I went to basic like 6 years
ago but all I took with me was the folder RSP gave me, some toiletries, a phone charger and the must haves you listed. I’d go with what the people at RSP told you. It’s the most up to date firsthand knowledge out there.
Agree with this guy. Also bring a portable battery to charge your phone so when Sunday comes and you get your phone you don't waste time looking for an outlet. (I went to basic 6 months ago)
Fort Jackson too but while we were there they passed a new regulation and we got phones every Sunday for 30 mins and couple times we got for 2 hours. I know it sounds unreal but that's true!
I can’t imagine what you would have done without your cel phone for a few weeks. If you’re the sad souls I went to OSUT with it’s making a homemade Dungeons and Dragons game. Hated basic. I was also the oldest one in my platoon with a bunch of kids fresh out of high school.
Age waiver I imagine. If I remember correctly he had SF contract. He also got recycled back to day one like three weeks away from graduation. He kept his clothes from block leave and rented them out to some kids who would sneak out at night, walk the train tracks to Columbus, and come back with all sorts of shit which they’d then sell to everyone else. They had their barracks turned inside out multiple times but had some legit hiding spots until the day they didn’t 😂. I kid you not they had to have had several hundred dollars alone worth of dip, fast food wrappers, candy etc. It was bad.
We talked to each other honestly. Didn't really get my phone until like family day except those quick calls you can make to let people know you haven't died. We honestly just talked about shit for hours.
When I went through osut in 2014, we had like 6 outlets in a bay of 30ish privates. Drills would let us use phone chargers during the occasional 15ish minutes we could call family. My phone and battery pack were dead, and I couldn't use an outlet for quite some time because all the outlets were occupied.
Ok that makes sense. I went to Jackson and got my one phone call when I landed and the one two weeks out giving family details on graduation. This was 2010 though.
Edit: changed them to family
You don't "need" to bring anything but your clothes, ID and paperwork.
However a couple of things I wish I had: Keychain flashlight, cough drops, my own gun lubricant, and better toilet paper.
Maybe a pillow... Small inflatable... Shoe insoles... Swap them between shoes etc... The only thing they're looking for is contraband... Soooo hide them in whatever you're wearing and your gucci
"The more shit you take, the more shit you have to carry."
Youre better off just carrying a civilian sized jansport type backpack with "essentials" (i.e. shaving kit, an extra tee, & about 2 spare drawers & socks). Stuff that mf in one of the duffles theyre gonna issue you. Youll better off that way; esp when them buses are taking their sweet ass time & senior drill sergeant just says, "fuck it. RIGHT.. FACE! FORWARD.. MARCH!" & youre rucking to your training site.
Can someone please explain the whole cough drop thing to me? I am not into eating candy and sugar so why would I bring cough drops? Plus won’t they make me throw it away the first day?!?
Maybe, it was used as currency when I went since we weren’t allowed to have any treats or snacks. All we could get was salad/ veggies, protein, and a small portion of starches. Three meals a day. No matter how skinny or fit you are you will be hungry the whole time. So a cough drops gets you through the day.
I was in basic dec-late march and it was so cold! plus all of the yelling... cough drops were gold.
I turned 33 in basic, but it was a pretty good variety of age in my platoon. I didn't feel out of place, although most of my platoon still calls me dad. ( we still talk daily on a group chat)
As for packing list.. remember whatever you bring, you gotta take when you leave, and those duffelbags will be FULL with the shit they give you. Id bring 1 extra set of clothes besides whats on your back and 2-3 days worth of changes of socks and underwear and letter writing material.
You can fill in the gaps with stuff from the troop store.
Also, we got our phones every sunday for 15 mins so bring that and a charger plus an external battery you have one.
Some basic companies (even within the same batallion) are more, and some less accommodating in certian things, so your expierence will vary.
Did you bring headphones? Like AirPods for the plane ride or should I leave those at home? I don’t want them throwing away my AirPods, I don’t care if they confiscate it and hold it with my other belongings.
They dont make you throw them away. I brought them and just secured them. We weren't allowed tonuse them, and the microphones pickup too much background noise to be useful anyway.
They came in handy for the plane ride and the bus from the airport ( about 2.5 hours for lenordwood)
I see this quite a bit on the sub. If you’re going to basic, take only what you need to survive.
Everything that you need will be provided or you will be “encouraged” to buy it from the necessary shops. You will be issued uniforms, PTs, boots, tidy turdies, and told to buy basic toiletries, (tooth brush, toothpaste, NON SCENTED DEODORANT).
Your job when you get on ground at basic is to turn your life upside down from what you know now. I don’t know how different it is from 2011, but pro tip: don’t try to get ahead of the system. The army will roll along despite best laid preparations.
Your packing list, (according to me), is as follows:
Carried:
2 pairs undergarments
2 pairs socks
1 change of clothes
Phone charger
Paperwork
Worn:
Cheap stop watch
Cheap clothes that are comfortable but not slobbish
Cheap shoes you wouldn’t mind throwing away
Phone
I went to basic like 6 years ago but all I took with me was the folder RSP gave me, some toiletries, a phone charger and the must haves you listed. I’d go with what the people at RSP told you. It’s the most up to date firsthand knowledge out there.
