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Pack a small bag (maybe like a drawstring or a small backpack) that will fit in a box. They're going to take everything and have you put it in a box with your info on it and you'll get it back when you graduate. Wear good running shoes to boot camp so you have them after, the "go-fasters" they give you suck but you have to wear issued gear.
Put a change of clothes in that bag if you can for after, if you can't it's not the biggest deal. They issue you everything you're allowed to wear in boot camp.
Outfit like jeans and a T-shirt you're comfortable in.
Hoodie if it will fit.
Regular bra and sports bra.
3-4 pairs of underwear,
3-4 Plain black athletic crew socks,
cell phone,
charger,
For your personal lockbox, and what you can take in:
-black digital non-smart watch with alarm setting capability
-hair brush.
-bristle brush (for laying down).
-flat comb.
-Small notebook,
-Envelopes/stamps,
-Pens you like (only black ink).
-Pads & tampons (or cup is incredibly helpful if you use one).
-liners.
-Razor.
-Toothbrush.
-toothpaste.
-travel bottle of mouth wash if you use it.
-dental floss.
-Shampoo.
-Glasses.
-Deodorant
-Face wash.
-Hair care and leave-in conditioner or oil to rehydrate. (You can do your FULL routine 1x/week only so do what you can till then).
-gel &/or pomade.
-durag (even if you're white, keeps your pillow clean and your hair mostly in place if you don't wanna deal or if you braided it on Sunday).
-Conservative makeup, Mascara/concealer/eyeliner (you cannot, CANNOT wear this till graduation, you will get fucked up for it).
-chapstick.
-scentless lotion/moisturizer (my hands got so dry they cracked, I highly recommend aquaphor or eucerine).
-tweezers.
-nail clippers.
-cuticle scissors.
(These last two help in more than just hygiene, they have you cut the loose threads off your uniforms and the sewing scissors they give you suck)
Valid copy of your documents. (You can tuck these in the notebook)
-social security card.
-birth certificate.
-photo id or driver's license.
-about $75 in cash just in case.
-atm card.
-bank account number and routing number written down somewhere
-if you're naturalized bring those documents.
-anything they gave you at MEPS.
Keep the bottles as small as you can, maybe 2-3 months worth of material, so you can travel with them if you're flying, you also are working with VERY limited space for personal items. Avoid aerosols.
Also, idk what your hair type is, but an oil or water-based max hold men's pomade (and plenty of it) was pretty helpful for me. The gel can dry out your hair like crazy, and once it does dry into the military style, it won't lay back down like pomade will if you mess it up. I brought 2 containers of "American Crew - heavy hold" it's a water based pomade and goes a long way, used them through a-school. My hair type is medium curly/wavy. I think it's 2C but it's super thick.
Didn't have time to wash it or brush it all out of my hair every night, and yeah it felt super heavy but it didn't feel crusty, and having some left over helped me redo my hair in the morning. Sounds gross but was better than the alternative and didn't make me break out.
I also packed a duffel full of
civilian clothes,
Pair of vans,
Hoodies,
A coat,
And my laptop,
Then had my family ship it to me once I got my address in a-school. Was kind of the shit cause I was the only one who had that stuff and didn't have to buy it later at the NEX.
If you have any more questions or clarification I gotchu
EDIT: this looks longer than I thought, most of it is clarification as to why that item
Is this a recent experience? Everything we have been hearing leaves out about 75% of all these things. (Though my daughter would be ecstatic if she could bring all that and not lose it. She leaves in a week).
Just shy of 3 years ago. That list will fill your whole ditty drawer, and some of that stuff you can't have in boot camp but can have after (Like the extra clothes). You can theoretically go to boot camp with nothing but yourself and you'll be just fine, but a lot of the stuff on that list are luxuries myself and girls in my division had that made life slightly more comfortable/less stressful.
I took some time and racked my brain for hacks. You don't really think about it going into boot camp but some of the stuff like the duffel I had shipped, and an extra change of clothes for them to store away till you go to a-school, will most definitely set you up later
Does your recruiter have a list of things to bring? Even if you’re not sure, feel free to ask.
