Do you need any essential gear for a longhouse visit in rural Sarawak? What kind of climbing shoes should novice climbers look for? Our gear experts clue you in.
MY family and I (wife and two kids, aged nine and 13) have signed up for a longhouse visit to Batang Ai, Sarawak. It will be our first experience staying in a village and with a host family. The itinerary includes a short day trek with the local guide, waterfall visits and boat cruises during our five-day stay. Is there any specific gear we should bring? Pampered urbanites, Kuala Lumpur
The ride from the main jetty to the nearest village in Batang Ai takes at least 45 minutes on a long boat without canopy. There are numerous longhouses in Batang Ai that provide visitors a chance to experience life with the Iban community. Some longhouses are well-equipped with modern facilities while others are rather “rustic” with only basic infrastructures. Anyhow, here are a few essentials you should consider:
Headlamp: Most longhouses do not have electricity or if they do, it is usually generator-powered. To minimise energy cost, most households switch on the generator for only a few hours in the evenings. A headlamp is really useful if you don’t want to fumble your way in the dark when you need to use the bathroom.
LED lantern (with spare batteries): If your kids don’t like sleeping in pitch-dark spaces, an LED lantern can come in handy. (A good LED lantern can run up to 40 hours on low beam.)
Numerous longhouses in Batang Ai provide visitors a chance to experience life with the Iban community. Extra batteries: In case you need them for your camera.
Toiletries: Bring your own since your hosts will likely not provide shampoos, soaps and toilet rolls.
Bedding: To ensure a good night’s sleep, you’ll want to bring your own sleeping liners, pillowcase, sleeping bag and mosquito nets.
First Aid kit: Chances are, you are at least 20km away from the nearest clinic. Make sure your First Aid kit is well stocked, especially with items like charcoal pills, oral rehydration salts and adhesive bandages.
Life vests for kids: Most boats ferrying visitors to longhouses provide life jackets. However, do check with your tour guide if they provide life jackets in children’s sizes. If not, bring your own as a safety measure.
Wide Brim hat/caps: The ride from the main jetty to the nearest village in Batang Ai takes at least 45 minutes on a long boat without canopy. Protect your head from the scorching sun.
Most of the gear can be purchased at a local hardware shop, except the headlamp and life jacket. It is worth investing in good quality headlamps and PFDs. You can buy a cheap LED lantern for about RM20 at night markets. Stuff like bed liners can be brought from home. In really remote longhouses, some of the mattresses may be riddled with bed bugs that will terrorise city slickers!
Keong Lye Choon, gear improvisation guru cum bushcraft instructor
I have been rock climbing for about six months now, mostly in the climbing gym and a few occasions at Damai, Batu Caves. However, I’ve been wearing my friend’s old climbing shoes and they don’t fit well. I’m looking to buy a pair for my climbing trip to Krabi in December for around RM400 or less. Any suggestions? Stoked about Krabi, Putrajaya
Choosing the right climbing shoes is perhaps the most important and also the most tedious task a new climber has to face. Most brands offer a range from decent to top-grade shoes and different models for different skill levels.
Nowadays, the difference in rubber quality is negligible and most shoe brands use Vibram (high performance rubber soles) soles.
A selection of climbing shoes from Camp5: (from top to bottom) Millet, Five Ten, Evolv, La Sportiva and Saltic. Each brand has developed its own “last”. (A “last” is a solid foot-shaped model around which a shoe is built. The last gives shoes their anatomical definition like instep height, heel and toe dimensions and width.
Shoe manufacturers take that last and sew the inside of the shoe around it.)
Depending on the brands, these lasts can fit you perfectly, or not. That said, you have to try out many models until you find the perfect fit.
The salesperson may not be too happy but this is the only way to do it. You will know when a shoe fits – it makes this cool “slurping” sound when all the air gets pushed out as your foot slides in.
All shoes will expand, even the synthetic ones, so make sure they are snug. Your toes must touch the front of the shoe but if it’s too tight, you will suffer.
A beginner should go for flatter shoes, as opposed to “down-turned”/cambered or radically asymmetric shoes, so you can actually walk in the shoes on flat ground. Also, opt for shoes with lining, they are more comfortable. Leather versus synthetic is a personal choice. Synthetic uppers expand less than leather uppers but they tend to smell after awhile.
Climbing shoes come with laces or Velcro but I prefer laces for their adjustability whilst Velcro is popular with most Malaysians as they are more convenient.
Personally, I believe the hype about brands is overrated. When I first climbed The Pledge in Nyamuk climbing site, Batu Caves (rated 8a, The Pledge is touted as one of Malaysia’s best routes), I was wearing an old Bufo shoe. Currently, I wear Evolv shoes, and I prefer the Evolv Pontas Lace which fits me perfectly. But I also like La Sportiva, and I was climbing for years with the Five Ten Anasazi. Other brands available in Malaysia are Mad Rock, Boreal, Saltic and Millet.
With your RM400 budget, you can basically buy any model from any brand! At the end of the day, it is still your skills that count most, so again, choose the shoes that fit you best. Patrick Andrey, expert climber and climbing wall builder.
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