Troop Wishlist
Courtney
What to send to troops overseas
Toiletries - Keep these items separate from food.
• Foot powder
• Razors
• Shaving cream
• Deodorant
• Moisturizing lotion (unscented so the insurgents don't smell them coming)
• Soap (unscented also)
• Shampoo (travel and full size)
• Aloe gel
• Band-Aids (for kids) - that way they are not using their medical kits for the kids that have cuts, etc.
• Baby wipes
• Hand wipes
• Toothbrushes (for soldiers & the locals .. although Chris said he is unsure if the locals will actually use them..)
• Toothpaste
• Mouthwash (travel and full size)
• Dental Floss
• Lip Balm
• Vaseline
• Neosporin
• Hand sanitizer
• Air Freshener (No aerosol cans -Lysol is good one for disinfecting areas such as toliets)
• Soft Toilet Paper (yeah, sometimes they say it is like sandpaper over there)
• Boxer Briefs
• Long socks (that they can wear under their boots)
Food Items
• Winchester Pump Up Energy Shot
• Beef jerky/Slim Jims (do not send pork/ham products)
• Goldfish
• Fruity snacks (like Fruit by the Foot, or stuff like that)
• Banana Chips
• Dried fruit
• Protein bars
• Protein powders
• Rice Krispy treats
• Microwave Popcorn
• Ramen Noodles soup
• Chewing gum
• Mints
• Individually wrapped cookies
• Coffee
• Creamer
• Diet powdered drink mixes (individual packets .. like Crystal Light .. make sure there is no sugar, as it ferments in their canteens)
• Hot Chocolate
• Carton shelf milk (not rice or soy milk .. what I am talking about they sell at Costco - vanilla or chocolate flavored)
• Oreos
• Chips (Doritos, Pretzels, Kettle Chips, etc)
• Salsa (in plastic containers)
• Nuts
• Licorice
• Twinkies
• Packaged tuna
• Vitamins
• Basically junk food that will not perish
• Homemade cookies (put in pringles can) Homemade fudge (all the soldiers love homemade goodies .. just keep in mind the time of year, and heat in the areas you are sending your packages. Chocolate can ONLY be sent in the winter months, otherwise it melts or spoils by the time it arrives.)
• Photo illustrations of packing homemade baked goods:
Packaging Cookies ->https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.220857204663920&type=1
Tasty TLC ideas ->https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.208666435882997&type=1
Creative Care Packages ->https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.206417089441265&type=1
Entertainment
• Movies (DVD's)
• Television series (DVD's)
• Books
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• I-Tunes Gift cards or free uploads
• Crossword puzzle books
• Trivia games
• Soduko puzzle books
• Coloring books
• Cards
• Board games
• Nerf balls
• Frisbees
• Small hand held games like Yahtzee, etc (electronic)
Miscellaneous
• Kevlar Parachute Cord
• Insect Replent
• Bubbles
• Tobacco
• Cigarettes
• Calling cards
• Blank thank you notes
• Blank birthday/anniversary/special occasion cards
• Batteries (specifically AA or AAA)
• Decorations - Christmas, holiday stuff, candles (they use red, white, blue, & silver taper candles for ceremonies, etc), birthday party favors
• Pictures (they want anything that will not remind them of desert and dirt)
• Candles (in a jar or in a tin .. just to give them a scent other than the person next to them)
• Just funny stuff to make them laugh
Cards made or written by Children or Adults
• Thoughts of gratitude or letters that take them away briefly, from where they are - Really, it can just be a postcard from you!
Items For Locals
• Hard individually wrapped candy
• Pens
• Paper
• Crayons
• Colored markers
• Construction Paper
• Chalk
• Kids sandals
• Soccer balls (deflated and include a pump and needle)
Thank you Robin for sharing your comprehensive list with the group
Additional suggestions:
Stationary idea:
Office Depot / Staples - buy the least expensive ream of paper, take it to the Copy counter and ask them to cut it in half. If let them know you are sending it to a Soldier / Marine in the Middle East to use to write letters home, some times they don’t charge for the cut . This provides 1000 sheets 5.5’ x 8.5” . Buy 10 boxes of 3.625“ x 6.5“ “stationary envelope” (100 to the box) at your local drug store (Walgreens, Rite Aid, etc). Separate 100 sheets at a time, lay them side by side as though that had never been cut and then lay a full uncut sheet on top of them. Do this ten times and then fill the box with 10 boxes of envelopes and 20 or more inexpensive ball point pens and pencils. This is great to do late summer when the stores have their back to school sales. But still a good item all year.
Candy idea:
After the holiday is over, buy up the holiday candy and other fun items (normally at a good discount). The troops don’t care that they are “late” in the season. It is still “home” coming to them. The troops love to get the Halloween candies, the Easter Puff’s, Candy Canes, etc, etc. Once a Halloween “bowl” was sent that when you reached in to get the candy a hand sprang out to stop you, the Sgt said his Marines got a great kick out of it. Sent another Marine a huge box of Marshmallow Bunny / Easter Puff’s. He said they disappeared in 5 minutes with his fellow Marines.
Hardware Store Stuff:
Hardware store kit includes: container of zip ties (variety of sizes), electrical grade duct tape, hooks (utility, rafter, eye hooks, cup), box 20d galvanized nails, box general purpose self-threading screws (2-4 inches), screw drivers (Phillips, flat head), hammer, 1" paint brushes, utility towels, Swiffer duster kit, small plastic bucket, gadget hammock, box push pins, small plastic tarp, measuring tape. The guys love it because it is filled with things that come in very handy and are not readily available to them.