I've been thinking about what our daughter took with her and what she had mailed immediately after indoc. That first box was a biggie. But I'm pretty sure she carried Tide-to-Go (not bleach) pens with her. They are small enough to carry. She may have carried only one and had the others mailed. But those are a lifesaver. If you take these, be prepared to be popular. Hers were borrowed so much that she went through 3 of them by Parents Weekend.
Girls will want perfumed toiletries and body spray. You will get hot, sweaty and smelly. My daughter doesn't normally use perfume or scented toiletries. She was begging us to send her some and, of course, by the time we got the letter or phone call and then mailed the box, Indoc was over. There is a small selection available at the NEX, but it is limited.
Duct tape! Definitely include this in the first box. Our daughter also found spray starch useful. Learn how to iron before you go. If possible, learn how to use a needle and thread for something basic like sewing on a button.
As noted in the Plebe Parent tips that were posted, bring a small amount of cash. The advice last year was to send them with a roll of quarters so they could provide change for upperclassmen.
For a bag, our daughter took a plain, black duffle bag with a shoulder strap. She was issued a sea bag with her uniforms.
As mentioned in another thread, the pre-Indoc sports team BBQs are wonderful. Our daughter attended the cross-country/track one. She had a nice chat with the coach and got to meet some of the other candidates. The cross-country team was a real life-saver for her. I suggest that every plebe join either a sports team or another club or organization where you can get off campus and actually get to be almost a human being instead of a plebe.
Good luck to all of the incoming Candidates and to your families! It is hard to believe that it has been almost a year for us. Of course, there are times when it seems like it must have been a lot longer than that.
Welcome to the KP family!