What to Bring to Army Boot Camp: Documents, Toiletries, and Cash

What to bring to Army boot camp comes down to a short list: your enlistment and identification paperwork, any current prescriptions in their original containers, your glasses, travel-sized toiletries, one change of underwear, the clothes you travel in, one combination lock, and no more than $50 in cash. Everything else you’ll need for the next 10 weeks is issued at the reception battalion or bought at the on-post PX during your first few days. Overpacking is the most common mistake recruits make, and it creates friction from the moment you arrive.

Documents to Carry by Hand

Your paperwork matters more than anything else in your bag. Keep it in a folder or envelope you can hand over quickly at reception.

A valid driver’s license or state-issued photo ID, plus your original Social Security card. Copies of the SSN card are acceptable if you have another government ID showing your number.
Every document your recruiter and the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) gave you, including military orders and the travel and meal tickets you receive on ship day.
Your childhood and adolescent immunization records if you can find them. You’ll receive additional shots during reception either way, but existing records help medical staff avoid duplicates.
A signed SF1199A direct deposit form, or a checkbook or voided check showing your account and routing numbers, so your military pay can be routed immediately.
Certified copies of marriage certificates, divorce decrees, or birth certificates for children under 18, if any apply. These establish dependent benefits and emergency contacts.

If you’re not sure whether a specific document belongs in the folder, ask your recruiter before ship day.

Prescriptions and Eyeglasses

This is where packing mistakes cost recruits the most time. Over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements are banned at Basic Combat Training. Current prescription medications are different: bring them in the original pharmacy container, together with a letter from your doctor listing every prescribed drug, including birth control pills.¹ Military medical staff review your prescriptions during reception and manage your medications from there. Arriving without the original containers or without a doctor’s letter means delays while everything is verified independently.

If you wear glasses, bring your current prescription pair, and keep the frames plain. The Army issues two pairs of military-standard eyeglasses and inserts for your protective mask during reception, typically around the third day of processing.² Contact lenses are not allowed. Army regulation specifically prohibits them during BCT, field exercises, and the gas chamber, and tinted, colored, or cosmetic lenses are never authorized with the uniform.³

Clothes to Travel In

Pack for the trip, not for training. You’ll be in Army-issued uniforms within days, so your civilian clothing needs are small:

A casual, comfortable shirt (no obscene graphics, no halter tops, no cut-offs), slacks or jeans (no shorts), and comfortable shoes you can walk and stand in for hours.
One change of underwear. White briefs for men. White, black, or neutral briefs and bras for women, with sports bras preferred. No thongs.
Feminine hygiene products as needed.
A coat or jacket if you’re shipping during cold months.

Socks and running shoes are a point where guidance diverges. The National Guard packing list recommends bringing six pairs of white calf-length athletic socks and running shoes from home.⁴ The Army’s standardized table to AR 612-201 lists both as items you purchase at the reception PX, where your feet are evaluated and you’re fitted for the right shoe.¹ The safe approach is to wear comfortable shoes to travel in and plan on being fitted for running shoes on-site. Ask your recruiter whether your specific training installation wants athletic socks from home.

Toiletries: Travel Size Only

Bring the minimum personal hygiene articles, all travel-sized, to cover your first day or two. You’ll buy full-size replacements at the PX with your initial pay advance.

Pack from home, travel-sized:

Shampoo and conditioner (1 oz)
One bar of soap or 1 oz liquid soap
Antiperspirant or deodorant, non-aerosol
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Disposable or safety razor (non-electric) with non-aerosol shaving cream
Comb, brush, or hair accessories in black or matching your hair color

Buy at the reception PX:

Full-size toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shaving supplies, and shampoo
Washcloth and shower shoes
Laundry detergent
A “bundle pack” for roughly $28 that includes a soap dish, toothbrush holder, combination locks, cotton swabs, moist wipes, nail clippers, a boot care kit, neck ID holder, and a toiletries bag

The PX trip is built into the reception schedule specifically so recruits can buy what they need.¹

Money and Banking

Bring no more than $50 in cash, traveler’s checks, or money orders, plus an ATM or debit card linked to the account you’ll use for direct deposit.¹ Military pay starts during BCT, which is why the direct deposit form or voided check is on the documents list above.

On the first day of reception, you’ll be issued a stored value card loaded with a pay advance to cover mandatory PX purchases like running shoes, toiletries, and the bundle pack. The National Guard reception guide lists this advance as approximately $250 for men and $350 for women, deducted from your first month’s pay.² The exact amount can vary by installation.

One Combination Lock

Bring one combination lock from home to secure your belongings during reception. Two more come in the bundle pack you buy at the PX.¹ The National Guard list mentions padlocks with two keys as an alternative, but combination locks are the standard choice since keys are easy to lose.⁴

What Not to Bring

The prohibited list is long and strictly enforced. Leave all of these at home:

Firearms, ammunition, pocketknives, or anything usable as a weapon.
Alcohol, tobacco products including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and chewing tobacco, lighters, and any illegal drugs.
Cell phones, cameras, laptops, tablets, MP3 players, and similar electronics. Expensive watches or jewelry beyond a plain wedding ring.
Any over-the-counter medications, vitamins, or supplements not prescribed by a doctor.
Magazines, books, newspapers, playing cards, dice, and any obscene or pornographic material.

When you arrive, you’ll receive an amnesty briefing that explains exactly what is and isn’t allowed. That briefing is your last chance to turn in prohibited items without consequences; anything found afterward can result in disciplinary action.² The simplest rule: if your recruiter’s packing list doesn’t mention it, don’t bring it.

What the Army Gives You on Arrival

The reason your bag is so small is that almost everything you’ll wear and carry for the next 10 weeks is issued during reception. Standard issue includes:

Multiple sets of Army Combat Uniforms (ACUs) and physical fitness uniforms
Combat boots and other footwear
Undergarments, socks, and outerwear
Field gear: web belt, pack, canteen, helmet, and load-bearing vest
Towels, a duffel bag, and basic hygiene supplies

Your civilian clothes are stored and returned when you ship to your next duty station or go home. Everyone trains in the same gear from the same starting point, which is the whole point. Show up with the right documents, a small bag, and the right mindset.⁵

1
U.S. Army (Future Soldiers). Standardized Table to AR 612-201 – What to Bring and Buy
2
Army National Guard. Reception Battalion
3
US Army Fort Leonard Wood. Contact Lenses in the Military
4
Army National Guard. Basic Combat Training Packing List
5
U.S. Army. Basic Combat Training