For those of you joining us in Indo this year, there are only a handful of days that sit between you and your dream surf trip to to the Land of the Milk and Honey. The excitement is starting to set in and you have turned your mother’s living room into a packing station.
Although you have made yourself a checklist, which will undoubtedly cover the basics, there is always benefit in receiving a list that contains the small make or break necessities from someone who has run a few trips on the island before. Christopher Bond. I recently had the pleasure of picking his brain and weeded out some insight on the small game changers that only travel experience can offer you.
Chris has been running Ticket To Ride surf trips in Indonesia over the past few years. Using both his travel experience and the increase of availability of certain things in Indonesia, his personal packing list has fluctuated over the years. For example, on one of his first surf trips to Indo, Mosquito spray was nowhere to be found on the entire island. Now you can pop into almost any little street store and buy yourself a bottle. In that being said, there are still tons of essentials that are hard to come by. Together with his help, I present to you a “Christopher Bond’s essential checklist to packing light for surviving a surf trip Indonesia“.
Passport:
Although this may be the most obvious one of them all, it is the most important. Without that little book, your dream of surfing Indonesian perfection will come a screeching halt! (bring photocopies)
Ticket:
Living in this digital age where everything is tucked away safely in a G-mail inbox can be a massive convenience, however, cell phone batteries do die on long haul flights. It’s better to have a printed out copy just in case.
Money:
We’re talking cold hard cash here. My colleague and Chris’s partner in crime on the Ticket to Ride Indonesia trips, Max Hepworth-Povey almost got deported from the country before even stepping foot out of the airport for not being able to pay the $30 for his visa. Of course he had the money in his bank, but his bank card was blocked when he tried to withdraw some cash, which meant he could not pay for the visa on arrival, this combined with no internet to call the bank, led to a two-hour long discussion/argument with the unfriendly Immigration Officials, until a Knight in shining armour walked by and lent Max the cash. Coincidentally this Knight was also called Max, so German Max, all of us at Ticket to Ride thank you.
Surfboards:
Depending on your ability, the waves you’re planning on surfing and the duration of your stay your quiver could vary in size/shapes but for the purposes of this blog and the trip we plan for Indo I’d say two boards would easily suffice. The kinds of boards you bring are up to you, I’m personally packing a groveling board, something with a lot of releases that has a more skatey feel for the playful smaller sessions on the beach breaks in Canggu. My second board is something that has a bit more hold and is more predictable/consistent for when the waves get a bit bigger and steeper, something that would go better for me on the reef breaks on the island hopping leg but in general a great all-rounder of a board. Having two boards means you always have a back-up which I’d recommend given the nature of the sport, any dings or creases could leave you out the water for a couple days while it’s getting repaired. Traveling with more than two boards could lead to further travel complications depending on which airline you fly with, some airlines for inter-island travel in Indonesia only allow two boards per passenger and charge for any more boards thereafter. If you’re on the real beginner end of the spectrum something like a Minimal or Hybrid shortboard would have you covered the whole way. The Minimal type shapes are the boards you’d generally find around for rental if you don’t have your own board. If you consider yourself to be more of a shortboarder or are expecting to shortboard but aren’t bringing your own board with then rentals will be harder to come by. Of course, Bali is an international surf mecca and surf apparel and boards for purchase will be easy to come by.
2-3 Sets of fins:
A surfboard fin is to your board what a coffee is to your morning… hugely important and non-negotiable! Bring 2-3 sets of fins, just in case you break, or lose a set. It’s fun to play around with different fins too, especially when you have so much time on a wave. Get your experiment on!
4 X Fin key:
Keys are notorious for vanishing almost in the same mysterious way that socks vanish. You can never have too many fin keys. They are everywhere and yet nowhere to be seen when you need one to screw your fins in your board. Without them you are nothing. The FSC ratchet is a great tool and will save heaps of time too!
