Hi ladies!

So, DB is getting ready to deploy and I've been thinking about care packages. Since he's in the Navy and will be on a ship, it seems a little different to me than what the "normal" care package suggestions are. It seems like he would have different needs & wants than someone on the ground in Iraq, kwim? I'm sure the ship isn't stocked with everything imaginable, but I would think they have a little more resources available to them.

So, any suggestions for what to send a sailor? What have you ladies sent in the past that your SOs were happy to see?

Thanks!

I sent DH candy, books he likes, movies...anything non-perishable that he likes to eat at home. Our first deployment I made the mistake of sending him baked goods....didn't realize how long it would take to arrive....he opened that package, and promptly threw it away :)

I have sent him quite a few things:
-Cereal
-Beef Jerky
-Fruit snacks
-DVD
-Nurf football--they play catch on the flight deck so he liked that
-Pictures, of course
-Pop tarts
-Powdered Propel Mix
-hand held game (are you smarter than a 5th grader)
-Black socks
-White Tshirts
-Air Freshner for his rack
-Packaged Brownies
-Candy
-Car Magazines
-Ramon Noodles

I can't think of what else I've sent him so far... but that's the jyst of it :)
I send ALOT of food because he sometimes misses the meals and sometimes the food is crappy he says.

You will really enjoy putting together care packages. It really makes you feel good. Good Luck w/ everything!

i sent TONS of snacks. tons. pop tarts. hand held games (like 20 questions). magazines. pictures. cards.

the snacks are good because if he doesn't like something he can trade it or sell it :lol

I sent DH candy, books he likes, movies...anything non-perishable that he likes to eat at home. Our first deployment I made the mistake of sending him baked goods....didn't realize how long it would take to arrive....he opened that package, and promptly threw it away :)

Roughly how long do they take to arrive?

And thanks SO MUCH ladies! You're giving me great ideas. :D

Roughly how long do they take to arrive?

And thanks SO MUCH ladies! You're giving me great ideas. :D

it depends on the ship and where they are. it takes about 2-3 weeks to get to joe's ship when he is deployed. when he was right outside of SD it took 1 week.

The mail only goes to the carrier or the supply ship; if he's on a ship that is with one of those, the packages have to be helicoptered from the carrier/supply ship to the ship he is on. The average is 2-3 weeks, although one time it did take about 5 weeks.

Here are the things I send to my DH that he likes the best:
Microwave Popcorn
The powdered drink mix in's (individual size for water bottles)
Fig Newtons
Nuts
Halls drops (The ship spaces can get really cold and combined with the weather, the sailors can walk around with a persistant crud and sore throat)
I usually send some stuff for the people who work for him as well, for him to put out on his desk - i.e a big thing of Twizzlers, bags of candy, etc. We sent two cases of Girl Scout cookies this year as well.
DVD's, magazines, a book for him to read, pictures - I always print out a few and stick in there because you can't send ships email as the files are too big.
Also before sending ask if they need anything like vitamins or toiletries that the ship store doesn't sell. They are limited in thier choice. Also check at how much room they have to store the stuff. Space is very limited. I think most of the E6 and below have a half size locker and the space under thier bunk.

Movies, and we're burning DVDs of his favorite shows for him to watch.