, and even more specifically new Jungle boots which should be soaked and worn till they dry on your feet to prevent blisters whilst trekking. All baggage, clothes and kit should be clearly labelled to avoid confusion. There are many volunteers, and some may have the same or similar items to you. Valuables are very occasionally at risk.
The sections below relate to equipment for terrestrial projects, marine projects, medical kits and relevant books.
What to take for terrestrial based projects All equipment listed below is essential. Please follow these guidelines, but remember, you don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune—you may be able to beg or borrow from friends and family! Travel with Care (www.travelwithcare.com) offer a 10% discount to all Operation Wallacea volunteers.
Rucksack Please bring a 50 litre minimum pack. Lowe Alpine and Karrimor are both good makes with adjustable back systems, though other makes also have this feature, providing a more comfortable fit. Many packs on the market today are not ‘rucksacks’ but ‘travelbags’ and there is a big difference. Rucksacks are built for wearing for a longer periods, whereas travelbags are designed for carrying between bus stations and airports, decide what you want not only for now but for the future. Make sure you have a waterproof cover for the rucksack.
Waterproof plastic bags A combination of sizes and styles are necessary to keep water out of your kit and clothes. A large gravel sack or heavy duty bin liner will act as a rucksack liner (bring spares), and ziploc (freezer) bags are brilliant for keeping your camera, and other bits of kit dry (bring lots as they tear easily). There are some very heavy duty ‘dry bags’ on the market – the choice is yours. As the environment is so humid it is a good idea to keep any electronic equipment in bags containing silica gel sachets as these will absorb moisture and minimise the possibility of damage.
Day bag/Small rucksack Needed for your field work for carrying water, paper, pens, binoculars, cameras etc.
Sleeping bag It can get surprisingly cold at night, especially in the base camps, so some kind of sleeping bag is required. We recommend either a 1 season lightweight sleeping bag, a fleece bag or a silk or cotton liner in conjunction with thermal underwear.
Roll mat or Thermarest Necessary for both warmth and comfort in the forest. Roll mats can be purchased cheaply, whereas Thermarests are more of an investment (be sure to buy a repair kit.)
Hiking boots/Jungle boots Make sure your boots have firm ankle support, a semi-flexible sole with good grips and dries relatively quickly. Jungle boots (available from Nomad Travel—www.nomadtravel.co.uk and some Army Surplus stores) are ideal for very wet conditions, but are not comfortable for long or daily trekking. Light-weight Gore-tex (or a cheaper equivalent) boots are waterproof and dry quickly in the Indonesian climate, and are a much more comfortable and sturdier alternative.
Sandals Teva type/reef sandals, crocs or flip flops These are a necessity. After a long day’s hiking you will want to let your feet breathe. The advantage of Tevas are that they stay on securely in water.
Clothing essentials We have compiled a list of what we believe to be essential items of clothing and have indicated numbers of each. Dark colours are recommended as they don’t show the dirt, also a combination of natural and synthetic fibres are advisable – whereas nylon has the advantage of drying quickly it can also cause you to sweat more thus causing chaffing and heat rash. Cotton on the other hand is kind to your skin, but can take a while to dry. Both have their strengths and weaknesses – ask advice when purchasing, though in the end it comes down to personal discretion and preference. As mentioned earlier, certain items of clothing are not appropriate due to cultural attitudes ; we hope you understand and respect this conservative sentiment – your suntan may be slightly compromised but you will leave knowing that you haven’t offended any of the locals.
Hat Dehydration and heat exhaustion are two potential debilitating illnesses, especially in the first few days of expedition before you have fully acclimatized. The wearing of a hat in conjunction with regular fluid intake can make all the difference.
Waterproofs Rainfall is unpredictable in this part of the world, so a plastic poncho or lightweight rainjacket is invaluable. Ponchos are available cheaply to buy on site, so if you would rather wait that’s fine. Expensive heavyweight goretex raincoats are not recommended – they are hot and may get snagged and torn by rattan.