3 X 6mm leashes:
Bring new (or slightly used) leashes, one for each board. They will undoubtedly get stretched by waves. Bringing your old leashes will in all likelihood leave you swimming for your boards, only to find them washed up on the reef and full of dings!
Quick fix (Surfboard repair kits):
Speaking of dings…Hopefully, you don’t need it, but just in case make sure you’ve got some on hand! Getting dings on a surf trip is highly likely. There are small surf shops in Indo that can fix bigger dings but it’s way more convenient to be able to fix minor dings yourself. There are a bunch of repair kits to choose from. Solar Res is the preferred choice, it dries in seconds in the sun allowing you to get back out there ASAP!
3 X Blocks of tropical surf wax:
Wax, like fin keys and sunblock, is something that you never seem to have enough of. It seems to be something that is shared and before you know it, it’s all gone. Having spare blocks is essential. It is possible to get in Indo but most likely to be a tad more expensive than your home country. N.B: It must be tropical wax! If you accidentally buy cold water it will feel as if you have slime on your board. Not cool.
Boardshorts / bikini:
It’s recommended to bring along at least 3 pairs. This may seem a little excessive, but losing a pair or having a pair ripped and being left only with a pair of shorts to surf in won’t be fun! Although you will want to stay in your costume it is ‘refreshing’ and not to mention hygienic to get into a nice clean and dry pair after and before a solid surf.
Vaseline:
This is essential for those 2-3 hour sessions. The reason being, the warm tropical water dehydrates your skin quickly and can start to cause a chafe in places like, under your arms, belly and groin. Putting Vaseline there before going for a surf will create a protective layer and allow you to shred for much longer.
Sunblock (Face and body):
Having the correct sunblock is as important and as vital as a great attitude. Get yourself a facial cream as well as a body cream. It’s important to have these separate sunblocks. The distinction is this: Sunblock for your body seems to rub off quicker than facial sunblock. Don’t be misled to think you could use sunblock intended for your body on your face. Body sunblock seems to run down into your eyes. Blurry burny eyes is no fun.
N.B The Indonesian sun may not seem too harsh while sitting in but trust me, she is a brutal mistress that pretends to bronze the skin but behind the scene is giving you one hell of a burn! Use nothing less than SPF 50.
Wide brimmed hat and peak:
A wide brimmed hat would not only keep your face out of the sun but the ears and back of the neck too and perhaps the shoulders. I personally enjoy surfing with my Ticket To Ride peak. It only allows me to stay out longer!
A pair of sunglasses:
So we have the skin protected, a good pair of Sunglasses is another great buy to protect those eyes from the glare, especially during those picturesque sunsets. There are heaps of little shops that you can buy cheap sunglasses from, however, it’s not recommended. The lenses are cheap plastic and won’t do the job they are intended for.
2 X Pairs of flip flops:
Easy and comfy slip on and off flip flops can be worn pretty much throughout the trip. Except during the hike. 🙂 2 pairs is a great idea. However, buying a cheap pair when you are there is super easy and can be done at almost any store.
Water bottle:
We provide fresh water on the trips, not only to save you money, but to play our little part in saving the environment also.
Small First Aid Kit:
This doesn’t need to take up your whole bag, but having a small first aid kit with some essentials is a great idea! The kit should contain:
- Ear drops- for infection
- Eye Drops
- Bandaids
- Immodium- For Bali belly
- Rehydrate- (not for the hangover) But for the runs and sunstroke!
- Ear plugs- If you are prone to ear infections
- Broad spectrum antibiotic
All of the above can be bought at your pharmacy.
And for the ladies:
If the trip falls on that time of the month, don’t forget to pack those personal care items.
Loose long sleeve shirt or a sarong:
This is a great sun protector out of the water. It must be loose as it’s damn hot there and a tight shirt would not be comfy!
Go Pro:
If you have one… BRING IT! Crystal clean water, epic waves, incredible snorkeling, volcano hikes and water rafting. A Go Pro to capture all those awesome moments would be kickass! 🙂
