**A thread for the Girls**

Flyerdreamer: I got a pack of white ones once at sports authority. And also if you are small enough they have em at like Walmart in the kids sections ;)
 
My DD is a 2015 cadet and still wears all her underwear that she brought for basic! After recognition, she augmented her collection with VS, but for working out, the stuff from basic works just fine!

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
I wasn't trying to start an underwear fight but she was told by the cadets she met on her trip that white was the only requirement and that many of them had white from Aerie or VS with no issues. She knows they will be thrown out at the end of BCT and has plans for me to bring her more on A-day. I don't think she has a bad attitude at all, just a girl that knows what she wants. She's following the rules and I seriously hope her underwear are not that closely looked at. And really, have you worn underwear from a pack...ugh. I certainly wouldn't want to go into something as stressful as BCT and be uncomfortable.

I really just thought this was a good thread with good info and wanted to share.

Thanks for the info on the Old Navy sports bras. We will check those out. :)

My daughter (class of 2016) was the 2nd daughter I sent off to college, and compared to her sister, the money and time we spent to outfit her for BCT was a fraction of what we did for her sister, so I didn't have any problem buying her "nice" underwear in a brand that she liked and was comfortable with and it made her feel good. Yes, we kept it to white, bought a few more (though not double the amount...remember they have to carry it all in their backpacks on IDay) and also invested in a few pairs of compression shorts. We probably went all over trying on comfy sports bras and found several that she liked (Target was a good source). Ordered the compression shorts from Under Armour. Besides, it made me feel like I was actually able to do something for her...it's hard to send your daughter away to the military! :)
 
I have nike pro sports bras right now and swear by them... do they hold up well or will they be obliterated by the laundry?

It just doesn't seem economical to me to purchase eight $10 sports bras that do a mediocre job while at BCT that I'll end up just throwing away and spending more money buying nike pros on parents weekend. Better to buy the nike pro now? or just wait?
 
I had two nike pros that I wore in basic, a white and a black. To be honest I did end up wearing them more than the other cheaper ones I brought because I liked them better. Goodwill is hard on them, but not terribly, I still wear them. I did have cheap ones that I wore a lot in Jacks Valley--especially for the courses. Those were unusable afterwards and I really had no qualms about tossing them.
 
I still use some medium-quality bras that I used during basic. I did mess up the hooks really badly on a few, which I subsequently threw out--make sure to fasten the hooks and use the bag with smaller mesh! :)

Also, remember: you get paid here. $80 is a pain. But it's not a huge deal.
 
I spent a fair share on nice sports bras for basic (in fact I still wear them). It is worth it to spend a little extra to have nice things, after all, everything you get in basic will end up dirty/worn/smelly etc...so relish the little things like a nice sports bra. I am a cadre for 2018 basic, so if any of you have any questions about what to bring, what to wear to I-day (please please please don't wear leggings or brightly colored anything) just let me know!

Good luck and keep working out :)
 
What about sneakers? Should we buy new black ones or will colored be ok?
 
zira1002...

I love my Nike Pro sports bras but I am worried about the black check in the middle showing through the pt shirts...are they really strict on that?
 
What about sneakers? Should we buy new black ones or will colored be ok?

I would go for some white tennis shoes, if anything, but you get issued shoes on I-day for PT in the morning. Your cadre may not let you keep yours and may make you "standardize" with the other basics with the issued shoes.

zira1002...

I love my Nike Pro sports bras but I am worried about the black check in the middle showing through the pt shirts...are they really strict on that?

Is it on the front or the back? If the check was on the front, maybe try to minimize the contrast (white out or something) if you really wanted to be careful. But I don't think the cadre would be so picky to make you change your sports bra because of a black check mark,


Make sure that whatever sports bras you buy (I went and bought all new ones and I bought more than the recommended amount) that they are comfortable and that you're able to put you last name initial and last four on the back (for lovely laundry purposes).
 
If i get my hair cut medium length, can i use a headband to keep it out of my face? also this may seem like a silly question but should we bring razors as well for shaving legs and armpits? also do we blow dry our hair after showering during BCT or just air dry it? sorry if any of these are dumb questions!

one more thing, I can't do one freaking pull-up from a dead hang. I can pop off like five if I jump up to the pull-up bar. Anybody have any training ideas?
 
they issue sneakers the first day so it really doesn't matter what sneakers you have. once the school year starts you can wear whatever sneakers you want and they can be whatever color, due to a recent rule change.

I brought all Nike pro sports bras with the little black Nike swoosh on the front and it was fine. no one said anything and you can't even really see it through the shirt.

as for headbands, they might let you wear like cloth headbands that match your hair color but you really don't have much time to do your hair so you might not be able to...

you can forget about drying your hair because it will constantly be wet. the second you shower after being sweaty and gross you have to put your hair up again, not giving it a chance to dry. because of this, it is very important to let you hair down a little bit at night so it can dry because some girls even get mold starting to grow in their hair. yes, I said mold.


Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
you can forget about drying your hair because it will constantly be wet. the second you shower after being sweaty and gross you have to put your hair up again, not giving it a chance to dry. because of this, it is very important to let you hair down a little bit at night so it can dry because some girls even get mold starting to grow in their hair. yes, I said mold.


Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app


Yuck! How common is it for people to get mold in their hair? Is it easily preventable if you just dry out your hair at night?


Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
it's definitely preventable!! I never got it but it's really important that you let your hair out of a bun at night so it can air dry a little bit.


Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
When I visited West Point (before I decided on usafa) the showers were completely open. Is this true at usafa too? It's not a huge deal, but I would rather know now than be surprised.
Thanks so much for all the advice! It helped so much with picking up stuff to pack.


Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
No, we have stall showers. The boys have open showers.

On the hair thing--unless you really like it short and are used to exercising with short hair, I might consider keeping it relatively long--long enough to put up in a bun. You will be allowed to use a headband or clips if you need it, though the quicker you can put it up the better.

As far as mold--I STILL have issues with wet hair, since if I shower in the morning and then immediately put it up, the core will still be wet when I take it down that afternoon/evening. I've never had issues with mold, although I did chop off a few inches after Basic because of all the damage it took being up at the time and then having to put it up and take it down very quickly. Do take it down at night, though, at least while you're making your bed and such.
 
it's definitely preventable!! I never got it but it's really important that you let your hair out of a bun at night so it can air dry a little bit.


Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app


Good to know! Thanks for the advice!


Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
Hi there! This might sound weird, but how difficult is it to deal with 'that time of the month' when you are in BCT? I have never been camping so the Jacks Valley section of the summer sounds kind of ominous. I read through this post but I did not find anything super helpful on that subject haha. Any advice/tips to deal with it are greatly appreciated :)
 
Hi there! This might sound weird, but how difficult is it to deal with 'that time of the month' when you are in BCT? I have never been camping so the Jacks Valley section of the summer sounds kind of ominous. I read through this post but I did not find anything super helpful on that subject haha. Any advice/tips to deal with it are greatly appreciated :)

You'll be fine-there are bathrooms during all of BCT and since you're in ABUs most of the time, it's easy to carry extra stuff with you. Don't be afraid to ask cadre if you need anything either, taking care of your health is a huge part of their job...
 
As far as leg shaving goes, one of my friends suggested waxing them instead before BCT. I've never done it before, but she said she was good to go for two to three weeks. That might help save some time in the beginning.


Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
Back
Top