Travel gear for Bali

Travelers, tourists and adventures show up in Bali, sporting an assortment of gear. I often see married couples in Bali, who have been down to their local camping store, REI for example, and have bought matching khaki t-shirts, or a pair of olive convertible pants for their intrepid trip to Bali. Remembering what I looked like on my first trip here in 1993, I can see where they are coming from.

One of my favourite things to do, is browse online is travel / camping gear sites. Some guys like the DIY shop, I like the camping store. When I stepped off of a flight from Perth back in October 1993, I was wearing a raggedy pair of jeans, an old green work shirt and boots, that I been living in for several months while working on farms in Australia. In those days ladies used to wander the gangs of Kuta, with bundles of cheap batik shirts and pants, often suggesting a trade, a fleece for a couple of shirts. I vividly remember hating how hot my boots felt and buying a cheap pair of sandals, which lasted about 2 weeks. I was pretty clueless as to what gear to bring and hauled myself around Indonesia for 2 months, wearing a cotton money-belt, stuffed with travelers checks. Can you imagine how the last of those bills smelt, after being sweated through 60 days in a row?

Since living in Bali for a while, I’d recommend any traveler coming here to bring long sleeve cotton shirts with a collar, which can be comfy if you unbutton a good part of them. Also pack several Dry Fit shirts, which are super cool and light. For footwear I think sandals are good, the only thing is after busting my toe on someone else’s motorbike as I rode past, it occurred to me that a pair of Crocs might be just as useful, with toe protection. I know I definitely don’t want to be washing 2 pairs of socks everyday, so whether its Tevas or Crocs, pick some up.

What are your travel gear tips for Bali. Here is a great website for travel gear.