Quick answer
  • Required by every federation: a singlet, a t-shirt, long socks for deadlift, and shoes. That's the whole mandatory list.
  • The only optional purchase that reliably moves your numbers: a 10 mm belt.
  • Skip: lifting straps (illegal), anything "compression," and a second pair of shoes before you've done a meet in the first pair.

First-meet lifters routinely overspend on gear that doesn't help and under-prepare on the two things that do: a belt they've actually trained in and shoes that match how they squat. Here's what to bring, ordered by how much it matters, with notes on what's legal under IPF-affiliate rules (USAPL, and most others follow the same equipment specs). Check your federation's current rulebook before the meet; specs change occasionally.

What You Need

SingletRequired
Every federation requires a one-piece singlet with straps over the shoulders, no logos beyond what the federation allows. Any plain wrestling-style singlet works for a local meet. Get it a month early and squat in it at least once, because the first time you feel the back of it against your calves should not be on the platform.
Pick: Plain powerlifting singlet
BeltBuy this
A stiff 10 mm leather belt, 10 cm wide (the legal maximum), lever or single-prong. This is the one purchase that changes your total — most lifters find 5–10% on squat and deadlift once they've learned to brace against it, which takes a few weeks. Levers are faster to get on and off between attempts; prongs let you adjust tightness by a notch for deadlift. Either is fine. Train with it for at least six weeks before the meet. 13 mm belts exist and are legal, but most lifters find 10 mm plenty stiff and far easier to break in.
Pick: 10 mm lever belt · 10 mm single-prong belt
ShoesRequired (but you may already own them)
Two questions: how do you squat, and how do you pull? Low-bar squatters and most deadlifters want a flat, hard, thin sole — a plain canvas shoe or a dedicated flat lifting shoe. High-bar or narrow-stance squatters usually do better in a heeled weightlifting shoe. Sumo pullers want the flattest, thinnest shoe they can find; deadlift slippers are legal in most federations and cost very little. Running shoes are the one wrong answer: the foam compresses under load and moves. Sock-only lifting is not allowed.
Pick: Flat lifting shoes · Heeled weightlifting shoes · Deadlift slippers
Deadlift socksRequired
Shin-covering socks are mandatory for deadlifts in every federation (bar drag draws blood; it is a hygiene rule). Any long soccer or "deadlift" sock works. Bring two pairs.
Pick: Long deadlift socks
T-shirtRequired
Worn under the singlet for squat and bench; usually optional for deadlift. Must have sleeves and generally no seams on the sleeve that could aid the bench. A plain cotton tee is fine — "raw"-approved compression shirts are unnecessary and often not allowed.

Worth It Once You've Competed Once

Wrist wrapsOptional
Legal in the raw division up to 1 m long (federation limits vary slightly). They keep the wrist stacked over the forearm on bench and stop the bar rolling back on low-bar squat. Stiffer wraps help bench more; more elastic wraps are comfortable enough to leave on all session. If your wrists ache after heavy bench, buy these. If not, wait.
Pick: Wrist wraps (stiff)
Knee sleevesOptional
7 mm neoprene sleeves, 30 cm max length, are legal raw in almost every federation. They add warmth and a small rebound out of the hole — real but modest, a few percent at most. Sizing is the whole game: competition-tight sleeves are miserable to put on and worth it; loose ones do nothing. Buy a size down from the chart if you want them to help.
Pick: 7 mm knee sleeves
ChalkUsually provided
Most meets have chalk at the warm-up racks and on the platform. Bring a small block or bottle of liquid chalk anyway; the shared bowl is often empty by the second flight. Liquid chalk is also allowed in the warm-up room at meets that ban loose chalk.
Pick: Liquid chalk

Skip These

Lifting straps are illegal in competition. Train your grip instead: hook grip or mixed grip, and stop using straps on your top sets at least eight weeks out. Knee wraps put you in a different division in most federations; don't enter raw and show up in wraps. Elbow sleeves are illegal in most federations for bench. A second belt, a second pair of shoes, or "meet day" versions of anything: use what you trained in. Nothing new on meet day is the rule.

The Bag Checklist

Singlet, t-shirt, deadlift socks, shoes (both pairs if you switch for deadlift), belt, wraps and sleeves if you use them, chalk, your federation membership card and ID, a printed copy of your attempts, food you've actually eaten before, water, a sweatshirt for sitting around between flights, and a phone charger. Meets run long.

Plan the attempts, not just the bag. The meet attempt selector gives conservative openers with plate loading per attempt, and the meet day walkthrough covers weigh-ins, flights, commands, and timing.

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