CARE PACKAGE SUGGESTIONS

Putting a care package together for your Marine is another way to let him know that you support him. Here are some general guidelines and suggestions from the Marines themselves, their families, Vets from the Gulf War, and the USMC.

Send us an email (darandgar@aol.com) if you have specific questions.

 
POCKET SIZE, TRAVEL SIZE:
Keep the items small -  pocket-size, travel-size, sample-size are ideal. Remember your Marine has to pack this around, and if he is in a unit that may be mobilized, they're going to travel light.

TIME TO ARRIVE
3-4 weeks. Smaller boxes arrive more quickly. Large or heavy boxes can be delayed. If you want to drop items off at the house, we'll package and ship it for you (Raytheon is helping with shipping).

TOILETRIES:

• Baby Wipes for personal hygiene
• Toothpaste, toothbrushes
• Shampoo
• Deodorant
• Soap, anti-bacterial soap
• Waterless soap, liquid body wash
• Lotion
• Shaving cream (non-aerosol)
• Disposable razors
• Toilet Paper
• Kleenex (Travel size packets)

PERSONAL-CARE ITEMS:

• Sunblock, Aloe Vera
• Throat Lozenges
• Gum, Lifesavers, Mints
• Eye Drops (to relieve irritation from blowing sand)
• Blistex, Chapstick, Vaseline, Carmex
• Aspirin, Motrin, Tylenol, Pain Relievers
• Saline spray/drops for sensitive nasal passages
• Q-tips
• Jock itch spray
• SEND SOCKS - White socks (and more white socks)
• Boot liners/insoles
• Lotrimin AF for athletes foot (send tube of ointment or cream, NOT the spray kind)
• Foot Powder (there are some that have ingredients to fight athletes foot)
• Travel size Baby Powder, Shower-to-Shower Powder
  (NOTE: Be sure the any powder is in it's sealed, original container. Put it in a ziploc bag as well.)
• Moleskin (for pads on sore feet, you'll find it with Dr. Scholls type things at WalMart or drug stores)
• Laundry soap (Small single-load packages, trial sizes, or 'tablets' that are easier to manage and store.)

COMMUNICATION ITEMS:

• Envelopes, paper, pens
• Small pads of paper
• Pre-addressed labels and/or envelopes
• Notebooks (a size they can keep in a pocket and keep dry)
• Single-Use Cameras 
• Postage stamps

OTHER SUPPLIES:

• Batteries (AA, AAA, C)
• Photos from home
• Cigarettes, chew
• Newspaper clippings, comics from Sunday's paper, news from home
• Books, Magazines (no porn)
• Astronomy charts/books (the sky is unbelievably clear at night)
• Sunglasses (goggle-type sunglasses are requested very frequently)
• Eyeglass wipes
• Socks, Socks, Socks!
• Underwear, socks, T-shirts
• Green boot socks (try military surplus stores)
• Tactical Duct tape: military green, tan, black, gray
• Electrical tape
• Flashlight with a red lens
• 1- and 2-gallon ziplock plastic bags (there's sand everywhere - I put all items from my care pkg in a ziploc...serves two purposes!)

FUN STUFF:

• Frisbee, Nerf Footballs, Hacky Sack
• Deck of cards
• Hand-held games
• Disposable cameras.

FOOD ITEMS:

• Pork and pork by-products are NOT allowed to be shipped to Middle East locations. That includes many 'Slim Jims' and other packaged meat products; read the label. Fruit and yeast are not allowed either.
• Non-perishable foods only. Send small containers of items. Large packages won't stay fresh and are harder to ship. If you can stuff it in your pocket and it's not going to spoil or MELT, it's a good thing to send! Downplay the sugar.
• Coffee, hot cocoa mix, coffee mixes, tea
  Lemonade mix, Koolade mix, Tang mix, Gatorade mix (pre-sweetened)
• Gum, Lifesavers, Mints
• Nuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts, trail mix
• Power bars, protein bars, nutritional bars
• Small bags of snacks or individually wrapped snacks
• Pop Tarts, cereal bars, "milk & cereal" bars, granola bars
• Cookies, Homemade Cookies
• Candy and candy bars (chocolate will melt)
• Torengos and canned nacho cheese dip
• Ravioli
• Jalepeno velveeta and crackers

Visit MarineParents.com to learn more