This is basically a mini cake made inside a jar that promises to still be moist and delicious by the time it arrives on the other end. Not a baker yourself? Let them do the baking for you. The best food to send is usually of the non-perishable variety, especially those snacks in cans or jars to prevent crushing. Service members may have the ability to get toiletries and other necessities, but it might not be their favorite brands.
Head over to a drug store and load up on shampoo, body wash, hand sanitizer, deodorant, sunscreen, toothpaste, lip balm, foot powder, throat lozenges, baby wipes and batteries. Service members can always use entertainment when they have a chance to enjoy some down time. Include books, magazines and crosswords puzzles. Go to your local Exchange and use their price matching policy for new ear buds, DVDs and other gadgets. And check out Office Depot , Jo-Ann Fabrics and Michaels for pens, notepads, stationary and envelopes, the perfect hint for them to write letters back to you.
Homemade artwork from the kids is always a big care package hit. You can also use those discounts to make care packages more festive for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. Well, he probably wants your scent close by too. Wear a shirt you know he likes on you or sleep on a pillowcase, then seal it in a Ziploc bag so he can get a whiff of home whenever he wants.
Your loved one may be far away, but care packages help make that distance feel a little bit smaller. Want the scoop on military discounts? It was like a treasure trove for a young sailor who just wanted a bit of normalcy on those long deployments. But for every baseball I got, I also loved the things that came along with it. And frankly, if all anyone sent me were baseballs, I'd run out of space! That's why we've put our heads together, brainstormed a list of items, and whittled it down to the top 20 items to include in a military care package.
And we put them together into a list here, complete with easy links to buy each one on Amazon. We guarantee that, if you add these to the care package, it will make for a fantastic military care package.
If you choose to buy one of these products for your Hero, if you use our link, you'll pay the same price, but we get a small commission, which helps us to keep bringing you great content! We aren't paid to list any of these, though.
We came up with this list all by ourselves! You'll notice some commonalities among the products, which should help give you guidance on what to put in a care package. First , these are all small items. Military members don't have a lot of space, so space is at a premium. Second , every snack is packaged in single-servings. It's hard to keep things fresh, and it's so much easier to store unopened snacks, and they're more compact as well. Gatorade powder, for example see 7 is best given in single-serve packets.
Sure, it costs much more per serving, but we were all in agreement: we'd rather have 10 single servings rather than 50 servings in a tub. Finally , our most important thing is to keep your service member in mind when choosing what to include, and the more it relates to home, the better. If you have a local coffee shop, sending that coffee is a game-changer. But absent that special treat, we guarantee that if you use our list, you can't go wrong.
And just to build suspense, we start with 20 and work our way to 1. Without further ado:. Our Top 20 Products. Our service members work hard, and a source of quick, high quality protein is always great to help keep them going. Include some "quick protein" in your next care package. Beef and turkey jerky is great, but mixed nuts can get the job done, too.
A must have for each military care package. Deployments will often find many heroes sharing a small space, so any effort to freshen the room is often appreciated! While not the most exciting gift, it's definitely one of the most appreciated. We like these charcoal bags because they are discreet, work continuously, and absorb odors, even in close quarters.
Admittedly, these only work for about half of the year, but they're so great for those time periods that we included them on this list. Nights in the desert, nights at sea, and duty stations in cold climates leave many service members exposed to cold temperatures.
Hand warmers are air activated and can help keep feet and hands warm, and they'll last through an entire shift. Body wipes are a popular request for military care packages, particularly for our heroes that serve in a desert environment.
They help keep you fresh when a shower isn't ready available, which happens across all services, especially for soldiers and marines.
They're great for wiping sweat and grime from the face. We like these Dude Brand body wipes because they are thick and unscented, and they are a far cry from the standard baby wipes. These are especially good for marines and soldiers serving in hot desert climates who need military care packages. Cards have a tradition in the armed forces. They've kept military members occupied for decades, and for good reason.
They're portable, there are endless games to play, are an excellent way to pass the time, and a great group activity. Service members can never have too many decks of cards, since individual cards have a habit of running off, requiring frequent deck replacement.
Toss a pack into every few care packages. For some solitary down time, check out puzzle books, like crossword puzzles or sudoku. They can be great for taking one's mind off a stressful day. Puzzle books also tend to be inexpensive, so throw a few in! We like this Jumbo book, since it has a variety of puzzles and won't get too old.
Another option for off time: travel sized games. Even if board games, they come organized so it is easy to keep track of all the pieces. There is often an area for communal board games, where service members share things they bring with them or get on deployment, so it's a gift that will keep giving to the entire unit.
Our favorite board game was Cranium. It's expandable to any number of players, and gets out of control quickly. Two of our team members remembered Cranium as their top game on deployment, so it gets our 1 nod. But the Monopoly Deal card game , which is a minute version of Monopoly, is hands down the most fun game we've played. And it fits in a pocket! Many of our service members will serve in hot, sunny environments, so make sure their skin is protected.
While the military provides sunscreen, some service members don't like it's thick, chalky texture, and so they'll skip it. Send a bottle of sunscreen they won't mind putting on- we like the Neutrogena Brand for both men and women! It feels like you're just rubbing water on your skin, but it works just as well as the classic stuff. Scholl's Gel Inserts. Half our staff was outraged that this was not 1. These are a welcome item in any care box, especially for the hero that spends their whole day on their feet.
Our tried and tested favorite is Dr. Scholl's massaging gel work insoles - it helps to relieve tired, aching feet and joints. No matter the branch, service members are on their feet almost all day. From standing watch on a Navy ship to hiking long miles in the desert, new gel insoles are miracle cures.
These come in men's and women's sizes, too. Think they may already have them? They need replacing every few weeks, and most service members never have the supply to replace them fast enough, so send one in every single military care package. But be sure to send the work insoles pictured here. Standard insoles may work for civilian shoes, but wear out in under a week with the military boots. Even the simple things are hard to come by out here so every last bit helps and makes it that much easier for us to do our job.
Thank you for all you do in support of us and all of our fellow soldiers out here. You are truly a blessing. She received the box today and she was literally in tears and could not believe that there are people who cared enough to send her a box. She said she felt like it was Christmas or better because she has not had a Christmas since she was younger. It was great seeing her tell everyone who walked in the office about the box.
Again, thank you and your team for taking the time to think of us over here and we truly do appreciate your support! Put your email address in the box so we can communicate with you electroncially! It costs a fortune to mail thousands of letters, and we can instead spend that further serving the troops! The kindness you have shown makes a difference in the day-to-day lives of our service members. God Bless you, and please keep up with the things you are doing.
Care Package Goods. You must double-bag individual liquid and gel items. Soap has to be bagged or it ruins the taste of the food items.
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