Lets get those care packages out there
After having spent oodles of time on overseas duty in the Army, Reader Skibo sends this excellent advice for anyone thinking about putting together care packages for our troops in the Sandbox:
The hotter summer months are coming in, and many troops have been over there a while. Having been in that region, I can tell ya that there are some smarter things to pack in a care package besides cookies. Sure, they may cost a bit more, but I'm pretty sure any self respecting local store will cut a deal for some/most of these items.
1. Foot Powder. Goes without saying. This stuff is GOLD over there.
2. Boot sole inserts. The cheap ones work just as well, if not better than the "gel" ones. (The gel ones don't absorb moisture, which can really screw up the bottoms of your feet)
3. Toenail Clippers, fingernail clippers, cloth surgical tape.
4. Moleskin (the little pads you put on your foot/boot to prevent blisters.
5. Bootlaces. A lot of laces got severely stressed with the sucking mud in the winter. The longer the better. (Soldiers know how to make them shorter, not longer)
6. Baby wipes/travel napkins.
7. Endust wipes. These things are PERFECT for cleaning quite a few items, least of which is the gas mask *just in case*.
8. Toothbrushes.
9. Eyeglass repair kits (small screwdriver, little screws)
10. GOOD duct tape. The military stuff don't always work to well. (Lowest bidder stuff I guess. Dunno why one roll works too well, and one wouldn't stick to itself) Black/Beige preferred, silver works too, in garrison.
11. Spray Silicone, 5 in 1 household oil, Armor All (or equivalent). This stuff is useful for getting some of that "road dust" off, and for general maintenance stuff around the tent.
12. Loofahs. (the little scrunchy bath things women use, look like a mini cheerleader pom pom). I got hooked on these things after wearing camo face paint for a week. These things WORK. Throw in some liquid soap if you want/need.
13. If you're going to send razors, think about sending them good ones. A good mach 3 will last a soldier two weeks, whereas a cheap bic one will last one or two shaves. And yes, you CAN jam a screwdriver into a mach-3 or similar style blade, and shave with it, using the screwdriver like a handle.
14. Shaving Cream. Don't send Gel. High altitude areas leave these cans spent with about half the contents remaining.
15. Suede Brushes. We use these things for boots, fingernails, dusty 16's, etc... again, tons of uses.
All this in addition to the usual stuff like candy, jerky, magazines, wet wipes, phone cards and so on.
Needless to say, Walter and Adam (and the other guys in their unit) will be getting LOTS of this stuff. (When I saw "bootlaces", for example, I slapped myself silly. Nothing worse than having to tie little knots to turn snapped laces back into long ones. The first care package will include about fifty pairs of these, for distribution.)
But, if any of you are already sending care packages, think of the above when you fill the next one.