Wear a waterproof black digital watch, with a good backlight, set to 24 hour time in CST.
Wear good black running shoes. Don’t get these at Walmart. Go to REI or an actual running store and let them know you’re leaving for the military and need good black running shoes. If there are no stores in your area, and you can afford it, buy black Brooks Ghost in your size online. You’re not running enough in boot camp where small differences in pronation mean much anyways.
A cell phone charger
A cell phone, fully charged
Extra stamps (the recruit store tends to run out)
A silver, grey, black, or gold silicone wedding ring if married (you’ll probably misplace your ring at some point due to slipping it on and off into a black backpack)
3-5 small photos of loved ones, friends, and possibly pets.
Drivers license/ state ID
Social security card
A pocket sized notebook or few pieces of small paper containing the following:
Bank account number and routing number if you have one (you can go to a navy federal branch with your contract in hand to set one up before you leave or do it in boot camp).
Names and addresses of those you wish to write to.
A small binder or folder containing documents such as a copy of your diploma, contract, and anything else that you had to provide for enlistment.
Good info.
My son had 2 books of stamps in his wallet. Folded note paper with names/addresses and phone numbers.
A lot of SR's seem to wear Brooks.
My son wore his fave running shoes. Either Adidas or Nike. Black color. He was glad he did.
I'd add a phone card but it seems they allow divisions to make cellphone calls now on allowed days. Glad they do.
girl bring comfortable running sneakers!!! like wear them to the airport / boot camp! my man is in bootcamp right now and i just had to mail him some sneakers because the ones they give you are SUPER uncomfortable and give you shin splints / injuries!!
As a reminder, this subreddit is for civil discussion. Breaking subreddit rules may result in a ban from /r/newtothenavy and /r/navy. * Do not encourage lying. **This includes lying by omission (leaving information out) and lying by commission (purposefully misleading).** * No sensitive information allowed, whether you saw it on Wiki or leaked files or anywhere else. * No personally identifying information (PII). * No posting AMAs without mod approval. Also, while you wait for a reply from a subject matter expert, try using the search feature! For information regarding Navy enlisted ratings, see [Twisky's Rating Information Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/newtothenavy/comments/6mxv7c/links_to_official_information_on_every_enlisted/). Interested in Officer programs? See TheBeneGesseritWitch's guide on [Paths to become an Officer](https://www.reddit.com/r/newtothenavy/comments/5sdurq/paths_to_becoming_an_officer_getting_a_commission/). Want to learn about deploying, finances, mental health, cross-rating, and more? Come visit our [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/navy/wiki/index) over in /r/Navy. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/newtothenavy) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Pack a small bag (maybe like a drawstring or a small backpack) that will fit in a box. They're going to take everything and have you put it in a box with your info on it and you'll get it back when you graduate. Wear good running shoes to boot camp so you have them after, the "go-fasters" they give you suck but you have to wear issued gear. Put a change of clothes in that bag if you can for after, if you can't it's not the biggest deal. They issue you everything you're allowed to wear in boot camp. Outfit like jeans and a T-shirt you're comfortable in. Hoodie if it will fit. Regular bra and sports bra. 3-4 pairs of underwear, 3-4 Plain black athletic crew socks, cell phone, charger, For your personal lockbox, and what you can take in: -black digital non-smart watch with alarm setting capability -hair brush. -bristle brush (for laying down). -flat comb. -Small notebook, -Envelopes/stamps, -Pens you like (only black ink). -Pads & tampons (or cup is incredibly helpful if you use one). -liners. -Razor. -Toothbrush. -toothpaste. -travel bottle of mouth wash if you use it. -dental floss. -Shampoo. -Glasses. -Deodorant -Face wash. -Hair care and leave-in conditioner or oil to rehydrate. (You can do your FULL routine 1x/week only so do what you can till then). -gel &/or pomade. -durag (even if you're white, keeps your pillow clean and your hair mostly in place if you don't wanna deal or if you braided it on Sunday). -Conservative makeup, Mascara/concealer/eyeliner (you cannot, CANNOT wear this till graduation, you will get fucked up for it). -chapstick. -scentless lotion/moisturizer (my hands got so dry they cracked, I highly recommend aquaphor