Informational: What to Bring

There are some blogs out there that have touched on this, but I feel like they don't emphasize certain things, so I'm going to talk a bit about it too.  What should you bring with you, if you decide to come to North Dakota?

First, and foremost, is Drive.  Yeah, it sounds silly and cliché, but one thing you have to consider is that there are hundreds, even thousands of people up here looking for work.  You have to separate yourself from them and have a drive and will to get employed.  You have to be ready and willing to put in applications all day, and when you're not applying somewhere, you need to be calling the places you already applied and pestering them for an interview.  It could take a day, it could take a month, but you have to have the drive to see the mission out to its goal.

Some obvious things to bring with you are clothes, but what kind of clothes should you bring?  Some people recommend bringing 2 full weeks worth of clothes or more.  My friend brought about 20 pairs of jeans and about 20 T-shirts.  This can be both a good and a bad thing.  If you get a job on a rig, where you are actually out in the field for a month at a time, then this makes for less laundry you have to do while you are working.  That's great, because you probably won't have time to do laundry, anyway.  However, if you get one of the many jobs that isn't in the middle of nowhere, purchasing that much ahead of time could take money away from other things that may lengthen your trip, especially if you come up here without a job already lined up.

You also have to consider what type of clothes to bring.  I talked a bit last week about how unpredictable the weather can be out here.  You should pack accordingly.  Even if you are coming up here in the middle of summer, I would bring a jacket, and a long sleeve shirt or 2.  You can bring shorts if you want, but you will only really be able to wear them at your house or man camp in the evening, so basketball shorts would probably be better and more comfortable.  Granted, this all goes out the window when winter comes.  Then you want the warmest things you can get your hand on, and in multiple sizes, so you can layer on the colder it gets.

Footwear you want to bring is pretty basic.  You want Steel Toe boots for whatever job you get, sneakers for driving, and some kind of shower shoe, because chances are you will be sharing a shower with complete strangers, and when you mix a bunch of guys working 12 hours a day all taking showers in one shower, Athlete's foot becomes very prevalent.  A shower shoe will prevent this from happening.  Remember, its like Lt. Dan always said, you gotta keep your feet in line.

Aside from clothes, there are other things to bring.  You will probably need bedding, but its hard to know what kind of bed you will get.  My recommendation is to get a nice comforter, and get the sheets later.  Also, you will need toiletries.  A small bag with your shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush/paste, etc. would suffice.  Also, don't forget optics.  If you wear glasses or contacts, make sure you have backups.  Contact wearers should bring 3 months supply, if you have it.  Being stranded in North Dakota with no way to see where you are going is no way to be.

One thing people may overlook when packing for a trip to North Dakota is documentation.  Birth Certificate, passport, high school diploma, social security card, vehicle insurance and registration information, driver's license.  Also a notebook/planner, and a bunch of pens to write down names, addresses, interview appointments, etc.  These are the main items to consider.  You also might want to bring checking account information, or a few checks to use when setting up direct deposit with a new employer.  It is always better to have these items and not need them, then to need them and have to pay astronomical prices to have them sent to you overnight.

If you plan on living out of your car and looking for work, you have to consider size of things, and ability to pack them efficiently.  It can be a lot like Tetris, but when you are living in a small space, any amount of extra room can make a big difference in moral.  Bringing things like plastic bags to contain garbage, some detailing wipes, to keep the interior clean and not smelling can do wonders to help make you feel more comfortable in your car and keep your moral high.

Don't be too eager to bring too many electronics.  First off, if you don't have a job, keeping them charged is going to be a pain in the butt, and second, if you do have a job, you're not going to have much time to play with them.  Bring a laptop and a cell phone, and their respective chargers.  That's great because the internet can give you a means to find work, plus a means to communicate with home.  Netflix can be a great way to wind down at night, too.

Some people might consider pots and pans.  I wouldn't really recommend it, because you could end up at a man camp, or you could be living out of your car for awhile, and pots and pans take up a lot of room.  You can always pick up a cheap setup at Walmart, or just wait until your first trip home.

That about wraps up my list of recommendations.  This is pretty much what I brought, and it seems to be working out ok.  If you have any questions about a specific item, or think I'm wrong about something, leave a comment and I'll try to respond.