What would you bring on deployment?

2016-10-28T02:45:01-04:00

Headed to an "Expeditionary" place with no hard structures and limited mail service (1-2 times/month). If you could take anything (within reason), what would it be, and why?

I have room for an extra footlocker, and I'm looking for ideas from some of the more experienced folks around here.

Pic for attention

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 2:52 AM

2016-10-28T02:52:02-04:00

As little as possible. When I was living out of tents for a few months with only MRE's, these are some things I wish I had more of. Shaving Cream, Deodorant++. I also had my laptop with a large external hard drive. Also, try to bring an extra charger as well.

Depending on what "expeditionary" location you are traveling too, usually depends on what type of stuff you need. You may have the room, but depending on your load can depend on if you even want to bring it. Spend your "off time" at the gym and on your laptop.

Cash also helps too instead of using your card. I used to hate swiping my card. Anything else, 1-2 times a month is great and you can get things sent to you. I wouldn't bring anything I did not need.

Response by SSG Shavonde Chase made Oct 28 at 2016 3:26 AM

2016-10-28T03:26:35-04:00

I never leave without a heating blanket. Some places get really cold or I am always the only cold person in the room.

Response by 1stSgt Eugene Harless made Oct 28 at 2016 5:12 AM

2016-10-28T05:12:49-04:00

You mean the Army doesn't give you everything you need? :)

Response by SSG Michael LeGrand made Oct 28 at 2016 5:26 AM

2016-10-28T05:26:04-04:00

Need I say anymore?

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 5:35 AM

2016-10-28T05:35:07-04:00

A really good pillow and an extra 1-2 inch pad for cot or bed a good night or day of sleep is very important. Extra batteries and a plug surger with extension cord, because you don't alway have enough plugs and they usually not close or none at all a good flashlight for those batteries.

Response by SCPO Jason McLaughlin made Oct 28 at 2016 5:36 AM

2016-10-28T05:36:54-04:00

Gotta have good coffee!

Response by SFC Kenneth Hunnell made Oct 28 at 2016 5:53 AM

2016-10-28T05:53:29-04:00

A can of positive attitude, you will need it

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 8:01 AM

2016-10-28T08:01:44-04:00

Baby Wipes, Baby Wipes, Baby Wipes!!!

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 8:17 AM

2016-10-28T08:17:27-04:00

Entertainment, and anything that they might not have there that you think you will need. I'd bring a ton of PT gear, and spend my time doing PT and eating free food. A good laptop too, with an external hard drive with movies/games on it whatever you're in to.

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 8:32 AM

2016-10-28T08:32:20-04:00

Have done many of these, as we are the first ones in to start building up the areas.At first I use to take every thing I could and never used half of it. In mountains of Pakistan, we had a small camp the had nothing, at all, we were lucky to have a SOF COMS element with us out of Germany, so communication,as in internet, never went down. I would bring a serge protector, Extra Batteries, depending on location and environment and your mission, extra socks, cold weather under gear, other than issue, you can never have enough of. I would take some bed sheets, as they may have bunks, not cots, and the mattresses, sheets will not take up space. The biggest thing I would take extra of would be Baby wipes, and more Baby Wipes, and more Baby wipes. When we deploy on our own or isolated area, we take a Laundry IS 90, with laundry Machines and Dryers, and everyone eles loved us. My point to that story is check on laundry, and you may want extra powder detergent, to do it yourself sometime, If you put in your box Make sure to bag it well, customs, and Force Protection Might no like it if it leaked. The other is extra Gym shoes, and shower shoes, with a positive attitude, and if you have Engineers with you, get to know them well, Engineers can always make roughing it better. I mean Combat Engineer Types, Seabees and or Red Horse.

Response by 1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 8:38 AM

2016-10-28T08:38:03-04:00

Baby wipes; a coffee maker, preferably not glass; extra canteen cup; books; decent snacks to dunk in the coffee; extra poncho liner; a pillow

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 9:04 AM

2016-10-28T09:04:25-04:00

Photos of people you love and are leaving behind, couple good books and a laptop for entertainment purposes (dvd)

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 11:34 AM

2016-10-28T11:34:16-04:00

Tapatío because Texas Pete's and Tabasco sucks!