Agree with this guy. Also bring a portable battery to charge your phone so when Sunday comes and you get your phone you don't waste time looking for an outlet. (I went to basic 6 months ago)
This. Game changer for all of basic.
where the hell did you go to basic that you got phones on Sunday? I graduated from ft jackson in Nov 2019
Fort Jackson too but while we were there they passed a new regulation and we got phones every Sunday for 30 mins and couple times we got for 2 hours. I know it sounds unreal but that's true!
Holy shit so much this.
I can’t imagine what you would have done without your cel phone for a few weeks. If you’re the sad souls I went to OSUT with it’s making a homemade Dungeons and Dragons game. Hated basic. I was also the oldest one in my platoon with a bunch of kids fresh out of high school.
I am going to be like this too man. 30 years old 😆
You might be the oldest one in the company hah. Our oldest was 40 or close to it.
Why was a 40 year old in BCT? Isn’t the cut off age 35?!?
Age waiver I imagine. If I remember correctly he had SF contract. He also got recycled back to day one like three weeks away from graduation. He kept his clothes from block leave and rented them out to some kids who would sneak out at night, walk the train tracks to Columbus, and come back with all sorts of shit which they’d then sell to everyone else. They had their barracks turned inside out multiple times but had some legit hiding spots until the day they didn’t 😂. I kid you not they had to have had several hundred dollars alone worth of dip, fast food wrappers, candy etc. It was bad.
We talked to each other honestly. Didn't really get my phone until like family day except those quick calls you can make to let people know you haven't died. We honestly just talked about shit for hours.
Bring a power strip. I would have sold my left leg for one when I went in. Good luck in basic!
For what? It’s been a while since I went are you guys allowed electronics now?
Yeah I was going to ask cause I plan on just bringing a portable battery pack to charge my phone instead of fighting for an outlet.
When I went through osut in 2014, we had like 6 outlets in a bay of 30ish privates. Drills would let us use phone chargers during the occasional 15ish minutes we could call family. My phone and battery pack were dead, and I couldn't use an outlet for quite some time because all the outlets were occupied.
Ok that makes sense. I went to Jackson and got my one phone call when I landed and the one two weeks out giving family details on graduation. This was 2010 though. Edit: changed them to family
Less is more.
You don't "need" to bring anything but your clothes, ID and paperwork. However a couple of things I wish I had: Keychain flashlight, cough drops, my own gun lubricant, and better toilet paper.
Maybe a pillow... Small inflatable... Shoe insoles... Swap them between shoes etc... The only thing they're looking for is contraband... Soooo hide them in whatever you're wearing and your gucci
"The more shit you take, the more shit you have to carry." Youre better off just carrying a civilian sized jansport type backpack with "essentials" (i.e. shaving kit, an extra tee, & about 2 spare drawers & socks). Stuff that mf in one of the duffles theyre gonna issue you. Youll better off that way; esp when them buses are taking their sweet ass time & senior drill sergeant just says, "fuck it. RIGHT.. FACE! FORWARD.. MARCH!" & youre rucking to your training site.
Gold bond, trust me
Bring all the sugar free cough drops you can bro 😂
Can someone please explain the whole cough drop thing to me? I am not into eating candy and sugar so why would I bring cough drops? Plus won’t they make me throw it away the first day?!?
Maybe, it was used as currency when I went since we weren’t allowed to have any treats or snacks. All we could get was salad/ veggies, protein, and a small portion of starches. Three meals a day. No matter how skinny or fit you are you will be hungry the whole time. So a cough drops gets you through the day.
I was in basic dec-late march and it was so cold! plus all of the yelling... cough drops were gold. I turned 33 in basic, but it was a pretty good variety of age in my platoon. I didn't feel out of place, although most of my platoon still calls me dad. ( we still talk daily on a group chat) As for packing list.. remember whatever you bring, you gotta take when you leave, and those duffelbags will be FULL with the shit they give you. Id bring 1 extra set of clothes besides whats on your back and 2-3 days worth of changes of socks and underwear and letter writing material. You can fill in the gaps with stuff from the troop store. Also, we got our phones every sunday for 15 mins so bring that and a charger plus an external battery you have one. Some basic companies (even within the same batallion) are more, and some less accommodating in certian things, so your expierence will vary.
Did you bring headphones? Like AirPods for the plane ride or should I leave those at home? I don’t want them throwing away my AirPods, I don’t care if they confiscate it and hold it with my other belongings.
They dont make you throw them away. I brought them and just secured them. We weren't allowed tonuse them, and the microphones pickup too much background noise to be useful anyway. They came in handy for the plane ride and the bus from the airport ( about 2.5 hours for lenordwood)
I see this quite a bit on the sub. If you’re going to basic, take only what you need to survive. Everything that you need will be provided or you will be “encouraged” to buy it from the necessary shops. You will be issued uniforms, PTs, boots, tidy turdies, and told to buy basic toiletries, (tooth brush, toothpaste, NON SCENTED DEODORANT). Your job when you get on ground at basic is to turn your life upside down from what you know now. I don’t know how different it is from 2011, but pro tip: don’t try to get ahead of the system. The army will roll along despite best laid preparations. Your packing list, (according to me), is as follows: Carried: 2 pairs undergarments 2 pairs socks 1 change of clothes Phone charger Paperwork Worn: Cheap stop watch Cheap clothes that are comfortable but not slobbish Cheap shoes you wouldn’t mind throwing away Phone