Kit List

[tlloyd1983]

Got asked a few days ago by a friend for a list of everything to take to sea. This is the list I use, I found the original online on some private security forums, and it's basically adapted from there and tweaked to my needs. Cadet's of the fairer sex may need to make some alteration, but as a whole, this list is what I take with me when I go to sea, and it was fine for a 4.5 month stint and I never felt I was lacking anything. But feel free to adapt, use as a guide, or whatever.


Carry On Bag/On Person
------------------------
Laptop
Kindle/ereader
Small torch
Ipod
Camera
Travel plugs x 2
Notebooks + pens + TRB + workbooks
Passport + Seaman's book + yellow fever + stcw certs + vacc list
Mobile
Memory stick
Portable hard drive
Cash ?100 + $150 (in notes, use euros instead of dollars if mainly in European waters)
Prepay Travel Credit Card with ?300 loaded and unlocked for all countries.
Spare batteries for anything that needs them and all leads neaded to recharge anything.


Main Bag
--------------------------
T-Shirts/Polo Shirts x 5
Fleece x 1
Jeans x 2
Shorts x 2
Pilot shirt + epaulettes x 1
Smart shirt x1 and trousers walking type for run ashore
Exercise kit shorts x2 tops x2 socks x2
Trainers
socks x7
Boxers x 7
Flip flops
Walking shoes
Towel (travel type)
Belt
Wash kit
Baseball cap
Extension lead with surge breaker
Teabags
First Aid kit (small one)
Travel mug
Sun cream
Sunglasses
Travel washing line (very useful, get good quality rope, can always get on board from Bosun's Stores if you forget or are cheap)
Sewing kit

[welshdecky]

Good kit list.
I'm just in the process of packing (and getting really stressed out by it all!) I always get a bit worried that if I put everything in one bag that it'll end up going missing so am splitting as much as I can between two bags so I'll at least have some kit with me when I get to the other side! I'm joining a tanker which I know will not be making many port calls at all. Can't imagine anything worse than joining a ship and not having anything with you. Have seen it happen to others before, not nice!

[Ducki52]

I know its a really small part of your kit list, and probably never to be taken ashore, but be careful what drugs you take abroad, as in some countries, what may be available over the counter here (codeine, diclofenac, in some cases even paracetamol) would be verboten, and could get you into a wee bit of trouble.

[tlloyd1983]

Haha, my first aid kit has plasters and bandages. If you need any medication, always get it through the medical officer (second mate usually). That said, we had to do an inventory of personal meds the crew had before we arrived in Ukraine, as the authorities are very funny there, and love to fine people, and the amount of personal medication the crew had was eye-opening. Seafarers are a hypochondriacal lot.

[EFC92]

Just out of interest, how necessary is a sewing kit?

[jc173]

Haha, my first aid kit has plasters and bandages. If you need any medication, always get it through the medical officer (second mate usually). That said, we had to do an inventory of personal meds the crew had before we arrived in Ukraine, as the authorities are very funny there, and love to fine people, and the amount of personal medication the crew had was eye-opening. Seafarers are a hypochondriacal lot.

They want to know everything! haha

[nedbraden]

Is your portable harddrive purely for films? I notice a lot of people talk about them, but im presuming i will just load some films onto my laptop (500gb harddrive). Or do you specificaly keep films on it for any special reason?

[tlloyd1983]

Just out of interest, how necessary is a sewing kit?

It isn't necessary, but useful if a button ever comes off your pilot shirt (happened twice, no, I am not a fat duck )

As for the hard drive, I keep backups of all the work I did (nav ops workbook) on there, plus all my music, plus anything else you can think of, restore images for my laptop in case it ever gets fritzed somehow, they are just very useful.

[size4riggerboots]

Because you will be wanting A LOT of films! plus if they're on a hard drive you can very easily lend it to someone else if they want to watch one without having to hand over your laptop!

[chris]

Ducki52 - Diclofenac. It should be banned, doesn't work for me at all, waste of money, stick with good old Ibuprofen

[Joey]

Insect repellant, sun cream and after sun <<< IMPORTANT

[nedbraden]

Whats the general attire on the bridge? Im on a container ship and presume it will be a case of 'whatever you want' in the majority of cases, except pilots on board and in port?

Is this true, and if so guess i won't need to take all 6 of my company's white shirts with logo on them and trousers etc, and can pack more tracky bottoms/jeans/t shirts?

[CharlieDelta]

If it's a white pointy star logo you won't be wearing it much from what I hear. Just for pilotage. Boilersuits for deck work and cargo watches.

[nedbraden]

cool, just as i thought :-)