Have you ever been away from home? I mean really far away.
Not to another city, and not for a week or two.
Another country, a whole different world, for more than a year.
Away from your loved ones; your baby boy, your cute daughter, your lovely wife or girlfriend, your lovely parents, your annoying siblings and your awesome friends.
As a soldier, being stationed halfway around the world is tough, especially because of the people you left back home.
But one of the few things that make being away from your loved ones easier is receiving a care package from them.
Whether it is personal Items like body wash, lip balm, socks or food items like Beef jerky, barbecue sauce, or sentimental items like letters, a picture collage or a USB drive containing videos of what you’ve missed, these care packages really do make a huge difference.
In this article, we have compiled 200+ useful and thoughtful military care package ideas for your next box. With these items in your care package, your special one in the army would be thrilled to receive your next care package.
How to Make a Military Care Package
- Start out by checking shipping instructions as well as limitations before anything else. This way, you can find out what can be included in the care package and what is not allowed. For example, items such as alcohol and illegal substances like hard drugs are strictly prohibited.
- Next, decide where to buy your items and what sort of care box to use. They are usually obtained at post offices and online shipping companies. You can also choose to fill your care package yourself or order a care package online.
- Ensure only necessities are included and avoid over-stuffing your Care Package.
- Seal all items properly, keeping aside food and treats from substances with a strong odor. Also, make sure to fill the customs form usually at Postal Offices.
- Remember to ensure that your shipping information is accurate, including the first and last name of the receiver, the unit as well as a full zip code to ensure your package gets to the right hands. A full list of items being sent in the Care Package would be requested for as well.
- Lastly, it is always a good idea to include a good mix of personal items, non-perishable food items and sentimental items in a military care package.
List of items for care packages for soldiers
Finding the right deployment gift for a friend in the army or a military boyfriend could be tough, the following is a list of great items you can include in care packages for soldiers.
We have categorized the list of military care package ideas into:
- Personal Military Care Package Ideas: Personal items such as socks, letters, etc.
- Treats Military Care Package Ideas: Food and snack items; remember to avoid perishable food items.
- Entertainment Military Care Package Ideas: Items such as loaded mp3 players, ebooks etc.
- Wellness Military Care Package Ideas: Health-related items such as band-aids, lip balms, topical creams etc.
Personal Military Care Package Ideas
Soldiers usually work under the most uncomfortable circumstances, in deserted places where even the basic essentials are scarce. Here are some great ideas of personal items that are always in need by soldiers:
- Socks
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- Open When Letters
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- Knit Hats
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- Notepad and pens
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- Hand-held mini fan
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- Lens cleaning cloth
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- Twizzlers
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- Floss
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- Coffee mug
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- Small Hot Pots
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- Travel Mugs
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- Moleskin (for boots)
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- Shoelaces
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- Gun Cleaning Supplies
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- Mini Alarm clocks
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- Gel liners
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- Ziploc bags
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- Inflatable pillow
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- Toilet paper
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- Photo Pendant of Home
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- Fingerless gloves
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- Mints
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- Packets of peanuts
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- Multi-grater
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- Pocket Knife
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- Laundry Detergent
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- Stamps
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- Loofah Sponges
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- Warm blankets
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- Napkin
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- Washcloth
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- Bedsheets
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- Hand Lotion
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- Paper plates
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- Pillowcase
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- Lip balm
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- Shampoo/Conditioner
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- Disposable Razors
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- Pack of cotton T-shirts
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- Beanies
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- Shower gel
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- Air Fresheners
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- Vegetable Spiralizer
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- Deodorant/Body Spray
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- Hot water bottle
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- Shaving Cream
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- Cotton Buds
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- Nail File
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- Hair comb/brush
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- Baby wipes
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- Microwave plates
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- Shower Towels
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- Mini Multi-tool
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- Duct tape
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- Aluminum foil
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- Combination lock
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- Mouthwash
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- Pocket Calendar
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- Scarves
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- Undershirts
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- Mini Flag
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Treats Military Care Package Ideas
Another necessity that is always in need at military camps is good food. This is usually hard to find or very expensive to purchase. It is always a great thing to receive edibles in such situations. Here are some ideas for your next Care Package:
- Instant Coffee
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- Packets of BBQ sauce
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- Crackers
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- Dried banana chips
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- Bottle of Mustard
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- Gummy bear
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- Cans of cheese dip
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- Granola bars
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- Flavorings for water
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- Peppermint tea
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- Ravioli
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- Dried Apple Slices
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- Smoked Oysters
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- Sugar Packets
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- Jelly Beans
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- Nutella
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- Bottle of Ketchup
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- Cheese Crackers
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- Licorice
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- Sunflower seeds
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- Pringles Chips
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- Gatorade Powder
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- Fruit snacks
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- Powdered Energy Drink Mixes
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- Coffee Creamer
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- Energy Bars