Small towel/sarong Don’t bring a big thick towel as it won’t dry and is heavy. Sarongs double up as sheets and skirts and are easy to purchase in Indonesia, though even a tea towel will do. Of course there are special travelpac towels on the market, but these can be pricey, so it’s up to you.
Water bottles/platypus, etc A combination of leak-proof plastic bottles (total capacity 3 litres) is imperative. There are many different styles to choose from (and many different prices) – it is not necessary to get anything fancy, though if you do want to invest in one of the ‘hydration systems’ on the market (Platypus, Camelback or Ortileb), they have the advantage packing flat when not in use, and often come with drinking tubes which may be useful if you plan to continue trekking post expedition. Nalgene, do a heavy-duty wide mouthed bottle with a measuring gauge. Check that the bottle you bring can take very hot water.
Strong Head Torch The stronger Petzl head lamps come highly recommended, though please note that ‘mini petzl’ models are no good for spotlighting nocturnal wildlife such as frogs, tarsiers etc. but are excellent back up torches should your main one fail. Mini maglights now come with very useful headbands so this might be an option. It is recommended that you bring a backup torch and enough spare batteries to cover the duration of your expedition.
Batteries 12 Duracell batteries with be sufficient for a two week expedition where you are spotlighting most evenings. (Indonesian batteries are of a very low quality, so please bring them with you). If you are coming out to the forest for 4 weeks or longer it may be judicious to bring rechargeable batteries and a mains battery charger with a universal adapter or solar charger.
Watch with alarm It doesn’t have to be anything technical, but there will be times when you have to get up very early. A travel alarm clock will also do.
Medical Kit See health and safety section.
Biodegradeable soap/shampoo/washing liquid To minimise impact on the environment we ask all volunteers to bring ‘green’ detergents. Most volunteers will at some point be washing directly in streams and rivers but it is worth considering that all waste water is untreated and will return to the surface water system eventually. Please bring both personal soap such as lifestyles or mountain suds and 1 bottle of Ecover (or similar) clothes washing liquid. The latter will be donated to the village or base camp for general use. Unfortunately, biodegradeable soap is not available in Indonesia.
Insect repellent Malaria and dengue does occur in SE Sulawesi and we would strongly recommend use of a deet based product. 'Mosi-Guard' is an effective, environmentally friendly insect repellent that does not contain deet.
Talcum Powder/Anti Fungal Powder Due to the humid nature of the tropics, and incessant rain at the beginning of the season, it is imperative to take extra special care of feet and crotch areas. Regular application of talcum powder can aid drying, and anti fungal powder can help prevent and combat athletes foot and other fungal infections.
Sunblock An essential part of any tropical expedition kit – SPF 25 minimum recommended.
Binoculars This will make a huge difference to your expedition and the animals and birds you will see. 8x42 binoculars are recommended.
Notebooks and pencils These are a necessity for all field work. Dissertation students are advised to bring waterproof books.
Indonesian phrase book or dictionary This is a recommendation stressed by previous volunteers. Those who brought them found them invaluable, those who didn’t sorely wished they had.
Project specific equipment
Storage facilities are available for leaving excess baggage ie: dive gear when you’re on Forest Acclimatisation or in base camps, so you don’t have to lug everything around all the time. There is also a safe for your valuables.
What to take for marine based projects Dive Training Courses
All
those learning to dive will need to bring a PADI Open Water Crew
Pack and PIC card (registration) with them. For UK and European
volunteers the best deal is direct from us. You
can purchase this
here. Note this includes the PIC cards which you need
for certification and if you buy a PADI Open Water Crew Pack from
most dive shops or internet sites they do NOT contain PIC Cards.
For US based volunteers you need to email
diveUS@opwall.com
and the costs will be $77 delivered to you. For Canandian based
volunteers you should e-mail
diveCanada@opwall.com. Remember if are dive
training and arrive without an Open Water Manual and PIC card then
you won't be able to complete the dive training course.
