I am visiting the Arfak Mountains in West Papua in July with a local guide and I am unsure what temperatures to expect and what kind of clothing to pack. I would be grateful for information from birders who have visited there. Do I need a down jacket? Is a down sleeping bag necessary or is it overkill?
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Arfak Mountains, West Papua (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter fsmith
- Start date
We went in October so maybe slightly different temps.
We needed a jacket early in the morning when we were making our way to the BoP hides and then sitting there before daylight waiting for the birds to show.
We had a lightweight sleeping bags which we did find useful on a couple of nights
We needed a jacket early in the morning when we were making our way to the BoP hides and then sitting there before daylight waiting for the birds to show.
We had a lightweight sleeping bags which we did find useful on a couple of nights
Jon Gallagher
Well-known member
I was in the Arfaks in May and wasn't cold once! I used a sleeping bag liner at night. Days were warm, occasionally hot.
jurek
Well-known member
The temperature changes from punishingly hot and humid lowlands (35oC+) to rainy, misty and coldish Afrak mountains proper (down to 10oC at sunrise when you look for most of the BoPs).
I had a light cotton t-shirt, light outdoor zip-off trousers and a thin raincoat. One elderly person from a twin group had to leave because he was overheating in the lowlands.
In the mountains I supplemented it with a long-sleeved shirt, a light fleece and a wool cap. Fleece is preferable to a light down jacket because of humidity, drizzle, mud and leaky tarpaulin roofs. Normal sleeping bag is sufficient.
Do you go to the alpine zone for the Snow Mountains Quail etc? There, a second fleece, a hat and gloves would be handy.
Rain and mud are frequent, have spare shoes. I use 5 l plastic zip-bags like used for packed lunch to put pieces of clothing when not needed, to prevent them from getting wet, dusty and muddy inside the backpack. 1or 2 large thin trash bags weight nothing but will protect you and your gear from the mud below and leaking tarpaulin roofs above.
I had a light cotton t-shirt, light outdoor zip-off trousers and a thin raincoat. One elderly person from a twin group had to leave because he was overheating in the lowlands.
In the mountains I supplemented it with a long-sleeved shirt, a light fleece and a wool cap. Fleece is preferable to a light down jacket because of humidity, drizzle, mud and leaky tarpaulin roofs. Normal sleeping bag is sufficient.
Do you go to the alpine zone for the Snow Mountains Quail etc? There, a second fleece, a hat and gloves would be handy.
Rain and mud are frequent, have spare shoes. I use 5 l plastic zip-bags like used for packed lunch to put pieces of clothing when not needed, to prevent them from getting wet, dusty and muddy inside the backpack. 1or 2 large thin trash bags weight nothing but will protect you and your gear from the mud below and leaking tarpaulin roofs above.
