R Day / Beast "Supplies"??

Razor -- my son brought an electric razor (it saved time in the morning to get ready) AND travel sized shaving cream and regular razor for the part of beast where electricity was not an option....

Compression shorts -- were the only "clothing items" he brought to beast -- two pairs underarmour BLACK (so they wouldn't show under the PE shorts)...he was allowed to wear them and asked for more to be sent...

based on suggestions of JAM and others, we used big ziplock bags so he could transfer everything quickly ... great advice!
 
JAM -- Great advice, once again! I'm making a list for my daughter! Any other "female tips" please, send me a message!! Again, thank you!!
 
Info for Incoming female candidates

Don't have girls, but as the plebe/candidate parent mentor for our local parents club I copied and saved this info from another forum several years ago. It was written by a 2005 female USMA grad at the end of her firstie year specifically for incoming females. Warning -- some of it is pretty frank, but very useful! It will be in two parts:

Covers hair, civilian clothing, personal hygiene and field issues, the laundry system, and some social issues:

I. Hair

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Hair is my pet uniform peeve, as it is for most of the female upperclassmen. Learn to control it! You can keep it long, or cut it short, it’s a personal preference. Remember, if you come with it long, you can get it cut while you’re here, at the cadet beauty shop, if it proves to be too difficult. Mary is awesome, but time constraints during Beast will probably lead to a quick blunt cut you can get reshaped later.

***To cut or not to cut***

I had short hair for most of high school, so I didn’t have a choice here, it was gone already. I now have fairly long hair, as I’ve been growing it out for a while. If you’re going to go short, think about a bob that you can just tuck behind your ears. Hair cannot be lower than the bottom edge of your collar, so shoulder length cuts are hard. If you go for the cropped pixie look, make sure you don’t need a curling iron/straightening iron/or some sort of product to keep it looking good. For Buckner, I had longer hair, and found that it is possible to keep your hair in the field. Make sure you comb it through every night and braid it before you go to bed to reduce the snarls in the morning.

***Long hair***
If you have a friend who dances, have them teach you how to put your hair up. It will be easier if it’s wet, or you run a little gel through, and spritz with hairspray after. However, the smell from the product will draw bugs. Use the thick, ouchless hair ties (I like Goodys). They’re maybe two bucks for twenty. Bring at least forty or more, they tend to get lost and the C-Store normally only carries the thin ones. Grab a card that comes with the wire thing to keep them all together, because if you don’t, you’re going to lose them and lose them and lose them…not so great.

***Basic method:***
Pull your hair into a low ponytail. Remember, you’re probably going to wear a hat over this. Braid your hair if it’s especially long for a little less bulk. Twist your hair into a rope, then slowly coil it around the base of the ponytail. Think top down, as every successive spiral goes closer to the scalp than the spiral before. Once you’ve run out of hair, tuck the ends securely under the mound, and wrap another hair tie around the base. Add another for more security. If you have extremely long hair, experiment with looping the second tie around the bulk of the bun to hold it to the head.

***School year***
Between me and my room mates, we have three hair dryers, two straightening irons, two curling irons, four sets of curlers, and….oh…fifteen types of hair product. That’s because we’re firsties, and we go out a lot. You may want a hairdryer for the cold winter months here, nothing is worth going to formation with wet hair in January. The other stuff…you’re just not going to use that often. Gel and hairspray are your friends if keeping the frizzies at bay is an issue, but I don’t wear either regularly.

***Growing it out***
Probably, every female cadet who cuts her hair short does this at some point. I've done it several times, because I love cutting my hair, then hate fussing with it...then cut it again...then fuss with it...so here's my method of growing it out from short and sassy to long and luscious with the least amount of fuss.

First, grow out the layers. Keep trimming the bottom above your collar until you've got a basic bob going on. While this is happening, learn to french braid your own hair. Once you've got a the bob going, start growing all of that out. As your hair approaches the bottom of your collar, start dividing it in half and french braiding each half. This will help with reducing the length. Tuck the ends back up into the braid, and pin them in place. Once the tails are too long for this, check and see if it's long enough for the basic bun, above. If you're still a little short, try this. Pull your hair into a pony tail. Divide the tail in half. Take one half, twist into a rope and coil around the base of the ponytail. Once you're out of hair, take the second half, twist it into a rope, and coil that around the first coil. I know this sounds wacky, but experiment a bit, it does work. The second coil will help stabilize the first and should work. After finishing with the second coil, wrap a hair tie around the base of the bun. Shake your head and check for stability. If it worked, great! Keep up with your trims and keep growing your hair until you're happy. You may want to use the thinner hair ties for this because you don't have as much hair to retain.

