What should a deploying soldier or civilian bring?

The military will supply both its own and contractors with various "mission-essential" items. Some of these are very useful and some are, quite frankly, just going to sit in your duffel bag until you can get back and turn it in, unused. Due to the wide variety of places to which people are deployed and the large number of those going, issued items don't always match what you will need. For example, some soldiers who were recently deployed to Djibouti were issued cold weather gear. This was, they were told, because the mission was under Operation Enduring Freedom - which is mainly concerned Afghanistan. If you are deployed as a contractor, you may get very little in the way of supplies and will have to purchase what you will need. Hopefully you can get the cost reimbursed from your company but if not, your tax advisor may have some advice as to how to deduct that cost from your taxes for at least some relief.

You can decide if you want to purchase duplicate items to substitute for what they have given you or not. You will also have to edit the list somewhat because they will not give you an unlimited amount of things you can bring, especially as a contractor. Contractors who processed recently through the CONUS Replacement Center (CRC) to go to Iraq, for example, could only bring one duffel bag and one very small carryon to last for their deployment. Some of these deployments were over a year. The deployment center will probably make you take everything on their list and they will want everything back that doesn't touch your body on a daily basis, and some things that do. You may be able to mail things home that you won't need or keep it at the location you are deploying from for when you get back.

Just remember that you'll have to carry everything you bring, sometimes over great distances, so remember when it comes to packing; less is more. Also, keep your items in some kind of logical order and pack them several times to make sure you have them in the best location and can find them easily. When you've been traveling for several days in a row and finally get to a bed at 3am, the last thing you want to do is have to hunt for something.

The list below is in one of many possible orders due to the fact that there are several ways you could categorize the items. You may not decide you need exactly what items are listed but still keep them as suggestions to prompt you into thinking about scenarios you may have overlooked.

The rules for packing are:
= Pack small
= Pack light
= Take only what you can't get downrange (or don't want to purchase again)
= Keep like things with like things in separate compartments
= Know where everything is well enough that you can reach for it in the dark
= If you don't have it when you need it downrange, you might as well have kept it at home
= When you're done packing, pull everything out, go back over what you're bringing and pull things out you don't absolutely need
= Repack everything
= Go back over everything again and take out what you don't need

I've added links as best I could to help you find what you need and so you know what I'm talking about. I had to make a choice between taking you to exactly what I carry or to a group of things that would be useful. I chose in most cases to give you a group so you could make choices that would suit you. I'd certainly like to see your ideas of what you bring along posted in the comments at the bottom.

Now, to the list:

One of the most important things to have on a deployment is a sleeping bag. Sleeping bags can mean the difference between sleeping comfortably and being miserable your whole trip. The problem is that sleeping bags can take up half a duffel bag. Your choice of bag will depend on what environment you are deploying to. In almost all cases, you'll be sleeping in at least an air-conditioned or heated tent, no matter where you go. There are certainly exceptions but you can't pack for every possible contingency - there just isn't room. One great choice to always have is the Mountain Hardwear Thermic Micro Lamina 45. With the correct size of waterproof compression sack, it squishes down to about the size of a football. You can use it as a blanket by unzipping it all the way down but crawl up into it when it gets real chilly.

You should also pack a small camping pillow just in case you aren't given linens or have to spend several days in one of the terminals waiting for a flight.

If you'll be staying in an open bay or near a flight line, Always pack earplugs and a sleep mask. Make sure you bring lots of earplugs if you bring the foam kind since you can only reuse them a few times before the inside of your ears start itching. Clean them off with alcohol if you do have to reuse them. This includes the non-foam kind.

Always bring a travel alarm clock. It's good to get up on your own schedule even when you have to live by someone else's throughout the day. Keep it as small as possible and make sure it's battery-powered. Try to find one that has a red light and a radio. Some of these are very inexpensive and are only about the size of a deck of cards when they're folded up.

If you can find it, a mini-sized rug comes in handy. Useful rugs can be found as small as 15"x24" and roll up to about 6"x3". The floors are usually pretty sandy or dirty where you'll be sleeping so they're nice to step on in the morning before you get your shoes on. If not, you'll want to a larger get one at the PX and just leave it when you move.

A small inflatable sleeping mat is a great thing to have if you may be sleeping in a cot or on the floor. Sleeping mats not only make it more comfortable, they give you a good bit of insulation to keep your body heat from sinking into whatever you're sleeping on. Try to find one that fits into the bottom pouch of your backpack so it's always available.

