PCS Prep: The DO NOT PACK List

When your military family is preparing for a PCS (Permanent Change of Station), you have several options on how to execute your move. You can utilize the packers and movers the military offers. You can do everything yourself and get reimbursed. Or you can do a little bit of both. We have personally done all three and I don’t have strong feelings about one way or another. Each one has worked just fine with several quirks along the way. It’s important to find what works best for you in each season of life.

Regardless of which option you choose, there are several things that remain the same for each one. (If you haven’t already gotten my PCS Prep list, you can find it here) One of these things is making sure you have what you need right away in your new location. Even if you pack everything yourself, you aren’t going to want to dig through boxes and boxes to find your towels before you take a shower in your new home. In addition to having what you need right away, it’s also important to take with you any and all necessary/valuable items, just in case something happens to your stuff in the moving truck.

Before every single move, we create a pile of DO NOT PACK items. If we have packers and movers in our home, we place this pile in a room by itself and lock the door. It’s amazing, but even if you simply put post-it notes on things you don’t want packed, some packers and movers will still load those things into boxes. Trust me, lock your DO NOT PACK items in your car or behind locked doors!

Here is what we add to our DO NOT PACK pile.

1. Valuable Items: Literal and Sentimental

Anything you own that is near and dear to you, please hand carry it to your next duty station. Also, anything that is high value and irreplaceable, please hand carry. Moving companies will have you list any high value items on your checksheet, but if you don’t want to risk it being lost or damaged, do yourself a favor and pack it in your car. For example, we hand carry my husband’s challenge coin collection not because it’s high value, but because those coins hold significance to him and many of them can’t be replaced. I also hand carry my nicer jewelry.

2. Medical Records

This is a personal preference, but we hand carry all our own medical records. We also have our doctor offices transfer everything electronically to the next clinic, but I always request hard copies of every medical, dental, vision, etc. record for each family member. I have a portable filing box for all these items, so everything stays in their respective folders, but don’t get damaged or mixed together.

3. Legal Documents

If you don’t already have all these documents in a binder, go ahead and do that now! A good zipper closure binder works great so no papers can slip out. Our binder holds birth certificates, social security cards, wills, power of attorneys, estate planning documents, passports, orders, marriage certificate, etc. Any and all legal documents must be hand carried. 

4. Home Items

This depends on what your immediate plans are when you arrive at your new duty station. If you will be temporarily in a hotel you won’t necessarily need any home items right away. But if you plan to stay in your new home at your new duty station before the moving truck arrives, you will need some basic home items right away. For us, this looks like: air mattresses, bedding, towels, toiletries, plastic shower curtain and rings, basic kitchen necessities (1 pot, 1 pan, 1 knife, 1 wooden spoon, coffee pot, etc), small toolkit, camping chairs.

5. Clothing

This seems obvious, but don’t forget to pack your suitcases before loading the rest of your closet into boxes!

6. Kid Items

If you have small children, don’t forget about what they’ll need right away at your new location and also during travel. This includes pack n plays, high chair options, small comfort toys, blankets, diapers, etc. If you have big kids you can allow them to grab 2-3 favorite toys or items. This could be books, tablets, scooters, etc. It kind of depends on how much space you have in your vehicles/suitcases.

7. Pet Items

If you have a pet, don’t forget all their things, too! Be sure to have their crates, food, vet records, etc.

8. Medication

Don’t forget to hand carry all medications and prescriptions. This includes yourself, your spouse, kids, and pets. This also may involve having a cooler and cool packs. Be sure to set all this aside before packing up your HHG (household goods) boxes.

9. Personal Electronics

This includes laptops, tablets, phones, and ALL CHARGERS AND POWER CORDS! You may also consider hand carrying your camera, drone, gopro, etc. 

10. Guns and Weapons

Moving companies cannot move guns, weapons, and ammo. You will have to hand carry all these items.

11. CAR KEYS

Please don’t leave your car keys on the hook by the door. The packers might accidentally toss them into a box and then you’ll be un-taping boxes the night before the truck comes. Of course we wouldn’t know about this personally ;)

Moving is a stressful time and there is so much to remember. I hope and pray this list is helpful for you and your military family. Even if you can’t prepare things within your home or don’t have time to purge/organize before the move, this list is essential. Make your DO NOT PACK list a non-negotiable part of your next military move!