Travel Nurse Gear Checklist: Apparel and Accessories for 13-Week Contracts

Packing for a 13-week travel nurse contract is an exercise in trade-offs: every piece in the suitcase comes at the cost of something else. This checklist breaks down the apparel and accessory categories that earn suitcase space, the pack-friendly fabric picks that work across assignments, and the pieces that can ship direct to the assignment address instead of getting packed from home.

What This Travel Nurse Gear Checklist Covers

This checklist focuses on apparel and apparel-adjacent accessories. It does not cover non-apparel gear (stethoscope, ID badge, nursing bag, work shoes, electronics, kitchen items, bedding for furnished rentals). For the apparel side of the kit, the categories are:

• Scrubs (sourced through traditional scrub vendors)
• Under-scrub base layers
• Pre-shift commute outerwear
• Post-shift change-out
• Off-shift hotel and rental loungewear
• Gym and athletic wear
• Explore-the-city casual wear
• Travel day pieces (airport, plane, drive)
• Accessories (hats, layering pieces)

Custom pieces from Bear Grips Pro Shops cover everything from under-scrub layers through travel day pieces. Scrubs themselves come from traditional scrub vendors.

Scrubs and Work Uniform Checklist

• 4-6 scrub sets in the color and style specified by the assignment facility
• 1-2 backup scrub sets in case of staining or weather damage
• 1-2 under-scrub base layer tees (Sport-Tek Performance Tee, single-color, packs small)
• Compression undershirt or thermal long-sleeve for cold ICU/ED units
• Work shoes (sourced separately, typically 1-2 pairs depending on assignment length and shoe rotation preference)
• Compression socks (sourced separately)

For the scrubs themselves, traditional scrub vendors like Figs, Cherokee, Grey's Anatomy, Wonderwink, and Healing Hands handle the regulated work uniform side. For the under-scrub base layers, custom Bear Grips Pro Shops performance tees with credential or travel nurse identity print fill the role and ship direct to the assignment.

Off-Shift Wardrobe Checklist

• 2-3 soft cotton or tri-blend tees with travel nurse identity (Bear Grips Airlume or Next Level Tri-Blend, $20-25 each VIP base)
• 1 pullover hoodie with credential (Bear Grips Comfort Soft Hoodie, $37 VIP base)
• 1 zip-up hoodie or quarter-zip for layering (Gildan Classic Zip-Up at $42 VIP base, or Sport-Tek Quarter-Zip at $30 VIP base)
• 1 crewneck sweatshirt for cold hotel HVAC and casual dinners (Bear Grips Perfect Soft Crewneck, $35 VIP base)
• 2-3 pairs of athletic shorts (Sport-Tek Athletic 7" Mesh at $27 VIP base for general use)
• 1-2 pairs of joggers or sweatpants (Independent Trading Co. Midweight Performance Joggers, $40 VIP base)
• 1-2 embroidered caps (Richardson Classic Rope Hat at $30 VIP base, or Yupoong Mesh Snapback at $26 VIP base)

Total off-shift wardrobe cost at VIP base: $250-350 depending on quantity and style mix. Retails at $350-500 if buying through a third-party shop.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

Travel Day Kit for Assignment Transitions

Specifically for travel days between assignments, the kit needs to handle airport, plane, and arrival in one outfit that doubles as off-shift wear after arrival:

• Soft tri-blend tee with travel nurse identity
• Zip-up hoodie for layering through cold airport, warm jetway, cold cabin
• Joggers or comfortable athletic pants
• Embroidered cap for travel-day-hair coverage
• Slip-on or quick-lace sneakers for airport security efficiency

For travel nurse content creators posting from travel days, the kit also doubles as social media content. Coordinated brand colors across the cap, tee, and hoodie photograph cleaner.

Gym and Active Kit

• 2 performance tees (Sport-Tek Performance Tee, $24 VIP base)
• 2 pairs of athletic shorts or compression shorts (Sport-Tek Athletic 7" Mesh or Bear Grips Performance Training Shorts)
• 1 performance tank for warm-weather assignments (Bella+Canvas Performance Workout Tank, $20 VIP base, or Women's Flowy Scoop Muscle Tank, $26 VIP base)
• 1 pair of leggings or biker shorts for women travel nurses (Bear Grips Signature Seamless Leggings at $55 VIP base, or Women's Signature Biker Shorts at $48 VIP base)
• 1 lightweight pullover or zip-up for gym warm-up

Performance fabric pieces dry overnight in a hotel sink, so two pieces in each gym category typically cover daily rotation.

Pieces That Can Ship Direct to the Assignment

Not everything needs to get packed from home. Pieces that ship well to the assignment address:

• Add-on apparel pieces ordered after arrival (the nurse realizes they need an extra hoodie for a colder assignment than expected)
• Welcome gift kits from agencies or family/friends sent to the assignment address
• End-of-contract memento pieces (assignment city and dates printed on a tee, ordered week 11-12 of the contract)
• Replacement pieces if anything is lost or damaged mid-assignment

The shop link allows updating the shipping address with every order, so travel nurses can order from anywhere and have the piece ship to wherever they currently are.

Seasonal Assignment Add-Ons

Some assignment regions need seasonal add-ons that would not be standard travel nurse kit:

• Cold-weather assignments (Northeast winter, Alaska, Mountain West): Premium fleece pullover (Champion Performance Hoodie at $46 VIP base), cuffed winter beanie ($26 VIP base), long-sleeve thermal layer
• Warm-weather assignments (Florida, Hawaii, Southern California, Texas summer): Performance tank tops, mesh snapback caps, lightweight performance shorts, sun-protection lightweight long-sleeve
• High-altitude assignments (Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque): Layering pieces for the dramatic day-to-night temperature swings
• Rainy-region assignments (Pacific Northwest): Quick-dry performance fabrics, ventilated cap for wet weather

Each of these adds 1-3 pieces to the base kit at $25-50 each.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many scrubs does a travel nurse pack for a 13-week assignment?

Typically 4-6 sets plus 1-2 backups. The exact number depends on the rotation pattern (3 days on / 4 days off) and laundry access at the rental.

Can travel nurse gear ship to the assignment address instead of getting packed from home?

Yes. Apparel pieces from Bear Grips Pro Shops ship direct to whatever address is entered at checkout. Welcome kits, replacement pieces, end-of-contract mementos, and add-on pieces all ship to the current assignment.

What is the total cost of a travel nurse apparel kit?

A complete off-shift wardrobe runs $250-350 at VIP base pricing. Adding the gym kit, travel day kit, and seasonal add-ons brings the total to $400-600 for a comprehensive kit. The pieces last across multiple contracts.

What fabrics pack best for travel nursing?

Tri-blend (polyester, cotton, rayon) for tees, performance polyester for athletic wear and under-scrub base layers, midweight cotton fleece for sweatshirts and hoodies. All pack smaller than standard heavyweight cotton and dry faster after hotel-sink washing.