Dear Anxious Military Recruit,
So you decided to join the military? Great! You’ve gotten all kinds of paperwork, you’ve been to doctors offices and signed more things that you thought you could. Now all you have to do is wait for your MEPS date… oh yeah and pack. If you’ve ever wondered what to pack for basic training, you’ve come to the right place. I hope this article will help supplement the list that your recruiter gave you and ease your mind about heading off to training.
This is the part where I put in the disclaimer: my husband went to a special type of Army basic training called OSUT. While our experience with the Army may be different than your basic training experience, many of these tips could be beneficial to you as well. If you’re ever in doubt, stick to what your recruiter tells you!
When my husband was getting ready to go to basic training I spent a lot of time thinking of every possible scenario where I would need something and he wouldn’t be able to get it for me, then I made him do things in advance to thwart off these possibilities. But the truth is that it was a whirlwind. Nothing got done in the timeline I would’ve hoped and there we were… 2am the night before he left, packing a backpack of things for him to take with him. Oh boy, was I angry. Whatever you do, don’t be this guy. Please. Let me say it again for the people in the back. Don’t wait until the last minute to pack. Wait, one more time, I’m going to say it again so your wife and your mama don’t have to: GO PACK YOUR SHIT NOW. RIGHT NOW.
Good. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way we can get on to the “what to pack” section.
What to Pack for Basic Training
Something you will learn quickly in military life is that people will tell you what to do and have zero intention of following through on the said task. For example, you will be told time and time again to have your dress blues ready to go… for them to sit in your car all day and nothing to come of it. So just get used to it.
This begins when the recruiter hands you a packing list. There will be 40 or 50 items on that packing list and the minute you show up at basic training they will make you dump your stuff out on the floor and throw 90% of it away. Welcome to the military, get over it.
Being the over-achiever that I am, I went out and bought everything on the packing list for my husband. I wanted him to feel special and loved, even when I couldn’t be there to tell him so myself. So there I was in WalMart, buying the cute matching travel shampoo and conditioner set. When I realized most everything I had in my hands was green it was a sign, then I got a green toothbrush and shaving cream and toothbrush cover and razor… just so it all matched.
Then I went home, got out my trusted sharpie, and wrote his last name on every single hygiene item I had purchased. Ladies, don’t waste your time and money. The only thing they let him keep of the whole shot was the shaving cream.
I’m not telling you to not get what is on the packing list. Buy the packing list!!
This is the number two thing that you will learn about military life. You must have the entire packing list. Even if you will never ever ever use 5,000 yards of paracord, three boxes of cake mix and 4 rolls of laminating paper. If it’s on the packing list, you need to have it.
Those things being said: buy the packing list in the cheapest way possible and expect it to be thrown away.
As you move through basic training and get further into your career, you learn what things you actually use and what you just have to pack because the list says so. Now when we go shopping for a packing list we buy the minimum quantity of the cheapest version of the things he never uses, and we splurge for the really useful things. This is just something that you need to trust you will get the hang of as you go along.
With this mindset, I hope you can take these packing list ideas and make them work for you!
The Basic training Packing List
I’m going to reiterate again, get everything on the packing list. Don’t spend a lot of money on it, but get everything on the list.
When you are buying things for the list it is important to remember that they mean what they say. When the list says “white socks with no logos”, they literally mean no logos. I know, it’s almost impossible to find. If you have a Costco or Sam’s Club membership, this is where we found them. If not you could try WalMart, Amazon or even the dollar store. Generally, the cheapest places have the items you need without branding on them.
*Side Note: The dollar store is a good friend when shopping for packing lists. Army schools are much like basic training, they require you to carry a whole load of stuff you will never use. Our first trip is always to the dollar store and whatever we can’t get there, we buy at WalMart or online.
Stationary
So many pens. My husband goes through pens like none other. Army standard is that you should have two on your person at all times. So every time I wash OCPs, I find a couple pens in the washer and two more get taken out of the cabinet. Welcome to Army life.
