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A general guideline that can be adjusted, depending on personal preference.

1. Clothes
2. Electronics
3. Documents
4. Toiletries
5. Others

1. CLOTHES
– 2 sets of uniform short-sleeved blouse and uniform pants
– 1 pair of epaulettes
– 2 tops appropriate for wear while mingling with crew * (would suggest plain t shirts)
– 2 tops for wearing in cabin
– 2 long pants
– 1 jacket/cardigan/coat * (depends on ship’s trading zone and season of the year)
– 2 sets of thermal long johns * (if ship is trading in cold areas)
– At least 4 sets of underwear
– Tons of socks as they wear and tear plus go missing often

2. ELECTRONICS
– 2 universal adapters
– 1 multi plug extension cord with USB slots
– 1 laptop + charging cable
– 1 main phone and 1 back up phone + at least 3 charging cables * (sometimes phone accidents happen, and it’s usually inconvenient till you manage to buy a new phone)
– 1 external hard disk (for shows/movies and copying all the ship’s manuals)
– 1 pair of earphones
– 1 powerbank
– At least 2 or 3 rechargeable torchlights

3. DOCUMENTS
– Seaman Discharge Book (AKA “CDC”)
– (After completing cadetship and going for exams) Certificate Of Competency
– Medical exam (AKA Pre-Employment Medical Exam)
– All STCW certs

– Passport
– US Visa (if applicable)
– Signed contract (AKA “SEA”)
– Flight ticket, Letter Of Guarantee, OKTB (if flying overseas)

4. TOILETRIES
– Shampoo * (bar soap is usually provided onboard)
– Facial wash
– Moisturiser * (if ship is trading in cold areas)
– Lip balm * (if ship is trading in cold areas)
– Toothbrush
– Toothpaste
– Deodorant
– Cotton buds or whatever you use for cleaning your ears
– Perfume
– Contact lens + cleaning solution + lens cases (if applicable)

4A. PHARMACY
– Eye drops (at times we work long periods and rest a short while, so eye drops can help with eye dryness/irritation.)
– Salonpas or other pain relief
– Multivitamins

5. OTHERS
– Stationery (notebook, pens etc.)
– Wallet with foreign currency (if you know where the ship is trading, you could change about $100 to the local currency for convenience later)
– 1 pair of uniform shoes
– 1 pair of crocs
– 1 pair of covered shoes (could be sports shoes)
– 1 extra pair of spectacles (for those who wear glasses)
– 1 hair bandana (prevent sweat from rolling into your eyes and blinding you)
– Food (personal preference)

Items that I’ve not mentioned above:
– Gaming devices/consoles e.g Nintendo Switch, PS5 etc. (I’d recommend bringing a small projector as well)
– Gopro or professional cameras
– Feminine care products
– Hair clips, hair ties etc.
– Cheap but helpful tools such as 1 set of Allen Keys (both imperial and metric sizes)

Please comment if you’ve items that should be recommended to fellow seafarers!

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