Navy Boot Camp Packing List: What to Bring and How to Prepare

For Navy boot camp, prioritize required identification, your shipping paperwork, and the small set of personal items Recruit Training Command allows. Do not pack an ordinary vacation toiletry bag: RTC restricts several products you might otherwise bring automatically.

This guide is for enlisted recruits reporting to Great Lakes. Official sources checked September 14, 2026. Compare it with your recruiter-issued shipping instructions before packing, especially if your recruiter gives you an updated list.

What to Bring to Navy Boot Camp

The following is a selected summary of RTC's official Reporting page, not the complete list of every possible document.

Item	RTC guidance to check
Identification	Two valid IDs, including one with a photo; names must match or be supported by legal name-change documents
Social Security card	Required
Immunization records	Required; the page also lists a COVID-19 vaccination card if vaccinated
Family and status documents	Applicable marriage, divorce, dependent, or permanent-resident records
Glasses and prescriptions	Prescription or reading glasses and prescription medications are permitted
Small personal items	Writing supplies, an address book, a wristwatch, a wedding ring, and pocket-sized religious material are among permitted items
Cash	RTC describes a small amount, using less than $10 as its example

Separately, the Navy recruiting boot camp guide lists direct-deposit paperwork, banking access, labeled prescriptions, and a phone for the initial call. Review these with your recruiter when assembling your folder.

EnlistiQ packing tip: place your required IDs, paperwork, and written contacts where you can retrieve them without emptying your bag. Check them off individually before you leave home.

Toiletries and Extras to Leave at Home

RTC's prohibited list includes razors, electric razors, shaving cream, aerosols, glass containers, alcohol-based comfort products, metal combs or picks, food, nonprescription medicines, tobacco or vapes, gambling items, and weapons. It also restricts extra civilian clothing and entertainment electronics. RTC Reporting.

That means an Army packing recommendation is not enough to justify bringing the same product to Great Lakes. If a specific hygiene or medical product matters to you, identify it by name with your recruiter before travel.

Can You Bring Your Phone or Your Own Running Shoes?

Phone: the Navy's boot camp guide allows it for the initial call and says it is collected afterward. RTC's FAQ describes phones being stored with personal belongings. Do not promise routine smartphone access. The Reporting page and FAQ differ on whether personal belongings are mailed home or stored locally, so confirm the current handling process. Navy boot camp guide, RTC FAQ.

Running shoes: RTC permits personal running shoes in good condition that meet its requirements. They need conventional laces; minimalist shoes, casual sneakers, Velcro, and speed-lace systems are not accepted. Recruits must allow their shoes to be stenciled. RTC running-shoe FAQ.

Take a photo of the shoes you intend to bring and show your recruiter before buying a replacement. Keep any receipt until you know the pair is suitable.

Prepare for the Water and the Training Routine

Navy recruit training includes swimming, physical readiness, seamanship, firefighting, classroom learning, and team tasks. The Navy says recruits who cannot swim receive instruction, but every recruit must pass the swim qualification to graduate. Official Navy training overview.

If you lack water confidence, tell your recruiter early and arrange lessons with a qualified instructor. Practice ordinary swimming in a supervised setting. Leave platform entries, clothing inflation, breath-holding challenges, and other military survival drills to trained staff.

For land-based fitness, ask for the current recruit standards and preparation program. Get feedback on technique and progress at a level appropriate to your starting point. A last-minute maximum-effort challenge does not tell you whether you can recover and train consistently.

If you have pain, an injury, or a medical concern, consult a clinician and report changes through your recruiter. Do not conceal symptoms to protect your departure date.

What to Study Before You Ship

The Navy recommends learning its ranks, core values, and the 11 General Orders of a Sentry. Use your assigned materials for the wording. Navy preparation guidance.

Here is an EnlistiQ study routine you can repeat:

1. Spend five minutes recognizing ranks and rates from your study materials.
2. Recite a short section of assigned knowledge without looking, then check it.
3. Practice military time and the phonetic alphabet.
4. Finish with one practical question, such as where your paperwork is or who to call about a travel delay.

Keep a separate list of mistakes to revisit the next day. Accuracy matters more than racing through everything once.

Finish Your Home and Family Plan

Before departure, check that recurring bills are covered, your bank card works, and a trusted person knows how to handle urgent responsibilities. Write down family addresses and phone numbers instead of relying entirely on your device.

Agree on a simple communication plan: your family waits for the correct mailing address and follows current RTC mail guidance. They should not assume that sending extra food, toiletries, or electronics will help.

Final 72-Hour Checklist

• Confirm your meeting place, itinerary, and travel-delay contact.
• Recheck every required original document and any applicable family records.
• Compare your bag with the current RTC and recruiter lists.
• Inspect pockets for restricted products or forgotten items.
• Charge your phone if bringing it, and write down key contacts.
• Review familiar study material and keep your routine manageable.
• Tell your recruiter about any medical or personal change affecting travel.

Common Questions

Can I bring prescription medication?

The public guidance permits prescriptions. Confirm the labeling, paperwork, and medical review process with your recruiter. Treatment decisions belong with your clinician; a packing restriction is not an instruction to stop a medicine.

Should I bring boots or tactical equipment?

Do not add them unless your current shipping instructions specifically require them. Ask about an item before spending money on it.

How do I practice Navy knowledge before leaving?

Open EnlistiQ Boot Camp Prep and select Navy for branch study and memory drills. Use it before shipping alongside your official materials.

Compare services in our boot camp packing guide by branch, or read the Navy ASVAB requirements guide if you are still completing qualification steps.