If you are already a qualified diver, we will require proof of your dive qualifications on site. You will also need to bring with you your completed log books, and PADI forms.
PADI Forms Please bring your completed, original PADI forms with you and send a copy to Alison Darlington in the UK Opwall office. Without these PADI forms you may not be permitted to dive.
Logbook You will also need a Log Book—a simple A5 sized hard-back notebook will suffice although you can also buy specially designed PADI logbooks on site.
Diving equipment All the equipment listed below is essential for diving projects. Some is available to hire on site, except for wetsuits and dive watches. If you decide to hire, budget around $14 per day for a full set of equipment. Do look in dive outlets or on the internet for the costs of each item and think about how much it will cost when you are on expedition if you are diving 6 days a week. If you are participating in diving-based projects for 4 weeks or more, it may well be more cost-effective to buy some of your kit prior to going on expedition, although there will be some available for hire if required. Prices for on-site dive hire are as follows:
Wetsuit You will only be allowed to participate in in-water activities if you are wearing a wetsuit. The purpose of this is twofold, not only will it keep you warm whilst underwater but it will also protect you from being stung by marine life or getting sunburnt when you are snorkelling. A 2-3mm thickness is more than sufficient and it should be a full length wetsuit rather than a shortie.
Dive watch or computer If you are diving whilst on expedition you must have a watch or dive computer. You will not be allowed to dive without one. This is something that you will need to buy as they are not available to hire, ensure that the watch is waterproof to at least 50 metres depth as anything less than this is unlikely to be waterproof! They are available for a very reasonable price from a number of outlets. This will also be very important for those of you undertaking dissertations.
Mask and Snorkel There is a limited supply of masks and snorkels available for hire, plus for hygiene purposes we suggest that you buy your own, plus masks come in many shapes and sizes and an ill-fitting mask can be miserable! Many dive outlets sell them, but trying them on before you buy is highly recommended.
Fins and Booties As you will be walking to and from boats it is compulsory that you have either a pair of booties or TEVA sandals or similar to do this. These may also be able to be worn with your fins. Fins come in two varieties, full foot fins (booties not necessary), and fins with straps that require neoprene booties. Which ones you use is very much a personal preference however whatever style you choose to wear when diving or snorkelling you will still need to wear booties to walk in the water with. There are a limited supply of fins available for hire and again as per the mask, ill-fitting fins are very uncomfortable, so it may be something that you choose to invest in.
Swimsuit and rashvest As Indonesia is a Muslim country, men and women need to ensure that they are modestly covered at all times, this includes when preparing to get in the water. You will be getting into your wetsuit prior to getting on the dive boats but so as to not have to put your wetsuit all the way on immediately we suggest that you bring a rashvest that can be worn over a bathing suit/bikini and under a wetsuit for modesty and comfort.
Sunblock Please bring plenty of waterproof sunblock SPF 25 minimum. The sun in Indonesia is very strong and you can get burnt within minutes.
Sunglasses A good pair are important to protect your eyes from the glare reflected from the water.
Footwear You will need to wear something on your feet every time you enter the sea. If you do not have a pair of booties, best to bring either Teva type sandals or crocs. Flip flops are not suitable for this purpose.
Hat An important barrier against heat stroke and good to wear on the boats as well.
Lightweight waterproof jacket Unfortunately, it’s not always sunny, and a lightweight windcheater/waterproof jacket is invaluable for keeping you warm on boats.
Sheet sleeping bag Every hut has a bed that has a mattress, a base sheet and a pillow. You will need to bring a sheet or sleeping bag liner to sleep under at night time. The bed itself is covered by a WHO supplied pre-medicated mosquito net.
Insect repellent There are mosquitoes on Hoga - it is strongly recommended that you use a repellent with at least 40% deet but also have a look at this link to insect repellents. 'Mosi-Guard' is an effective, environmentally friendly insect repellent.