 

Socks and underwear are pretty obvious but mentionable unmentionables because they can be readily found downrange. If you are packing a lot of stuff and can't fit it all, you may want to consider taking only a few of each of these items to get you there. The PX will have something you can get there. If you are going to a very remote place with no PX and no local stores, you'll have to bring more. Sock liners are good to pack in your travel bag because they work just as well as regular socks if you wear sneakers and they fold up to about a third of what regular socks do. You can get regular socks when you get downrange if you decide you need them.

You should bring some kind of sneakers along if you can fit them in your baggage, even if you'll be wearing sneakers as your primary footwear. If you can wear whatever you want, you should consider some kind of hiking sneakers if you'll be on a base for your deployment. They make several models of hot weather sneakers that breathe well and have extra support for walking a lot. You should also have sneakers to work out in. Almost every military base in the world has some kind of workout facility no matter how few soldiers are there. You don't want to come back looking like you just sat around and ate cake for your deployment, do you?

A rain jacket and rubber overshoes are very important even in the desert. When it rains in the desert, the mud cakes on like Tammy Faye's makeup and you'll gain about five pounds in three steps. When you get back to the room or your office, you won't want to track that stuff in. You can just take off the overshoes and still have shoes on inside. The rain jacket is also good as a windbreaker, which is important at night in the wintertime because there is a significant drop in temperature from the daytime and your capillaries will adjust to the higher temperatures making you feel colder than usual.

If you are going to a hot climate, either desert or tropical, bring some self-wicking shirts. Hot weather golf shirts are an excellent solution. They are a lot more comfortable than cotton shirts. If you visit or work out of embassies, or need to attend meetings with military officers or officials, you'll need a collared shirt so the polo style works for that.

Make sure you have some kind of hat. Bring baseball caps and/or a foldable, hot weather sun hat. Heat can build up on your head with regular hats so consider lightweight hats.

Backpack - There are thousands of backpacks on the market. Each has their plusses and minuses. One good overall solution is the Camelback BFM, which is what I always take with me. The water reservoir can be removed if you like because water bottles are almost always available on deployments and you'll probably never use it but it's there if you need it. It is large enough to carry what you'll need if you go FOB-hopping around Iraq and small enough that they don't complain when you carry it onto a helicopter. Whatever you decide on, don't skimp on quality on the backpack.

Consider attaching fanny pack and pack a toiletry bag (a zippered pack about the size of a nerf football) which will allow you to remove your toiletry items when you need them individually. A fanny pack is especially useful when you fly because they don't usually count it as a carry-on so you can get away with bringing a little more on the plane with you and you can keep all your important stuff with you at your seat without having to reach for it. It can be strapped to the backpack when you don't need it immediately accessible.

550 cord is good stuff to have and comes in handy at the strangest times. You can use it whenever you are at a location where you are lucky enough to be sleeping on the bottom bunk. By stringing it across the springs above you, you can hang your laptop right above your head and watch movies a lot more comfortably than having to change positions every few minutes leaning on one elbow. You don't need to bring a lot of it because it's usually pretty easy to find downrange but you don't want to get caught without it.

To keep your clothing organized, consider using smaller bags that fit in the backpack. Large military toiletry bags are available that work great for this. Three of these bags fit perfectly in a decent-sized backpack and still leave room if you need it. Roll up all your clothes in them, to cut down on both the space needed and the wrinkles. You could probably cut down the space required even further if you just packed the clothes in the backpack directly but then they get all over the place and it's hard to find things. Organization is important.

When clothes get dirty, you need to separate them. Carry two mesh laundry bags so you have one with you even when you have clothes at the laundry facility. They will require that you take them the clothes in some sort of bag. The mesh ones just pack smaller. They're also good to hang drinks in front of the air conditioner as a sort of field-expedient refrigerator.

You'll want to get a decent-sized carabiner to hook on your flak jacket so you can hang your helmet instead of carrying it. You won't always want to wear your helmet and your hands will be pretty full with baggage when you're traveling.

You'll want to lock up your stuff while traveling. Since you'll usually have more than one thing to lock, get a set of padlocks that all take the same key or combination. If you bring a laptop, you should also get a laptop lock. To keep your laptop, flak jacket and all your duffel bags together, bring a bike lock that will snake through everything. This will not only preclude someone from stealing your stuff while you're in transient housing (they don't always give you a wall locker), you'll be able to lock everything together if you need to sleep on your duffel bags while traveling. On some deployments, you may have so much gear that you may have to lock up to three bike locks together. They don't take up much room but they weigh a lot for their size. Also keep a few TSA locks in case you want to lock up something small or have more things to lock than you have padlocks. The combination type is a better solution because you won't want to carry any more keys than you need to.