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 11:38 AM

2016-10-28T11:38:03-04:00

I'' bring my personal dji phantom drone

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Oct 28 at 2016 1:55 PM

2016-10-28T13:55:01-04:00

Baby wipes for cleanliness. A deck of cards. A good book or two or three. Something that you won't mind reading again if you blow through it really quickly. My favorite is the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy because it's funny, it contains 5 books and is like 1000 pages. Nice way to kill time or get a laugh.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Oct 28 at 2016 3:18 PM

2016-10-28T15:18:00-04:00

This is easy -- my loaded-up Kindle.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Oct 28 at 2016 6:09 PM

2016-10-28T18:09:14-04:00

Since everyone is giving the "right" answer, I'll give you another "right" answer. Porn. Laugh till it hurts, but let a HD pop out and see how much you can trade for what's on it, get additional material, or if you're heading to the Stan somewhere, it's really amazing what the terps will get for you just for you to "free the nipple". I learned that from outgoing grunts when I was incoming. I got a 1TB HD and all hell broke loose for the next year. Never left home without it.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2016 6:15 PM

2016-10-28T18:15:28-04:00

A tablet that is not an iPad. Load it with games that do not require internet. Micro SD cards that are filled up with movies and books. External battery charger. That takes care of entertainment with minimal weight. A couple of bottles of hot sauce. Maybe an extra pillow. Small fan. Protein if you lift and take it. Toilet paper that you prefer. I personally like the XL microfiber towels that you can get from clothing and sells. Easy to put up if you want to curtain your part of the room off and they are light and dry quickly. If you go out of the wire they are easy to pack and they have as many uses as your mind can come up with. 550 cord. I know a lot of use mio to mix in our water. Some Ibuprofen. a football. A reuseable cup/bottle. A second cleaning kit for your weapon. a Bluetooth stereo. coffee coffee coffee. extra cigs if you smoke. Extra juice if you vape.

Response by SFC George Smith made Oct 28 at 2016 9:23 PM

2016-10-28T21:23:07-04:00

Baby sister Took her Laptop with CD and DVD player and a few other things to help pass the Time on Both Deployments...

Response by MAJ Keira Brennan made Oct 28 at 2016 10:05 PM

2016-10-28T22:05:39-04:00

Baby wipes for the 4th Point of Contact. Fabreeze for NASTY Body Armor and Helmet. Prescription SPORTS Grade Sunglasses (like REC SPEC) if you need them. A Hoppes Bore Snake for rifle and pistol. A bunch of batteries. And seriously a Play Station Vita (in my day it was a PSP). I haven't been deployed since 2007. I was being considered for AFRICOM in 2012 and would have all that.

Response by CW2 Dave Copeland made Nov 1 at 2016 12:02 PM

2016-11-01T12:02:02-04:00

Drink mix (kool-aid, Gatorade, tea) because only having water to drink gets old quick. Cash, because you probably won't have access to an ATM but may want to buy something. Baby wipes, lots and lots of baby wipes. A bucket and laundry powder to wash your clothes. Air freshener, to spray on your IBA, other gear, or to spray on the nasty body who doesn't clean himself. A camping shower. Thick shower shoes because there's not many things worse than standing in nasty shower water. Toilet paper. Extra razors, shaving cream, toothpaste, toothbrushes, t-shirts, sox, and at least two laundry bags. Decks of cards (playing and Uno). Pens, envelopes, paper to write letters (you don't need stamps because you can mail them home for free). Snacks that don't melt or crush, think beef jerky

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 1 at 2016 8:27 PM

2016-11-01T20:27:38-04:00

X2 undergarments, doing laundry is a pain. Anything that you like to do as a hobby, to keep you occupied when you are not at work. For me an iPod sufficed, skype email and internet, but that all depends on where you are going. Also twice the toiletries you like should go in the box. Let the care packages bring snacks and whatnot but do not. Rely on them for your preferred deodorant.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2016 6:54 AM

2016-11-02T06:54:58-04:00

Get a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot. It'll fit in your duffle bag. During OIF I I used my bucket to do laundry, used it as a chair, and even mixed concrete in it when I was doing position improvement.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jun 23 at 2018 2:56 PM

2018-06-23T14:56:32-04:00

Power saw, extension cords, drill, tape measurer, duct tape, 550 cord.

Response by SSG Steve Knox made Jun 27 at 2023 5:52 AM

2023-06-27T05:52:35-04:00

Adaptability. Combat environments are constantly changing and so will you. "Your environment will never adapt to you so you must learn to adapt to it." I heard someone say this once.