What to bring to MCT and best way to pack it?
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  1. #1

    What to bring to MCT and best way to pack it?

    I am leaving for mct tomorrow and am taking a bus. Should I wear my Service Alpha's the whole trip, or will I time to change over. Also what do you suggest that I bring and what not to bring. Thank you


  2. #2
    Moved from the poolee forum to Open Discussion forum, and I'm having a problem changing your status to Marine. Once I get that taken care, I'll make that change for you.


    My advice would be to wear civilian clothes on the bus and then change over before you check in.
    After you're done with MCT, you'll be going straight to your MOS school, so you'll need everything you were issued in boot camp.

    Last edited by Lisa 23; 12-26-11 at 10:42 AM.

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    What were you told where you had boot camp? Our's graduated Dec. 2nd of this year, and his Senior DI told the platoon to wear their Service Alpha's. Another we know (who graduated a week earlier), platoon was told to wear civvies (something about making oneself a potential target).

    Jesse had two sea bag's full of everything he was issued in Parris Island. We "weeded" through them, and when he packed for MCT, he had it all in one bag, even packing the extra seabag, just in case. When we went to the airport, he had 1 seabag, 1 "ditty" bag, and a "body" bag that held all of his uniform's, Dress Blues, 3 desert and 3 green field wear. He pretty much took everything he brought from Parris Island to MCT, plus hygeine, and other neccessities he had a list of and bought before he left.

    Alo, mail is kind of an "iffie" thing. Your Marine will be out in the field a lot (ours is out for the week as of 0300 Monday). They have to go see their mail clerk, and mail is re-routed from Camp LeJeune to Camp Geiger. They have 4-5 mail clerks to seperate mail for the thousand's of Marine's there.

    Phone calls are at times, on a weekend, 20 minutes unless there is special liberty (such as Christmas). That can also depend upon how the week went, and if determination's are made on individual or Platoon if the phone call is earned.


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    To add on my post, you might use some kind of baggie or something you can put smaller clothing item's in, squash all the air out and then zip it closed. It saves a lot of room, the hassle doing that is keeping them somewhere until he packs for his MOS.

    Also, no liquid's if they can be avoided. Mouthwash, stuff like that can be bought in the Commissary. Keep your "ditty" bag with easy reach, so it's easy to get to, and not easy to forget when you off-board your transportation.


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    Marine Family Free Member Marinemom32's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jclarke View Post
    To add on my post, you might use some kind of baggie or something you can put smaller clothing item's in, squash all the air out and then zip it closed. It saves a lot of room, the hassle doing that is keeping them somewhere until he packs for his MOS.

    Also, no liquid's if they can be avoided. Mouthwash, stuff like that can be bought in the Commissary. Keep your "ditty" bag with easy reach, so it's easy to get to, and not easy to forget when you off-board your transportation.
    to add to the carry your orders in your ditty bag...


  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Schade07 View Post
    I am leaving for mct tomorrow and am taking a bus. Should I wear my Service Alpha's the whole trip, or will I time to change over. Also what do you suggest that I bring and what not to bring. Thank you
    You're a Marine now. Show some initiative. This has been covered before on this site. Search it.

    http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=72723

    http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=91190

    http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=11234


    If you'd just do a little searching, you can even find answers from yahoo, cha-cha and other info on this topic.

    The official site has the mailing address for your relatives:



    Here's a response for ya on the question:

    "My sson took 3 large packs of baby wipes, Gold Bond Foot Powder and Gold Bond Foot Cream and Thorlo Military combat socks and Thorlo Military Anti-Fatigue (not sure I worded that exactly right!) socks to MCT. I found the socks at www.gobros.com under the military sock section. He said that he was sooooooooo grateful for all of those things! He said the socks helped him avoid the usual foot problems the Marines get at MCT. All items were in high demand and he was able to share with the other Marines who didn't have those things. Your Marine will definately thank you for these things!"

    My recommendation: Take an extra roll of toilet paper!