A Leatherman or equivalent can sometimes come in handy at the strangest times so always keep one on your belt. If you don't carry it, you may want to decide not to bring it. You'll find if you keep it with your gear that you never use it, but you'll reach for it a few times a week if you have it on your belt.

Bring some kind of very portable camera. As with the Leatherman, if you don't carry it with you, you probably won't use it so get one with a leather holder that stays on your belt. I carry the Canon Powershot SD790 IS Digital Elph. It uses the same cable as many USB portable hard drives do. The fewer cables you have to carry, the better.

Make sure you have a set of goggles with you. They should issue you some if you will be traveling by helicopter at some point but they'll come in very handy if you're ever caught in a sandstorm. I always keep a set of swimming goggles in case all else fails and I get caught in an unexpected sandstorm.

Speaking of dust storms, a microfiber neck gator is a great thing for when that sand-wall scene from The Mummy creeps up on you. You can also shield the back of your neck from the sun if your sunscreen keeps wiping off or runs out. For colder temperatures, a thicker neck gator, about the thickness of a pair of sweatpants is awesome.

Chap Stick, sunscreen and eye drops are important to always carry. You can keep sunscreen clipped onto your belt with a small carabiner if you find one with a loop hole. The eye drops are important for dry climates and for when you get sweat dripping into your eyes.

As any good NCO knows, you should always carry a pen and some paper. I always carry a few of those space pens that write anywhere because it fits in your pants pocket and always works. They're a little more than a regular pen but they don't get lost as easily and they fit in whatever I'm wearing. A waterproof note pad is great too because the paper will hold together better than others in addition to its waterproof properties.

If you're going to be anywhere near a base, you'll need to carry your ID somewhere that can be seen. A good solution is an ID holder that hangs from your neck. It's large enough to hold several ID's and keeps your passports and cash/credit cards with me at all times. You can also keep a spare key to your padlocks in there. Don't forget to make copies of your passport and IDs but keep them in a separate location.

Speaking of toiletries, in one of the attached packs, you can pack toothbrushes, toothbrush covers (the ones that only cover the brush end, not the whole brush), fingernail clippers, travel-sized toothpaste and shower gel. Always carry medicated powder (for your nether region) and keep it in one of several waterproof ziplock bags to keep the powder from getting everywhere. Also carry some clotrimazole, which is foot fungus gel but is also excellent for when the medicated powder isn't enough and you start getting a rash. It can't be stress enough how critical that has been for soldiers on many occasions. Keep a small tube of antibiotics as well and use it every time you get a scratch that breaks the surface.
Alcohol wipes are good for cleaning things like earphones and ear plugs and for when you can't take a shower, which may be quite often.

For both insect repellent and to soften the skin, consider getting some Avon Skin-So-Soft. It works great on mosquitoes and helps when the desert heat and wind start cracking your skin. It DEFINITELY works better than the issued bug repellent and isn't poisonous like most things on the market.

You may want to also pack an electric razor and shaving gel if you shave downrange. If shaving is a necessity, you may also want to pack a disposable razor in case the electric one breaks or runs out of juice before you can recharge it.

If you are going into a desert environment, bring some nasal spray. The nasal spray may actually help you sleep at night because the sand can clog up your nasal passages.

One of the best inventions for traveling like this is Micronet's Microfiber towel. This thing is wonderful. The 30"x50" one rolls up to about the size of a hot dog in a bun. It also soaks up at least as much as the towels you have at home.

This could also fit into the clothing category but a pair of shower shoes is a necessity. Make sure you get something that easily slips on and off your feet and can hold up well. The walks to the shower probably average at least 20 yards and are almost always over large-sized gravel. You may certainly have to walk farther. The water outside the shower stall gets pretty nasty and if your shower shoes don't come off easily, you'll have to keep them on while you slip your shorts on and off over them, getting the inside of your shorts pretty gritty.

During a deployment, there's usually not a lot to do other than work and sit in your room. Bringing electronics is something that can keep you sane. Definitely bring a personal laptop with a spare battery. This allows you to watch movies, write, play games, and lots of other things to make the time go faster. Even if you work 12 hours per day, seven days a week, you'll still have a lot of downtime. Since you probably won't have access to a computer help desk for personal use, bring backup software for everything you need. Some laptops have a partition that will restore it to like new but you'll probably still need to carry all the disks for everything else you have loaded.