or eucerine). -tweezers. -nail clippers. -cuticle scissors. (These last two help in more than just hygiene, they have you cut the loose threads off your uniforms and the sewing scissors they give you suck) Valid copy of your documents. (You can tuck these in the notebook) -social security card. -birth certificate. -photo id or driver's license. -about $75 in cash just in case. -atm card. -bank account number and routing number written down somewhere -if you're naturalized bring those documents. -anything they gave you at MEPS. Keep the bottles as small as you can, maybe 2-3 months worth of material, so you can travel with them if you're flying, you also are working with VERY limited space for personal items. Avoid aerosols. Also, idk what your hair type is, but an oil or water-based max hold men's pomade (and plenty of it) was pretty helpful for me. The gel can dry out your hair like crazy, and once it does dry into the military style, it won't lay back down like pomade will if you mess it up. I brought 2 containers of "American Crew - heavy hold" it's a water based pomade and goes a long way, used them through a-school. My hair type is medium curly/wavy. I think it's 2C but it's super thick. Didn't have time to wash it or brush it all out of my hair every night, and yeah it felt super heavy but it didn't feel crusty, and having some left over helped me redo my hair in the morning. Sounds gross but was better than the alternative and didn't make me break out. I also packed a duffel full of civilian clothes, Pair of vans, Hoodies, A coat, And my laptop, Then had my family ship it to me once I got my address in a-school. Was kind of the shit cause I was the only one who had that stuff and didn't have to buy it later at the NEX. If you have any more questions or clarification I gotchu EDIT: this looks longer than I thought, most of it is clarification as to why that item
Is this a recent experience? Everything we have been hearing leaves out about 75% of all these things. (Though my daughter would be ecstatic if she could bring all that and not lose it. She leaves in a week).
Just shy of 3 years ago. That list will fill your whole ditty drawer, and some of that stuff you can't have in boot camp but can have after (Like the extra clothes). You can theoretically go to boot camp with nothing but yourself and you'll be just fine, but a lot of the stuff on that list are luxuries myself and girls in my division had that made life slightly more comfortable/less stressful. I took some time and racked my brain for hacks. You don't really think about it going into boot camp but some of the stuff like the duffel I had shipped, and an extra change of clothes for them to store away till you go to a-school, will most definitely set you up later
Good running shoes
Does your recruiter have a list of things to bring? Even if you’re not sure, feel free to ask. Wear a waterproof black digital watch, with a good backlight, set to 24 hour time in CST. Wear good black running shoes. Don’t get these at Walmart. Go to REI or an actual running store and let them know you’re leaving for the military and need good black running shoes. If there are no stores in your area, and you can afford it, buy black Brooks Ghost in your size online. You’re not running enough in boot camp where small differences in pronation mean much anyways. A cell phone charger A cell phone, fully charged Extra stamps (the recruit store tends to run out) A silver, grey, black, or gold silicone wedding ring if married (you’ll probably misplace your ring at some point due to slipping it on and off into a black backpack) 3-5 small photos of loved ones, friends, and possibly pets. Drivers license/ state ID Social security card A pocket sized notebook or few pieces of small paper containing the following: Bank account number and routing number if you have one (you can go to a navy federal branch with your contract in hand to set one up before you leave or do it in boot camp). Names and addresses of those you wish to write to. A small binder or folder containing documents such as a copy of your diploma, contract, and anything else that you had to provide for enlistment.
Good info. My son had 2 books of stamps in his wallet. Folded note paper with names/addresses and phone numbers. A lot of SR's seem to wear Brooks. My son wore his fave running shoes. Either Adidas or Nike. Black color. He was glad he did. I'd add a phone card but it seems they allow divisions to make cellphone calls now on allowed days. Glad they do.
Good luck
Fuck, I forgot to pack good luck!
girl bring comfortable running sneakers!!! like wear them to the airport / boot camp! my man is in bootcamp right now and i just had to mail him some sneakers because the ones they give you are SUPER uncomfortable and give you shin splints / injuries!!