  7. #7
    Oh, and pack? Didn't they teach you that in boot camp?

    Roll. Roll everything tightly. Start by rolling down your seabag. Roll tops of boots over. Pack inside of boots and shoes with every small thing you can. Shove rolled socks in the opening to hold it in. From bottom of seabag, put rolled cammies on outside and smash tight, lay boots in center, pack in every small nook and cranny there is. Build up your seabag and as you do, unroll it. Keep hard heavy items in middle, softer items to the outside as much as you can. At least this is how they taught us in '78.

    Somebody was talking about 2 seabags, ditty bag and all that. Never had 2 seabags. I could get entire issue in 1 seabag with space left over. Alphas went in that green plastic thing they ussued us. Didn't have a ditty bag.


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    Marine Family Free Member Marinemom32's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MOS4429 View Post
    Oh, and pack? Didn't they teach you that in boot camp?

    Roll. Roll everything tightly. Start by rolling down your seabag. Roll tops of boots over. Pack inside of boots and shoes with every small thing you can. Shove rolled socks in the opening to hold it in. From bottom of seabag, put rolled cammies on outside and smash tight, lay boots in center, pack in every small nook and cranny there is. Build up your seabag and as you do, unroll it. Keep hard heavy items in middle, softer items to the outside as much as you can. At least this is how they taught us in '78.

    Somebody was talking about 2 seabags, ditty bag and all that. Never had 2 seabags. I could get entire issue in 1 seabag with space left over. Alphas went in that green plastic thing they ussued us. Didn't have a ditty bag.
    I think the ditty bag is so if they fly to wherever they are going, they can keep a uniform to change into and thier orders. Lots of luggage gets lost while flying, and this way they have everything they need to check in when they get to ITB/MCT. I will have to remember thisway of packing...


  9. #9
    Marinemom, thanks. Yeah, I know what a ditty bag is for, just wasn't issued one. When I went to Oki in '83, I packed the same way and took my life with me in one seabag, uniform bag, and a folder with my orders.

    Of course, when I came back...I got a waiver for extra pounds, had everything packed in a crate, they came and picked it up, stuck it on a ship and I got it 60 days later!


  10. #10
    BTW, I still pack that way today, roll everything as small and tight as I can, layer it in, shove items on top down into the cracks. I can get almost 3 x as many items in a suitcase as my wife.

    Went to a running camp this July with my daughter. Interesting. She had one suitcase, I had one, and we each had a sleeping bag and air bed. I was shocked at what other kids brought. One had 5 freakin' suit cases!


  11. #11
    Marine Family Free Member Marinemom32's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MOS4429 View Post
    Marinemom, thanks. Yeah, I know what a ditty bag is for, just wasn't issued one. When I went to Oki in '83, I packed the same way and took my life with me in one seabag, uniform bag, and a folder with my orders.

    Of course, when I came back...I got a waiver for extra pounds, had everything packed in a crate, they came and picked it up, stuck it on a ship and I got it 60 days later!
    OK sorry! I meant no disrecpect by that...just know some things have changed a little!


  12. #12
    No disrespect taken! Just like you say, things are done differently. In fact, I saw a seabag with wheels on it. That was a shocker!


  13. #13
    Marine Family Free Member Marinemom32's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MOS4429 View Post
    No disrespect taken! Just like you say, things are done differently. In fact, I saw a seabag with wheels on it. That was a shocker!
    Wheels??? That wouldn't be something that was issued would it?


  14. #14
    Well...I don't know, but I will say this: It was in an airport, and the military members were NOT Marines.


  15. #15
    Marine Family Free Member Marinemom32's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MOS4429 View Post
    Well...I don't know, but I will say this: It was in an airport, and the military members were NOT Marines.
    haha well that says it all!!...If you can, go to the Marine Family Forum on this site, and read something I put up there, ...i labeld it " What would you do?" when my son say a guy wearing cammies, that had US Marine on them....pretty good story..let's just say he publicly corrected him!!


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