***The Official Rules***
d. Women. Hair will be neatly groomed. The length and bulk of the hair will not be excessive or present a ragged, unkempt, or extreme appearance. Hair will not fall over the eyebrows or extend below the bottom edge of the collar. Hair styles will not interfere with proper wearing of military headgear or protective masks. Hair holding ornaments (such as but not limited to, barrettes, pins, clips, bands), if used, must be unadorned and plain and must be transparent or similar in color to the hair, and will be inconspicuously placed. Beads or similar ornamental items are not authorized. Female cadets are authorized to wear their hair in a ponytail or single braid only in the following situations:

(1) While wearing Gym Alpha in the barracks (If outside of the barracks, hair standards will conform to AR 670-1 in all uniforms except as below).

(2) While wearing a distinct Corps or Club Squad athletic uniform. Gym Alpha is not considered a distinctive athletic uniform.

(3) While wearing the Casual uniform.


II. Hygiene and Field Stuff

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***Beast***
Don’t bring anything especially fragrant to Beast. I adore Bath and Body Works, but use Dial’s line of antibacterial body wash in the summer for a few reasons. First, sweet smells draw bugs and upperclassmen, and Dial doesn’t have this effect. Second, I don’t have particularly sensitive skin, but I had heat rash all over my back during Beast. Think of thousands of icy cold needles digging into your skin, and then suddenly turning red hot and itchy. Very not fun. It’s a bacterial infection of your pores, and antibacterial body wash really helped me clear it up. You’ll shower twice a day at least, and, one would think, sweat out any impurities in you skin, but apparently not. Bring a two-in-one shampoo/conditioner blend that your hair tolerates without getting too dried out and frizzy. You’ll have about five minutes to shower, and unless you have fairly short hair, you’re not going to have time for both. Unscented lotion may be helpful if you have really dry skin. I wouldn’t worry about shaving for the six weeks of Beast. If someone’s that close to your legs, you’ve got bigger problems than them being fuzzy. If that really isn’t your thing, think about getting a leg wax.

Another hair tip. During summer training, don’t pull your hair up into a severe initial pony tail. Pulling too hard on the follicles at the base leaves a gap bacteria can get into, leading to infected follicles. They look like pimples, but they’re at the base of the hair shaft and they can be tender. Again, experiment. You’re going for a clean look, but shouldn’t feel a pull on your hair. Always take your hair down at night. You’ve probably got at least a cup of sweat trapped in there and that will make you colder, faster. Comb out the tangles and braid it loosely before you go to bed. Do not freak at the sight of the green grime that will come off on the comb, it’s just camo from your face that migrated to your hair in some way.

***Field Time***
When you go out to the field at the end of the summer, take a pack of baby wipes. Swiping under your arms will help with the smell, but after a day you won’t be able to smell yourself or anyone else for that matter. It’s a small blessing. What is really necessary, though, is cleaning your groin region. The extra heat and moisture are a haven for bacteria and yeast, and a yeast infection during Beast isn’t any fun. It’s also a much more distinct smell than regular BO, and that may make you uncomfortable. Change your base layer every day – Socks, underwear, sports bra, and t-shirt. It will make you feel cleaner and keep the smell down.

If you have gotten prickly heat, have your roommate swab your back with the baby wipes. Let it dry, then sprinkle the foot powder you’re issued on your back. It’s Gold Bond Medicated something or another, and it has menthol in it, and it feels nice and cool. May cut down on your sweating and help the prickly heat, but even if it doesn’t, it’s a few minutes of relief.

Don’t sleep in your boots. It makes your feet cold and gives them less of a chance to dry out. Moisture leads to friction, friction leads to blisters. Blisters can lead to cellulitis and fevers and hospitalization and really freaked out cadre, (this was a personal experience and yes, my hospitalized new cadet worried me really badly) so change your socks and have the medic look at your blisters.