You'll need some kind of case to carry your laptop in. I carry one made by http://pipergear.com but I can't seem to find a picture of it anywhere. I'll update this as soon as I do. A good solution that can be found easily at any decent-sized PX or online is a slip-in laptop case with a pocket on the outside. Find one made of a durable fabric and that is only a little larger than the laptop itself. You should try to be able to fit it into the backpack if you need to, although you should be allowed to carry it separately. The smaller, the better but it should be able to carry everything you'd need relating to your computer including your power cable, portable hard drives, cables, power adapter and thumb drives.

Bring at least one thumb drive and encrypt your personal information from home on it with some kind of encryption software. There are several good free programs available on the internet as well as the ones I've linked. You'll need to have personal information available such as contact information for friends and family, account and login information for bills and a to-do list for things you want to do when you get home. Make sure you encrypt this information though. Thumb drives get lost all the time.

You may want to carry two portable hard drives with you at all times. You can keep all your music backed up on one and movies on another, as well as your important documents or you can use them to backup each other if the information is critical. If you have the time (or a neighbor kid that wants to make a few bucks), burn all your CD's and DVDs to the drives. This saves a LOT of space and weight. Keep in mind that portable hard drives break all the time so keep your important data in more than one place. Just make sure they're the kind that you don't need to plug in or you may not get as much use out of them.

To play all that music, you'll need a good MP3 player. One solution is to use a little iPod with a clip attached. The clip is good to hang on your flak jacket or to keep your player in your pants pocket. Bring an extra set of ear phones as well in case you lose your first set or they stop working. Playing music or audio books is a great thing when you're doing mindless things.

To power your laptop, you'll probably need a power adapter for the country you are traveling to. Keep a spare one just in case. They are usually available at the PX but they have a habit of running out. Since you'll probably want to plug in more than one thing at a time, bring a multi-plug adapter of some sort. This could be a power strip (although they take up a lot of space) maybe a plug that has one input to the wall and three outputs. It's small and triples what you can plug in. Just remember that in most locations downrange, you'll only have 220V power available unless you pack a converter. It's better to just make sure everything you have will run on 110V or 220V. A power adapter will not change the voltage for you. You'll need a power converter for that but they're not very portable or reliable.

Batteries are usually available, especially AA's but you'll want to have at least one set just in case. Make sure you go through everything and see what sizes you'll need. If they aren't AA, bring at least one spare set for everything you'll take.

Lights are very important. Your list of lights you take may vary by taste and availability but here is a list some of the most important ones to consider. You will probably experience many power outages on deployment. I always carry the Surefire E1L Outdoorsman in my pocket at all times. It's been through two countries in Africa and two in the Middle-East with me so far. It's a bit expensive but it always works and it's as bright as larger flashlights. As with everything else, it doesn't matter how well something is if you don't have it to use when you need it, and this one fits nicely in my pocket. Just remember red lights save your night vision, green ones are for camouflage and yellow is for foggy or sandy environments. You can use white at night but remember to close one eye and cup the end with your hand so only a little comes through.

Get one of those snake-like USB lights for your laptop, especially if your laptop isn't backlit. You can use it to see what you're typing and to find things at night if you don't want to waste the batteries in one of your other lights. It's a lot better than having to keep leaning your screen down to light up your keypad.

Browning makes a great clip-on light for your hat. It has both red and white lights and is very bright for its size. Some use a headband light but this light is much better. You can use it the same way as a headband light if you clip it onto a hat brim but it's also great to keep in your toiletry bag or clipped to the springs of the bunk above you in case you need it. Try to get one that has both red and white lights. The red lights won't destroy your night vision and the white light will give you more light if you need it.

If you're sleeping in a tent or somewhere that scorpions are prevalent, consider getting some kind of UV light. Scorpions glow blue under a UV light so they're easier to see that way. You can also get bulbs to put in your lamp that light up UV if you want to keep them on all night.

This by no means a complete list and doesn't consider such items as first aid or weapons-related gear. You'll discover useful things and wish you had certain things all the time. Keep track of those things and improve your packing every time you leave. Hopefully this list will at least get your mind thinking about certain scenarios that you may run into. Keep in mind that people almost always bring more than they need.

Once you're done packing, go through everything and separate what you really need from what you can live without. Then unpack it all. Then do it again.

If you do it right, you'll usually end up leaving with about a third of what you originally pack. Keep in mind where you are going and try to get in contact with someone who has been there or even better, someone who is there. They would be the most qualified to help you decide what to take.

If you can't find someone like that, hopefully this list will help make your deployment more comfortable than it would have been. Please comment below if you have any comments or especially ideas of what you've brought to theater or even just camping that have made your life more comfortable.

Keep your head down and your powder dry!

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