Couple of questions, POC related

[Brows]

I have a POC booked on the 4th of June (please do PM me if you are on the same date) and I have a couple of questions which I wouldn't mind answering.

1. Are you permitted to bring with you insoles for your boots? I will be bring my own boots and am thinking about getting some insoles that should make my life a little easier. However if they're not allowed then getting them to train with seems pointless since I won't have them on the real thing.

2. Following on from that I have found online some anti-blister socks that I think could prove useful. So my question is do these really work? I am sure they just are a bit thicker where you are more likely to get blisters but are they truly effective.

3. On my list of clothing I am told to bring a "suit jacket" for the officers mess. I don't own one, nor have ever worn one. Is getting one really necessary? If so, where would you recommend getting one from?

4 (and final). Are you allowed to bring food with you down to the POC? I was thinking about doing a run to the cash n carry and buying a box of something high in energy (probably kitkat crunchy peanut butter) which I could grab after bottom field or the endurance course for a energy burst. I mean when I am back in the room; not hiding some in my pockets and munching on them during the hare and hound!

Thanks in advance

Brows

[tomharto30]

I have a POC booked on the 4th of June (please do PM me if you are on the same date) and I have a couple of questions which I wouldn't mind answering.

1. Are you permitted to bring with you insoles for your boots? I will be bring my own boots and am thinking about getting some insoles that should make my life a little easier. However if they're not allowed then getting them to train with seems pointless since I won't have them on the real thing.

2. Following on from that I have found online some anti-blister socks that I think could prove useful. So my question is do these really work? I am sure they just are a bit thicker where you are more likely to get blisters but are they truly effective.

3. On my list of clothing I am told to bring a "suit jacket" for the officers mess. I don't own one, nor have ever worn one. Is getting one really necessary? If so, where would you recommend getting one from?

4 (and final). Are you allowed to bring food with you down to the POC? I was thinking about doing a run to the cash n carry and buying a box of something high in energy (probably kitkat crunchy peanut butter) which I could grab after bottom field or the endurance course for a energy burst. I mean when I am back in the room; not hiding some in my pockets and munching on them during the hare and hound!

Thanks in advance

Brows

1. Yes, they won't check, just so long as your boots have a decent heel block on them for bottom field. Best thing to do is get the DMS ones and train in them and take them, because there the ones we get issued so you might as well get used to them, and there cheap!

2. Found out where you get blisters, and just tape up those spots, and you will be fine, if you are unlucky enough to get blisters, just think how much you want to be a YO??

3. Buy a decent looking suit, first impressions count especially the way you dress, remember you need to look like your officer material. Next do fairly cheap ones!

4. Yer do that, the food is shit compared to the good old galley!! there not mega anal when i was there, they never come in our accomadation and only came in the mess once at the start. One of the guys will be in charge of you and he will get give the detail.

Take a padlock for your valuables

[tomharto30]

Are you in YO training tomharto30?

No mate, failed AIB on the psychometric tests. Now in recruit training, want my green lid to much!!lol. What stage you at?

[Brows]

Thanks

Apologies, but you slightly misunderstood on the suit question. My fault should have been more specific. I own a perfectly smart suit; which incidentally I did get at next however my sister has a part-time job there to pay her university bar bill so I got 25% off! However when I received my letter telling me the clothes I need to bring with me it said:

"Lounge suit or jacket and flannels"

I imagine this is something you wear in the evenings for the officer’s mess. My default plan was to just wear my normal suit. However I was unsure so I posted here.

Thanks for the insoles advice, I’ll look into those Sorborthane.

The boots I own are these:

http://www.surplusandadventure.com/isho ... cr256.html

Which I think will be fine. However, and hating to sound thick, what does DMS mean? I imagine it will be something like "Delightful Military Standard" .

Like you deduced I only just passed the eye test. I wear contact lenses most of the time and will do for my POC on the Monday. However on Tuesday I’m planning on wearing them for bottom field but glasses for the Endurance course since that seems to be the time when you get wet. And I’m not sure how contact lenses hold up underwater. I think glasses would prove more reliable.
Wednesday will probably end up be a glasses day until after the swim.
Did you find them a problem/annoyance/an issue?

Brows

[Brows]

Thanks for the gecks advice. I'll try to keep my contacts in for the majority of the physical stuff and I’ll keep my glasses on me in case I need them.

I just got myself some Sorbothane insoles for my boots. I haven’t run in them yet but they seem pretty comfy.

Oh well, not much to do now apart from keep training and learning RM/Navy related issues.

Brows

[Scouser]

I use anti-blister socks when doing long runs and they work really well. I know there are different kinds you can get, and I havent used mine with boots as I havent needed to really.
I dont know much about glasses/contact lenses but expect to be soaked at EVERY outdoor activity!
As others have said, most just wear a suit in the mess - take plenty of shirts though, you will be sweating a fair bit!
Enjoy it!