Pencils are also good to have so buying a couple cheap packages couldn’t hurt.
If you write as often as my husband and I did, writing out names and addresses can be a pain in the butt. Pre-addressing some envelopes and sending them along with your soldier is a good way to encourage them to write to you!
The need for paper is dependent on how much you plan to write home. But you will also have to take notes. There’s no need to take a ton of notebooks with you, you will have the chance to buy them when you make trips to the PX. Having one notebook so you can start writing on your way there or as soon as you get there is helpful.
A couple tips for buying notebooks:
- Buy paper with blue lines. In the Army, you have to use a headlight with a red lens if you plan to read or write after lights out. If you are using a red lens to look at something written in red (such as the lines) you won’t be able to see it. Then you send a letter home to your wife where it looks like you completely ignored the lines and forgot how to write. This happened to my friend, we made fun of her husband for weeks until we found out why he chose to ignore the lines.
- We are not talking full-sized notebooks here. You want the ones that are about half-sized and bound at the top. They fit in your OCP pockets. Plus, you don’t have a ton of room in your locker. You will run out of space so buying unnecessarily large items is a bad way to start off.
rite in the Rain Paper
Did you know there is such a thing as waterproof paper??!!? This blew my mind when I found out. I felt like the first 22 years of my life were a lie. Anyway, waterproof paper is super cool and very useful for when you are in the field. You can find it on Amazon for a lot cheaper than it is sold at the PX or your local gear store.
A Watch
Watches make the world go round in military life. But the trick to getting to keep yours during basic training is to take a not so fancy one. Many schools ban watches with things like GPS signals, barometers, and thermometers. All you need is something that tells military time, has a stopwatch, and an alarm function. Something that has a backlight can also be helpful too.
My advice to you is to buy a super cheap (I mean like $10 or less cheap) watch to take to basic training. It will get beat up when you are there. Then when you finish training you will have a better idea of what you want out of a watch and can buy the pricer version.
HeadLamp
You might want to ask your recruiter about this one because they may want you to buy their version instead of bringing your own. If they okay you to take one of your own, you can generally buy a better quality headlamp for cheaper than you will pay at the PX. Look for ones with a lot of lumens (preferably 200+) that have multiple lenses, red and green are a must but blue can also be helpful too.
We had the best luck with headlamps at Gander. They also sell them at WalMart and any other place where camping gear is sold.
Running Shoes
I don’t suggest taking brand new running shoes, be sure to break them in first.
You may not get to use your own shoes right away, this depends on the rules your Drill Sergeants set, but there is a good chance that you will tear through your issued pair of running shoes and they will let you use your own pair partway through.
Pictures
Taking along pictures of your family can be a good way to get through the rough first days away from home. Be sure to take small, wallet-sized, photos that are appropriate (no nudes, just don’t do it).
*A Note for Wives: As my husband was getting ready to leave for basic training, I printed off wallet-sized photos of us and wrote little sayings on the back. Love quotes or words of encouragement work well. I hid them in my husband’s wallet and he found them one day when he really needed to hear from me. God works in mysterious ways, you never know when your prior planning will really help your loved one through a tough time. One of the biggest things I’ve learned as an Army wife is that you don’t have to physically be with someone to help them through challenges.
As I said before, the recruiter will know more about what is and is not allowed at training. But remember, it has been a long time since they went to basic training and chances are that things have changed dramatically since they went. The best way to know what is coming is to talk to someone who recently went through it at the same base you are going to. Even then, Drill Sergeants come and go and therefore rules change. Each cycle is different and you can never truly be prepared for everything that will be thrown your way.
Just remember that many many people have made it through before you. Basic training is designed to be tough but it is also created to turn civilians into soldiers. If you do what you are told and try your best, you will make it through with minimal scathing. Besides, now that you know what to pack for basic training, you’re leaps and bounds beyond your comrades.
Best of Luck!
God Bless,
A Real Life Army Wife
Still debating on joining the military? Check out this post for my tried and true method to deciding if serving is right for you?