Posted on 06/17/2002 10:59:25 AM PDT by Britton J Wingfield
While I was packing for a recent exercise, I was thinking about what kind of things would be best to send in a care package. 99% of the packages my buddies and I have gotten over the years consist of cookies, brownies, and more cookies. Here are a few hints on what will really make life more bearable for your loved one overseas.
Most of all, just ask what they would like to get.
Along with this I had a couple of the small folding compact "wing" style two line kites (drives security nuts at night with a chemlight or two attached :o), a frisbee, hacky sacks,nerf football and a small grundig compact "Short Wave" pocket radio with an earpiece.
I'll be putting a few of those togeather for sending this Christmas . That small individual kit was a don't leave home without it priority for my 26 year military career with stuff added as it came on the market like the compact rubiks cube monster.........
A new GI will "forget" or realize too late that such items as a sleeping bag liner made from a common bed sheet (queen size, dark color/pattern, high thread count (thank you martha stewart :o) as it will be hand washed a lot and air dried on a line ) and folded and sewn 3/4 of the way up makes that sleeping bag bearable after the many months of sleeping in it.
A couple of the small Photon III LED lights are also a godsend as they last forever and ride on your dog tag chain and will burn for 96 hours straight before a new battery is needed. I have carried em for years on lanyards and key chains and have yet to have to change a battery using them to find something in the dark. Photon even makes one for GI's now in a red stealth model......
Just some suggestions from me based on what I used, needed and enjoyed while in the deserts, jungles and woodlands of the world and those long rides to and from.
Stay Safe !
I had some friends called up during Desert Storm, and chap stick/lip balm with sun block were gifts from heaven for them. One of our friends really had chapped lips, and we sent him a half dozen of the little blue jars of LIP MEDEX. He still thanks us years later. The lip stuff is relatively inexpensive and light in weight and fairly indestructible during the transit phase from you to them.
A friend of mine did a couple of tours in Nam. His parents and sisters sent him a sock and underwear package each week. They went to the exchange and bought a large supply of socks and underwear. They sent him an envelope with 7 pairs of socks and a set of underwear every week. He was the only Marine in his platoon that didn't get jock itch and foot rot. Foot powder is another great welcome gift.
If you are in the Navy and on a ship, you can buy these comfort things. However, books, magazines, games, crossword puzzles and even newspapers from home or the home state were like treasures.
Wonder if anyone has some care package stories for some strange or totally useless stuff they received...
13 posted on 6/18/02 7:36 AM Eastern by Snow Bunny
Donation Information
Volunteer firefighters around the region are in need of supplies.
Items needed include:
chain saws
bar oil, two-cycle oil,
90-weight gear oil
chaps
21/2-gallon gas cans
chains, 18 and 20 inches
oil - 5W40, SAE30 and 15W40
washer fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid (type F and Dextron), antifreeze
money for gasoline
flat-head axes; metal garden rakes; long-handled, round-tipped shovels
soda pop, sausage sticks, beef jerky
electrical and duct tape
dish soap, laundry soap
binoculars
Gold Bond powder, hand lotion, Chapstick
bandannas, suspenders, underwear sizes 31-38, thick socks,
industrial work boots sizes 11-13 (no steel toes),
T-shirts, leather gloves
spray bottles, Windex, paper towels, tissue, bungee cords,
39- and 55-gallon trash bags, Ziploc bags
copy paper, copier,
HP 15 and 17 cartridges
Post-it notes, 81/2 x 11 legal pads, pens, clipboards
paper plates, napkins, cups, forks, knives and spoons.
safety glasses or goggles with NO VENTS (clear and sunglass lens)
floodlights 1,000 amps or greater
adhesive bandages (cloth, not plastic)
Items needed by the Salvation Army Food Wagon:
Plastic or foam cups, Aleve or ibuprofen (sealed/unopened), sponges, plastic knives, forks and
spoons, skinless chicken, hamburger patties, lunch meats, condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo), hamburger/hot dog buns, olive oil, grated cheese, canned vegetables and beans (larger cans are better), margarine, salt, "to go" boxes, eggs, potatoes, fruit, or
cash donations to Ute Pass Fire Relief Fund, 7855 Bluff Road, Cascade, CO 80809. For information, 684-9295.
Drop points:
Colorado Springs Fire Station 5, 29th Street and Colorado Avenue.
WalMart, 707 S. 8th Street, Colorado Springs
Java Junction, U.S. 24, Woodland Park
Woodland Park Volunteer Fire Department
(Northeast)
Divide Volunteer Fire Department
Lake George Volunteer Fire Department
4-Mile Volunteer Fire Department
Just an update, but they now make the Micro Photon, which has a computer chip in it. Press the front of the case for regular use. Press and hold the back of the case, and it cycles through three different intensities, and three kinds of strobe effects. It also has a collar around the side of the LED so it only lights up what's in front of you, and not everything to the sides. Colors include red, white, and colors compatible with NVGs.
Stay Safe !!!
Similarly, I see lots of on-line shopping opportunities for the "Covert Photon 3". Maybe a retailer like this will do a bulk deal for me if I specify what they're for? ;-)
PS Don't laugh too hard, but the Cable Guy is here installing a new system for us. ;-)
Stay Safe !
It's a much better price than the Photon III model. What do you think? Would it be useful for service personnel in the same way the Photon II model would be? (I fully trust your judgment on this issue.)
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