You will, more than likely, get your period in the field. It’s destiny…the most inconvenient time ever and there you go. You have a few options. You could get a Depo-Provera shot before you leave. It’s an injected form of birth control that suppresses your period for about three to four months. You can really hope it doesn’t happen. Or you can just be prepared. If you’re using tampons, wash your hands before you put one in or take one out. Your hands are a lot dirtier than they are usually and that’s an awful time and place to get an infection. Use a backup pad. Bring these supplies with you because the C-Store is really expensive and doesn’t carry all the brands and styles that are available. Stash extra supplies for the day in a plastic gallon sized bag and leave it at the bottom of your two-quart, or in your cargo pocket. If you’re in garrison, that’s one pad and one tampon, you’re going back to your room soon. If you’re in the field, go for two of each, and have extras stashed in your ruck
 
Info for Incoming female candidates Part 2

III. Clothes

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Come to R-Day wearing something comfortable. Your favorite jeans and t-shirt are fine. Carry a sweatshirt or something similar. Don't be conspicuous, today is not the day to stand out. Leave the rest of your civvies at home, you’re not going to need them until the school year starts. I suggest packing 3-4 outfits in a small suitcase and leaving it at home. Have your parents bring it to A-Day or Labor Day weekend, or have them ship it out later. You’re going to want some civilian stuff for trip sections and stuff as a plebe, but you’re not going to need much of it.

***What to pack***
Something nice – your favorite little black dress, and appropriate accessories – purse, shoes, slip, stockings, the great necklace that goes with it, the cute barrettes that match the pattern, whatever. This is part of my “Be Prepared” motto, you never know when you’re going to need to dress up. Make sure it’s some that can go from summer to winter. Mine is a black jersey knit with a matching shell. Add a nice coat, and I’m good!

***Casual stuff***
Another pair of jeans, one of khakis, a collared shirt or two, your favorite t-shirts, a good sweater, some cold weather stuff. A set of pajamas. Two pairs of civilian shoes, nothing screams “CADET ON PASS” like a cute top, khakis, and running shoes. Accessories to go with. Basic makeup if truly necessary.

As far as I know, plebes won’t be able to wear earrings, jewelry, or makeup until after Christmas, so this is for going on trip sections, Plebe Parent Weekend if you’re the daring type, leaving for Thanksgiving and Christmas, Army/Navy, and whatever pass you choose to take. Make sure this can stretch across a few seasons, it’s going to be blazing hot over Labor day, and we’ll have at least a foot of snow by Christmas, so think in layers. You can get some nice stuff at the C-Store, and the PX has clothes too. Plus, if you join a few clubs, a lot of them include a trip to the mall wherever you’re going.

***Underwear***
Ok, I was pretty laid back in high school. White cotton undies and a few cute patterns. Now that it’s the ONLY thing I get to choose to wear every day, I’m a little more adventurous. However, I do wear a sports bra just about every day in uniform. One, it’s comfortable, and two, in a training environment the normal bra just isn’t practical. During Airborne we ran to and from the training area every day, and trained hard. You’ll be running a lot and doing physical activity outside of PT, so keep that in mind. Black, white, gray, or neutral. No orange, no blue, no red, no green, no neon pink. Not that anyone’s going to check, but if your PT shirt neck shifts, people may see your straps and they will correct you. Well, I would. I’m not so sure about male cadre.

Don’t send standard bras out in the laundry, ever. It’s really hard on them, and it’s awful to get them back stained and with the hooks destroyed. If you take normal bras to Beast, hand wash them in the sink, and hang them on the drying racks overnight. Hand washing stuff in your sink is a great way to keep up with clean laundry. I did towels, underwear, sports bras, t-shirts, shorts, and socks in my sink for all of Beast. At one point, I even washed my BDUs in my trash can. It only takes a few minutes, and just about everything will dry overnight on the drying racks in the latrines. Plus, you’ll smell Tide fresh while those who have run out of clean laundry will be hurting.


IV. Guys and Dating **Parents, be brave and open-minded**

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West Point is eighty-five percent male. I know a lot of you have no concept of this, so here are a few examples. The next time you go to class, sit down, look around at the other seventeen people in the room. Now, imagine yourself the only woman. Next time you get a B on a test, all the points you got, they have Y chromosomes. All the ones you missed? They don’t. Think of your closest ten friends. Are eight of them male? They are now. This can be fun. This can be scary. But it’s a fact here, and something everyone gets used to. First proverb of the post…The odds are good, but the goods are odd.

***Dating***
As a plebe, you’re allowed to date other plebes. I would suggest you not date within your company. It’s too easy to break the rules and get caught and get in some serious trouble. Also, if the two of you break up, it’s easier to move on when you don’t see each other and interact every day. I have seen this work out though, our company couple is getting married after grad, so YMMV.

