What to Wear & Pack for Mount Bromo & Ijen Crater Sunrise Treks

So you’re thinking of going to see Mount Bromo and/or Ijen Crater and the “blue flame” at sunrise huh? Be prepared for some serious beauty & awe…and also some serious cold lol! It’s crazy how cold it can be at those elevations and time of day compared to the normal temps of 80+ degrees Fahrenheit the rest of the day in Indonesia!

Check out my post on the best way to see the sunrise at both Mount Bromo & Ijen Crater to maximize your time in Indonesia here!

Below is a quick what to wear & what to pack for visiting Mount Bromo {plus the Sea of Sand} & Ijen Crater for sunrise to prepare you for your visit! Feel free to ask me any questions you have in the comments below!

What to Wear & Pack for Mount Bromo Sunrise & Sea of Sand

Sneakers or lightweight boots {for just taking a jeep to the viewpoint, you only need to walk about 15 minutes or so, not intensive, so I only recommend boots for warmth, but they take up a lot of room in a suitcase so only bring them if you plan to wear them elsewhere on your trip}
Thick, high socks for warmth
Heavy sweatpants or workout pants
Thermals or leggings for under your pants {I wore fleece lined workout pants like these and could have used a layer over them it was that cold! My husband wore thermals like these or these and thick, performance sweatpants like these and he felt plenty warm enough!}
Layered tops: fitted base layer such as a tight thermal, sweatshirt, windbreaker jacket or shell type jacket on top {if you will be traveling Indonesia for a while & don’t want to worry about having a large jacket, I recommend a packable windbreaker such as this one that doesn’t take up much space}
Thick scarf you can wrap around your head and face for warmth during sunrise & to protect from the flying sand at Sea of Sand {see my full Mount Bromo & Ijen Crater post linked above for more details on this!} I HIGHLY recommend this scarf because it was what I had with me and was perfect for this!
Thick winter hat
Fleece lined gloves or mittens
Lightweight backpack, sling bag or drawstring bag with: water, handwarmers like these, a sarong or towel in case you need another layer wrapped around you {I did & was glad I had one!}, snack or protein bar {it’s a long morning}, hand & body wipes like these {you will thank me when you have them to freshen up after the Sea of Sand!}, sunscreen {once the sun comes out and you go to cross the Sea of Sand, it is very strong!}, chapstick {to protect from all the cold, hot, & windy elements, I recommend this one!}
Head lamp {helpful for walking in the dark, but not necessary for this trek per se}
Camera & spare battery {believe me, you will want to take TONS of photos & videos of this beauty!!} – if you will be using your iPhone or smart phone for photos & video, I recommend bringing an extra battery pack such as this one to recharge in the jeep between sites!

What to Wear & Pack for Ijen Crater & Blue Flame Sunrise Trek

Everything listed above with some additions
Consider lightweight hiking boots for this trek as it is much more intensive than Mt. Bromo, but again, if you don’t want to lug them in your luggage the rest of your trip, sneakers are fine. I wore running shoes & my husband wore hiking boots, but his were old and he threw them out after this trek so he didn’t have to keep them in his luggage. If you don’t have the best balance, then go with the boots for this hike.
A short sleeve base layer may be better for this trek as it can get very warm when going uphill & you may want to strip down.
I recommend a zip sweatshirt as your sweatshirt layer so you can easily de-layer & re-layer throughout the hike {I was often doing this}.
A smaller or lighter drawstring bag or sling bag {such as this one or this one} is best for this type of trekking rather than a full size backpack as that will be very bulky and can get in the way while hiking making it more difficult to keep your balance.
A headlamp is a MUST on this trek {these are the ones we used & they were great!}
Gas mask for going down into the sulfur mine {you can rent one at Ijen for cheap so just do this}.

Have a great time visiting these two beautiful spots in Java, Indonesia. They truly are magical places!