The Real Packing List - What To Bring To Navy OCS (Updated For 2026)

The packing list for Navy Officer Candidate School that I wish I had

Update: Wow! Five years, thousands of views, and lots of feedback, thank you so much to everyone who’s read this guide and found it useful! Through the years I have met many other awesome Navy OCS graduates, and we always share the highs, the lows, and what we would have done differently. I’ve updated and added a few things based on feedback, and hopefully this guide still stands to improve your experience during the demands of Newport, Rhode Island.

I will say, lots has improved since I went to OCS, including the Navy’s current recommendation list of what to bring. I still recommend referencing the official guide as your main source but hopefully what I have below still holds value.

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What to Bring To OCS

If you go searching the internet for what you need to bring to Navy Officer Candidate School, you’ll end up finding a lot of answers varying widely in their usefulness. One guide I saw published by the Navy itself said you needed to bring seven pairs of white underwear. Another recommendation from some YouTube videos I watched said you needed to bring your own Master Locks even though they issue you two and you mostly only ever use one.

Thousands of candidates graduate every year so this is going to sound crazy but everything you need to complete OCS is either issued to you or can be easily purchased from the NEX (the on-base Target) for cheap.  However, if you do want to make your experience as enjoyable as possible, I’d definitely consider what’s listed below. Disclosure: some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. I will never recommend anything that wasn’t strongly recommended by readers or that I didn’t personally use.

My Must-Have Packing List:

1. Electric Shaver

It’s expensive. It’s probably not necessary for many people. But the Braun Series 9 is the best single thing I’ve purchased since joining the military and BOY do I wish I had it for OCS. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend to everyone the top-of-the-line shaver that I got, but for someone who grows a thick beard and has sensitive skin, it has been a miracle. My skin was constantly dry and in pain shaving every single day at OCS and if I had only known there was another way… yeah, overdramatic but I really can’t explain how much this positively impacted my life.

Like I said, maybe don’t go for the most expensive. The Series 5 is also probably good enough and still highly rated on Amazon. I even know some guys with lighter facial hair can get away with the One Blade. Over to you. I’m never going back.

2. Belleville Steel-Toe Boots

If there was one thing I wish I did differently going to OCS, it would be buying different boots. When you get fitted for gear, they just try to move all 100 of you through as quickly as possible and don’t really care about how things fit. I remember getting issued the Bates (now Rocky?) POS MK1 boots and thinking they just needed a good break-in.

Fast forward three days and I’m at medical getting a running shoe chit (permission to take a break from the boots) because the Bates crippled my feet so badly I couldn’t even walk properly. I was far from the only one who experienced this issue.

Now I wear the Bellevilles (in brown) every day and am so appreciative of how much better a boot they are. One of the priors brought the black Bellevilles with him to OCS, I assume, because he knew how superior they are.

A few points to sum this rant up:

• You do not need to buy boots before OCS

• I wish I did

• Most people had no problems at all with the Bates

• Shining boots ahead of OCS would save you a decent amount of time in Indoc

3. Extra Luggage

This is something I wish I did and would highly recommend, especially if you’re flying. It can now be found in the Navy’s most recent recommended packing list but it’s listed after contact lenses (which you basically never get the chance to use) and nose hair trimmer.

The reason you need extra luggage is because you get issued more gear and uniform items than you can believe and at the end of it all you need to find a way to bring it all back home. So if you show up with only the clothes on your back and a backpack, you’re likely going to have to buy a duffel or two from the NEX to get all your belongings back home. Pack the luggage inside of itself on the way to OCS and then when leaving, airlines will let you basically let you check an infinite number of bags as military.

Duffels like this one below were quite popular. I still take my Black Hole duffel on every det.

4. Waterproof/Water-Resistant Running Shoes

I went during the winter, and wet feet were ever-present and miserable. Popular shoes I was jealous of were these Nikes and these Cloud nerd-mobiles. I’ve been wearing Altras exclusively for the last few years for all my running so I wish I would have grabbed these bad boys. Since my mom is the only one that actually reads this blog, obviously I’m not sponsored by any of these brands but I guess I might as well make that clear.

Update: I still wear Altras and they now sell a Timp GTX which I would 100%, looking back, take to OCS.

5. Pillow and Blanket

After walking into my hatch and seeing a faded, blood-stained pillow on my bed, I immediately wished I had brought my pillow from home. The pain of packing it is massively outweighed by the joy of sleeping on a clean pillow that doesn’t smell like it was kept in the same old dusty attic from The Goonies.

If you’re going to be in Newport during the warmer months then you’re going to be fine just using the blanket they give you but if you plan on booking your stay during the winter then I would highly suggest bringing one with you. The rooms fluctuate in temperature and it was definitely nice to have at times.

I love my down camping blanket as it packs away easily but is lightweight and warm.

My Nice-To-Have-But-Not-Necessary List:

• “Ninja star” measuring device – helps with getting your uniforms ready

• To-go stain remover pen

• Mobility/recovery tools such as this for rolling out your feet after a day of wearing boots (foam rollers and massage sticks are available for checking out but it may be more convenient to have your own)

• Protein shaker bottle - you’ll probably be allowed a protein supplement at some point and the options available at the NEX were disappointing

• Plastic clipboard – useful for making your bed (particle board ones leave debris)

• White towel – the ones they give you are horrible, I’d go with microfiber for quick drying

• Lint rollers (especially these big types for RLP—you’ll be the envy of everyone)

• Small flashlight or headlamp – reading/studying and running the trail at night

• Yoga mat – stretching/mobility and napping in the head during the day

• Vitamin D supplement - especially handy for the winter months

• Flash cards - helpful for studying and getting that knowledge down early