If you have weathered a deployment before, you are probably an old pro at sending care packages. This guide is intended for military spouses, parents, siblings, and friends who have little or no experience mailing packages to loved ones in combat zones.

Here are some of the most popular items that we have had success with sending. It is worth noting that single-serve, individually wrapped things are ideal. They are easier to split up and carry around.

Snacks

Beef Jerky

Trail mix

Dried fruit

Sunflower seeds

Hard candies (lifesavers, jolly ranchers)

Granola bars

Pretzels

Cheese & Crackers

Chips

Oreos

M&M’s (shouldn’t melt)

Protein bars

Tuna in pouches

Instant oatmeal

Canned soup (pop-top)

Peanut butter

Nutella

Chewing Gum

Hot chocolate packets

Tea bags

Instant coffee

Powdered drink mixes (Gatorade, etc.)

Holiday and seasonal items

 

Toiletries (all travel size)

Baby wipes

Tissues

Deodorant

Hand sanitizer

Mouth wash

Chapstick

Cough drops

Shaving cream in tubes (no cans)

Disposable razors

Toothbrushes

Toothpaste

Sun block

Aloe Vera

Ibuprofen/Aspirin

Q-tips

Ziploc bags

Gel shoe inserts

Foot powder

Disposable hand warmers

Portable shower

Plain socks, underwear, and T-shirts *This depends on the rules of the unit. Ask first!

 

Entertainment & Other

Books

Magazines—keep it PG

Batteries—AA, AAA, C & 9 Volt are popular

Nintendo DS / PSP

iPod, pre-loaded

Headphones

iTunes gift cards

Playing cards

Pens

Notepads

Puzzle books (crossword, sudoku, word search)

Hackey sacks

Religious booklets, small bibles, inspirational readings

DVDs and video games

Cards and letters

Electronic handheld games

Solar charger for devices

Dog treats

Beanie babies to hand out to children

Blank card to send home

 

Tips

• The usefulness of many of the items suggested is dependent on the service member’s unit and their mission. If they are out on patrol most of the time, you would not send them DVDs and video games. Your loved one will probably tell you what they need most.
• If you are a friend of the family and do not have any contact with the service member, you cannot go wrong sending a few books, some snacks, and a card of appreciation.
• Be careful with homemade baked goods. More often than not, they will spoil by the time they get there.
• Don’t send food and scented products together. A few weeks in transit at 120°F+ temperatures will produce deodorant-flavored cookies.
• Ziploc bags are your friends. If you are sending anything that may open up and make a mess, put it in a separate bag—or two!
• Consider what the package will go through before it reaches your loved one. It may get tossed around, and if it’s at the bottom of a pallet it will have to bear a lot of weight.

Read the follow up to this article in Part II: How to Send Military Care Packages.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. It is just a combination of things that we have sent to our loved ones and found that they worked out well.