***How to***
Plebes watch a lot of movies, go to sporting events or the plebe club, grab dinner together, and hang out. Join a club together and go on trip sections. Remember though, if the two of you break up, only one of you gets to keep the friends if you can’t be amicable.

***The Rules***
West Point has a lot of rules governing male/female interaction. PDAs, which include holding hands, hugs, and kissing hello are not allowed. In the barracks, if a guy and a girl are alone in a room together, the door has to be open ninety degrees. You can’t share the same horizontal surface. Before you even think, “oh, well, if we’re on the bed, and if I’m lying on top of him, he’s technically on the bed, and I’m technically not,” don’t even go there. Sex in the barracks is not allowed. Should you choose to indulge while on pass, or decide to take walking privileges into town and get a hotel room, practice preventive maintenance. Go see Dr. Yavorek at the Health Clinic and choose a birth control method. Grab some free condoms from the pharmacy or continue getting stuck with the Depo-Provera shot I mentioned earlier. Dr. Y also deals in the Nuva ring and several variety of the pill. She does not do IUDs or Norplant.

***Pregnancy***
If you get pregnant, you will be sent to a medical board and they will send you home on medical leave until you are no longer pregnant. This does happen, probably at least once a year. Some people go home and sign the child over to their parents after birth. Some people go to Planned Parenthood in Newburgh. I’m not going to touch what you should do, I’m just giving you some of the options that people I know have exercised. Dr. Y can also help you with this, and the counselors over at the Center for Personal Development are excellent.

***Roommates and Lady Casanovas (casanovettes?)***
At the beginning of the school year, set some guidelines with your roommates. If you’re comfortable with both of them sitting on her bed when you’re there, that’s fine. When someone knocks, he’d better move pretty quick though. If you’re not comfortable with her sitting on his lap while you’re in the room, say so. No one should ever put you in a situation where you feel uncomfortable, especially in your own room. Remember, you can always take your books and go to the study room, or the library, or go visit other friends…which means the door has to be opened and all the Academy rules have to be followed. On the other hand, realize that letting them nap together might not be the best idea. If they get caught because your TAC NCO knocks and the door is opened before they’re both presentable and alert, you’re all going to get fried because you let it happen.

If you just want him to go away so you can have a chat with your roomdawg about their behavior, stretch, yawn, and mention a nap or going to bed if it’s late. He should take a hint, and she may go with him, but you can talk later. At that talk, renegotiate, and set up some new limitations if necessary. Mention her going to visit him if they spend excessive amounts of time in your room. Suggest that he always leave by ten, or some other acceptable time. If he drops by a lot when she’s not there, give him her class schedule. We have a saying…West Point is all about cooperation, because with three people in the room, you can shut the door. Cooperation works both ways. If they’re having a fight, pull out your headphones and kill some hearing cells. This gives them privacy not only from you but from the rest of the company. If you’re both dating and she’s not showing the same considerations you’re showing her, discuss that too. It may only be a semester, but plebes don’t choose their roommates and you may end up together again. It’s almost always better to talk out problems as they occur.

***Home team, away team***
Although some subscribe to “If they’re not in the same area code, it’s not cheating,” I don’t. If he has a girlfriend back home, step away and find someone else. The same goes for you. If you've still got a boyfriend back home, don't ditch him just because you're fishing in a bigger pool now. I really don't have any experience as a 2%er, but one of my girlfriends is, so I'll see if she can throw together a post about staying together for the whole 47 month experience.

***Frat***
As I mentioned earlier, plebes can date other plebes. Plebes cannot date upperclassmen, or, really, have any social interactions with them. If you’re in a club together, you can be friends when you’re doing club stuff. When you’re in the company area, doing duties or delivering laundry, you’re not friends. You’re a plebe, he or she is an upperclassman. Do not try to attract the attention of any upperclassmen. The upperclass women will see it and will deal with it in their own fashion. The male firsties are probably not interested…they want to graduate. The cows know that next year, you’ll be legal. The yearlings are your team leaders and should see you as protégées. However, there are an unscrupulous few who will actively seek out your company. Realize, though, that they are doing this because you are new and they have been turned down by every other female in the Corps. It is NOT a good idea to engage in frat. The consequences are rather severe. He will probably be stripped of his rank, and you will both be on the Area for a very long time. If he’s a good dude, remind him of these things, and that you’ll be around next year. He should understand and back off. After Buckner, consider the relationship again.
 
Ha! I remember this post! She was an Army Lt when she wrote it. Lots of good stuff.

