This information is specifically from Army Training Centre Pirbright Headquarters (source link at the bottom)
1. General. Your initial weeks at ATC(P) will be busy – there is a lot of administration required and you need to arrive well-prepared. You will be issued with all of your military clothing and equipment on arrival; however there are a number of things that you need to bring with you. The lists below not only tell you what to bring but should act as a checklist so that you can get yourself organised and save precious time and money during your initial weeks of training.
2. Documentation. During your first week, we need to check a lot of your documentation to ensure that you are correctly inducted into the Army. It will make life easier if you can bring as much as possible of this documentation with you so, please bring the following documents (and a photocopy of each if possible):
| PERSONAL DOCUMENTS | |||
| Ser | Document | Remarks | Check |
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) |
| 1 | Birth Certificate | ||
| 2 | National Insurance Card | If held | |
| 3 | Passport | If held | |
| 4 | Visa | Foreign and Commonwealth members only | |
| 5 | Full contact address and telephone numbers of immediate family | In cases of an emergency | |
| 6 | Town and Country of Parents’ birth | ||
| 7 | Passport Photos x 4 | ||
| 8 | NHS Card | If you do not have an NHS card, speak to your local NHS General Practitioner (GP) | |
| 9 | Bank Details | You must arrive at Pirbright havingopened a UK Bank Account. Details required include Account number, Sort code, Name of Bank, Address of Bank | |
| 10 | Marriage certificate | If you are married | |
| 11 | Birth certificate of children | If you have any | |
| 12 | Driving Licence | If held | |
| 13 | P45 | If applicable – must be dated within 8 weeks of arrival date at Pirbright | |
| 14 | European Health Insurance Card | You can apply online at http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx or call 0845 606 2030. You can also ask for a form from your local post office | |
| 15 | Any civilian qualification certificates | ||
| 16 | Any legal orders relating to divorce, custody, change of name etc | ||
| 17 | Details of any pending court cases | ||
| 18 | A list of home addresses for the past 5 years and the date of birth of your parents/stepparents or guardians. | Required for security vetting and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. | |
| 19 | Addresses and names of any employers from the past 5 years (if applicable). | Required for security check. |
3. Clothing. You should not bring too much civilian clothing as storage space is limited and you will not get many opportunities to wear them during the first 7 weeks of training. All uniforms are provided, and it is the responsibility of all soldiers to maintain their issued kit – you will receive instruction on this and you are discouraged from buying additional, unnecessary items before speaking to your training staff. You should bring the items listed below:
| PERSONAL CLOTHING | |||
| Ser | Item | Remarks | Check |
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) |
| 1 | Males: One smart set of civilian clothes, including a change of shirt (i.e. sufficient clothing to last for 2 consecutive days). | Males: Suit/Jacket, shirt with collar, tie, smart trousers (not jeans), shoes | |
| 2 | Females: One smart set of civilian clothes, including a change of blouse (i.e. sufficient clothing to last for 2 consecutive days) | Females: smart skirt, trousers, shirt/blouse, shoes | |
| 3 | 1 set of casual civilian clothes for wearing out of work time | To include a fleece or thick sweatshirt | |
| 4 | Underwear | Briefs/sports bras needed for PT lessons (females). Sufficient for 10 days | |
| 5 | Socks x 5 pairs | Socks worn with uniform and for PT will be issued to you | |
| 6 | Natural tan tights | For females | |
| 7 | Nightwear | Remember you will be sharing a room with others | |
| 8 | Warm and waterproof outdoor coat | Warm enough to allow you to spend a lot of time outside in military cemeteries in Northern Europe. | |
| 9 | Shower footwear, i.e. flip-flops | For hygiene | |
| 10 | Sports Kit (T shirt/shorts/socks and trainers) | This is required to wear for kit sizing on Day 1. Military PT kit will be issued. |
4. Personal Hygiene. Becoming a soldier involves hard physical work often in dirty conditions and it is important that you maintain a good level of personal hygiene for your own health’s sake, and the comfort of those that are sharing accommodation with you. You must bring with you the following items as a minimum, and additionally should consider smaller items for use on field exercises:
| PERSONAL HYGIENE & TOILETRIES | |||
| Ser | Item | Remarks | Check |
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) |
| 1 | Razor, shaving foam/gel | For Males & Females as appropriate | |
| 2 | Shower gel/soap with soap dish | ||
| 3 | Toothbrush and toothpaste | ||
| 4 | Deodorant | ||
| 5 | Towels | 2 x Bath, 1 x Hand | |
| 6 | Sanitary products | For females | |
| 7 | Hair-nets, hair-bands and slides of your natural hair colour | For females |
5. Swimming Kit. Part of your training will include swimming lessons. You must bring with you the following items as a minimum:
| SWIMMING KIT | |||
| Ser | Item | Remarks | Check |
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) |
| 1 | Males – Swimming trunks, not shorts | Plain design, either black or blue | |
| 2 | Females – One-piece swimming costume | Plain design, either black or blue |
6. General Items. There are a number of items that will make life easier for you during your time at ATC(P) that can be purchased as a job lot for £52 for collection on Day 1 (or as separate items from the SPAR shop on Camp or SANDES Café once you are under training). Alternatively, you may purchase these yourself in advance and bring them with you on Day 1.
| GENERAL ITEMS | |||
| Ser | Item | Remarks | Check |
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) |
| 1 | Seal Bags Small x 10 | ||
| 2 | Seal Bags Large x 10 | ||
| 3 | Selvyt | A cloth used for bulling boots and shoes | |
| 4 | Sewing kit | Black, white and khaki thread, needles and safety pins | |
| 5 | Small torch | Preferably a head torch with a red filter | |
| 6 | Karabiner/Helmet Clip | ||
| 7 | Padlocks x 6 | Key Locks advisable for improved security, 4cm x 4cm (approx) with a shackle diameter no larger than 1cm | |
| 8 | Tent Pegs x 10 | Basic type | |
| 9 | Elasticised Bungees x 6 | Dark Green, 75 cm in length each (approx) | |
| 10 | Twisters x 2 pairs | Twisted elastic ties to go around the boot keep trousers tidy | |
| 11 | Boot cleaning kit | 1 x MTP Pouch, 2 x brushes, 1x Kiwi black polish, 1x Kiwi dark tan polish, 1 x cloth and 1 pair boot laces |
7. Optional Extras. The items below are not considered necessities but you may bring them if you wish:
| OPTIONAL ITEMS | |||
| Ser | Item | Remarks | Check |
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) |
| 1 | Writing paper, envelopes, stamps | ||
| 2 | Personal items, i.e. photo | ||
| 3 | Mobile phone | ||
| 4 | Swimming goggles | ||
| 5 | Cash to spend | Not exceeding £120 | |
| 6 | Wristwatch | ||
| 7 | Pens | Black Biro type and a black permanent marker | |
| 8 | Coat Hangers x 8 | ||
| 9 | Pen-Knife |
8. Unnecessary Items. Do not bring:
- Bed linen
- Blankets
- Pillows
- Duvet
- Iron & Ironing Board
(Source: Pirbright Training Packing List )