Underwater slate, notebooks and pencils A requirement for all projects. You will need the slate to record your data underwater, we suggest A4 and then a project book to write your data in as well as transferring it onto a computer.
Torch A torch is needed when you are walking back to your hut at night. We suggest a head torch as this is far easier to manage, plus as there is no electricity in the huts it means that navigating your way around is far easier than having to hold a torch as well.
Biodegradable soap and shampoo etc Please bring biodegradable soap and shampoo with you to Hoga. Shampoos are available on-site however Indonesia does not stock biodegradable products.
Water bottle You will need to be constantly drinking water to replace fluid losses so a water bottle is essential. We prefer people to being one with them as recycling facilities in-country are very poor so we are are encouraging our volunteers to help this by reducing the number of plastic water bottles used.
Padlocks On Hoga we have safety deposit boxes and lockers. Please bring a padlock for both your locker and your safety deposit box. We recommend the combination type as this ensures access without keys, which are easily lost.
Communications Although we do have mobile signal on Hoga, it is not always reliable. However we do sell Indonesian SIM cards and credit on the island so if you have an ‘unlocked’ phone that you could bring with you this could be used for essential communications. There is also a very slow and unreliable internet service that you can pay for, but this should not be relied on as a forms of communication.
Project specific equipment Depending on the dissertation that you are doing will dictate which specific equipment you need. If you are doing a dissertation your project leader will advise you of what to bring, the above should cover those of you who are not undertaking dissertations.
Clothing advice On Hoga Island, where you will be based for the majority of the marine projects, most local people (other than those associated with Operation Wallacea) live either forty minutes walk away from the research base or across the water, therefore clothing restrictions may be relaxed slightly although please remember that you are still in a Muslim country and will need to have shoulders and knees covered for the entire journey to site upon landing into IndonesiaSarongs are a useful item of clothing as are knee length board shorts. As mentioned in the forest section, certain items of clothing are not appropriate due to cultural attitudes ; we hope you understand and respect this conservative sentiment – your suntan may be slightly compromised but you will leave knowing that you haven’t offended any of the locals. You are not able to do your own laundry on the island, the landlord of each hut does this for you for a small fee. You will not need to bring many items of clothing with you, but please find a suggested list below.
Once on Hoga (when there are no local visitors on site) it is acceptable to wear shorts, no higher than mid thigh and strappy tops but shouldn’t be too revealing with midriffs needing to be covered at all times
Dive knife This is a recommended but not essential item.
Medical Kit Although every expedition will have its own medical supplies, and medical teams on site, you MUST carry your own personal medical kit. This way you will be as self sufficient as possible, and able to treat minor scrapes and injuries yourself, which is vital when, for example, you are involved in a jungle training exercise. The following are essential items:
You may also wish to consider taking the following:
Please note: Tampons are not available in Indonesia.
Important If you need to take prescribed medicines whilst on expedition, please bring sufficient supplies to cover your stay. For example if you are asthmatic you MUST bring you own inhalers, or if you have a history or recognized risk of going into anaphylactic shock due to an allergy, you must supply your own Epipen. Always waterproof and clearly label drugs (with generic, rather than trade names). Occasionally there are restrictions on travelling with certain medicines. If you think this may be relevant to you, please contact your Home Office Drugs Branch (in the UK: 0207 273 3806). The classic book, Malay Archipelago by Alfred Russel Wallace provides an excellent background to the area of Indonesia now known as the Wallacea region. This book which was published in the 1850's can be obtained from Pisces Conservation in ebook format for £14-40 if you contact them directly (tel +44 (0)1590 674000 or email pisces@irchouse.demon.co.uk).
The best bird guide is A Guide to the Birds of Wallacea: Sulawesi, the Moluccas and Lesser Sunda islands, Indonesia by Brian J Coates and K.D. Bishop. 'Reef Fish Identification-Tropical Pacific' by Gerald Allen has also been suggested as a useful fish ID book for those going to the marine site.
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