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- Nuts
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- Seasoned salt
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- Microwave Popcorn
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- Tuna fish
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- Cocoa powder
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- M & M Candies
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- Soup
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- Pack of marshmallows
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- Oreo Cookies
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- Protein Powder
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- Hot Chocolate Packets
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- Herbal Tea
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- Hot Sauce
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- Mints
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- Ramen Noodles
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- Protein Pancake Mix
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- Redbull
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- Dried fruits
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- Instant Oatmeal
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- Peanut butter
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- Gum
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- Beef Jerky
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- Rice Kripsies Treats
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- Instant Mac And Cheese
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- Chicken Salad (in foil paper)
- Packets of Hot Cider
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- Sausages
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- Salsa
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Entertainment Military Care Package Ideas
The physical and mental stress more than anything else has unpleasant implications in the lives of soldiers. This is why it is always a good idea to include relaxing and fun items in their Care Package as a form of distraction. Here are some ideas:
- Magazines
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- Kraft Gift Box
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- Mini board games
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- Webcam for video calls
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- Sketch Pad
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- Stress Balls
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- Journals
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- Wireless Headphones
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- Mp3 Player
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- Jigsaw Puzzles
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- Book Light
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- E-book Gift Cards
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- Flash Drive
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- Adult Coloring Books
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- Gift Cards
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- Mini Frisbee
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- Inspirational Paperback Books
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- Water balloons
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- Handheld Electronic Gaming Device
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- Disposable Cameras
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- Comic Books
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- Word Search
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- Card games
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- Phone cards
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- Scrapbook of recent activities at home
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- GPS Watch
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- Dice
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- Dominoes
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- Bouncy balls
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- Cracker Jacks
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- Mitts
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- Crossword puzzles
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- Hacky Sack
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- Mini Squirt Guns
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- Mini Tumbling Tower Game
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- Waterproof Earbuds
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- CD Player
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- Yo-Yo’s
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- Travel-size Checkers
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- Harmonica
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- Batteries for electronic devices
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- Recent Newspapers
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- Music CDs
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Wellness Military Care Package Ideas
Having a stable health is crucial to performance, and most importantly for soldiers who require agility more than anything else. Here are some helpful items to keep their energy levels up and their bodies active and healthy as it should be:
- Health Books
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- Band-Aids
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- Kool-Aid Packets
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- Sunglasses
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- Lozenges
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- Running Belt
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- Multivitamin
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- Safety Goggles
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- Aloe Vera Gel
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- Eye Drops
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- Athlete’s Foot Cream
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- Activity Tracker
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- Face wash
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- Trekking Socks
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- Hand-held Head Massager
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- Rapid Relief Cold Packs
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- Hand and Foot Warmers
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- Pain-relieving topical cream
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- Winter Hats
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- Aromatherapy oils
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- Exfoliating body scrub
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- Insect Repellent cream
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- Antacids
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- Cough drops
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- Foot massager
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- Aspirin Packets
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- Eat Dirt book
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- Fly swatters
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- Eye Mask
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- Hot water bottles
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- Cooling Bandanas
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- Dust Masks
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- Heat Wraps
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- Mosquito net
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- Fly Tape
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- Inflatable Neck Pillow
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- Foot Powder
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- Body Massage Tool
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- Running Gloves
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- Acumobility Ball
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- EmergenC
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- Watch and Heart Rate Monitor
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- Nasal Spray
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- Cod-liver oil
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- Water Purification Tablets
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- Non-Drowsy Cold Medicine
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- Foam Roller
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- Running Shorts
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- Absorbent Grips
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- Smartphone Running Armband
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- Ropeless Jump Rope
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- Shoulder strap pad
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- Bug Spray
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And that’s it, 200+ of the most appreciated items to include in a care package to the military.
Now, your turn – what do you think should be included in a care package for a soldier? What items should be avoided?