Both genders should heed this - especially the part of having the medic look at your blisters:
Blisters can lead to cellulitis and fevers and hospitalization and really freaked out cadre, (this was a personal experience and yes, my hospitalized new cadet worried me really badly) so change your socks and have the medic look at your blisters.


Other additions to Beast info:
Bras - consider bringing one white bra that is not a sports bra. This is to wear under her white over gray uniform.

Hair - to cut or not to cut, personal decision.
Definitely bring hair ties and clips that are the same color as hair to beast. Bring lots. Blondes and redheads may have a hard time finding proper clips, hair ties and bobbypins at the C-Store. females with bangs should be prepared to clip them back off the face. Even though Army regs say hair no longer than the bottom of the collar - a lot of males don't fully understand this and don't like hair touching the collar.
During beast there will be no time in the morning to do hair. You also must learn to be able to deal with your hair with out electrictiy. Learn how to fix it without straightening it as you will be too tired on post and also spend days in the field.

Depo shot - this comes under birth control options. Another option now is Seasonique which is in pill form that you take continuosly for three months to suppress your period.
Both can work but I suggest you start now so your body can adjust. Some females have a lot of breakthrough bleeding which can be more annoying than your period. So, go see your gyn and explain you will be at basic training for 7 weeks and he/she can help you figure out what is your best option.
 
Mom of 2 cadets and Just a mom .... thank you, thank you!! Excellent advise and I'll pass it on to my daughter! Needless to say, as June 28th approaches, I'm getting more nervous.
 
JAM-- we've both been around wwwaaaayyyyy too long -- :wink:. I had also thought she posted this as an LT, but when I found the original, she apologized for not taking questions right away as she was geting ready for finals/graduation. I think she started as a cadet and finished/added later...I remember her being in Korea.

I think for women especially there are things you might not think about that you really need to make decisions on, which is why I posted this. Glad folks are finding it of use!
 
Come to think of it - you are probably right, she first posted as a Firstie. I think she either re-posted or revived it from Korea. About 3 years ago :eek:

BTW- if anyone wants to hear gory details on the highlighted portion of post #27; pm me.
 
The instructions from USMA are pretty straight forward. Seems all you need to bring is a toothbrush, standard watch, a picture of Mom and the shoes you get a AFEES. Other then that, your given pretty much everything else, down to the the brasso and shoe polish.:thumb:
 
Sorry to intrude (I'm a Navy mom), but my daughter didn't realize just how important a lighter could be before she started at USNA. If it's acceptable to bring lighters in on R-day (rely on WP parents for that), they're really useful.

Best of luck to all of you!
 
I'm seeing discussions about Leathermans, lighters, head lights and electric razors. I've yet to see a list from Admissions, other then the few items like bring a razor, photo of mom, etc. About 8 items. My concern is that Leatherman's contain a knife. Lighters, headlights and a Leatherman are all good items for Basic in the field, but will USMA allow them or take them away. On the subject of electric razor. I would think the cadet might find it hard to find electricity during field basic. Stick to the basics. If anyone know the USMA rules on Leathermans and such, please let us know. Lighers, can't see why someone would need one or want one. Thanks all.
 
America's Finest mentioned about two pages back that if you charge your razor in your room, you can run a couple of days on battery backup in the field. He said everyone takes disposable razors with them also. I believe I remember reading that lighters were handy for burning the ends of rope and getting strings off of uniforms. I'm not clear why a Leatherman/knife is an issue--a knife and other gadgets are always helpful. Hopefully WP isn't as hysterical about pocketknives as public schools.
 
GoArmy - they won't take away your Leatherman. You can have a knife but there is a limit on the blade length. Ask America's Finest.

Lighters - these are actually used for inspection. they burn stray threads off the uniform. no longer used for shining shoes - whew!
of course, you can probably borrow your roommates lighter or buy one at the C-Store.

BTW - as for the low quarters, wear them - don't bring them.
 
Ok....is there a certain "leatherman" tool that is recommended...as arent there different types? Also, looking to buy a watch for my daughter.....is there one that is recommended also?
 
You can get a Gerber or Leatherman or even a generic tool. doesn't really matter, just don't get a really huge bulky one.

watch - My daughter wore a digital Timex Sport watch, about $25 with a pink plastic band. yep, pink.
 
I've heard people say that the blade should not be longer than your palm when resting the blade on your palm (Perpendicular with the fingers). I'm sure there's an actual measurement as some people have huge hands.

I've heard recommendations for a Casio G-Shock for a watch.
 
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