Care package ideas for a nerdy Aussie Army guy?

June 19, 2017 9:42 PM

So my fella is in the Australian army, and deployed for 6 months to a big middle east American base (he is not a Mefi but knows my name here and I want to keep ideas a surprise). I can send parcels to him that are under 2kg to him for free (go Australia Post). He loves getting parcels from me but I need more ideas, please hope me ....

So he is on a big American base so most food ideas are out (he can just get stuff himself and there isnt anything particularly Australian he craves) and he can order alot of things online so more practical things are probably out too... he is a big sciency/geeky/pop culture/pop music in a classical format nerd (as am I) but he has limited personal display or storage space (barracks) and obviously everything is screened before he gets it (so keep that in mind). I am running out of things to send (so far mostly geeky things like Firefly socks), I always send a letter which he loves but he loves opening a parcel too. I am open to any ideas. Things i can buy? Fun free things i can post? Give me anything you have got? No ideas are wrong at this point.

posted by anonymous to Human Relations (10 answers total)

Theme boxes are fun (holidays, anniversaries, some particular area of interest for him- for example, if he likes Sherlock, send him a box with the new DVD, a 221B Baker Street key, socks, and a paperback of the original stories). Paperback books in general are great because once he's done with them he can pass them on and not have to worry about storing them (usually there's some kind of book exchange area).

Fidget spinners / dice are kind of a big thing in the US right now, not sure if they're as popular in Australia, but I could see it being a big hit. One time I sent a bunch of random toys (yo-yo, bubbles, slinky) and it was well received. Might be be interested in doing some kind of art or craft? You could send him a sketch book and basic supplies, leather crafting stuff, knot tying kit?

Definitely send pictures along with letters, something to physically hold on to. Of you, random life stuff, anything really. Although he might not be particularly interested in Australian snacks or other small items, if he's working with Americans/other nationalities it might be fun to share some?

Make sure you know any regulations about what can and can't be sent (e.g. no pork products, sometimes nothing containing alcohol including mouthwash) and what might be tricky (summer is hard for anything that might melt, which is a lot of things!) In the US units have family readiness groups (FRGs) that are helpful for this kind of thing, not sure if there's an equivalent in Australia.
posted by charmcityblues at 1:26 AM on June 20, 2017

Does he have a media player? Can you make him a mixtape/CD? Or MP3 mix? Letters are definitely great, as are photos. Homemade treats are also really nice.
posted by stillmoving at 1:37 AM on June 20, 2017

homemade vacuum packed ANZAC biscuits

Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I. It has been claimed the biscuits were sent by wives to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation.
posted by hotcoroner at 2:28 AM on June 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

I think part of the dilemma is that nerdy goods are so accessible over in the US now, and are usually cheaper. Check out EBgames and their associated toy stores, Zing (some of these near me are combo stores). Most EB games have a ton of nerdy/sci fi goods now, and they often have really good sales (they have a sale on right now with nerdy shirts for $9, which I've been eyeing).

Just a quick look at their clearance goods yields a ton of ideas: Keychains, nerdy mugs, travel mug, plastic tumblers, glasses, wallets, small figure, jewelry etc. You could easily get a bunch of small items, and mail one a month.

As for stuff he can only get in Aus... generally my US friends mostly covet the food and snacks from here. Of the most popular: Tim Tams (although you can find them in the US now). Burger Rings and Chicken Twisties are a fan favorite because of how weird they are. Also Cherry Ripe was a big hit, Crunchie/Violet Crumble, Caramello Koala, Curly Wurly and Milkybar (white chocolate just isn't a very big thing there). Also Nando's Perinase and Peri Peri sauces are super popular. He might not want them but might be neat to share as charmcityblues suggested. Also things like cup a soup pumpkin soup, and some other flavors were like, mind boggling to some. It's just not that common over there.

Aussie souvenirs are a fun thing to send too, either to remind him of home, or to give to the others there. Also things to pass the time, maybe. An Aussie themed puzzle, or maybe Cards Against Humanity, Aussie edition.

Also nthing mix tape. You can do an Aussie themed one, and fill it with John Farnham and Jimmy Barnes and stuff, or people he may enjoy. I actually did this with my LD sweetie, on USB and was filled with Kpop I like. He really liked it. He also really likes when, in my letters I detail my day, add pics, scrap book parts, printed photos of what I did etc. It makes him feel back here with me. So really soup up your letter, if you can. I'm sure it will mean a lot, and it'll be a treasured keepsake.
posted by Dimes at 2:54 AM on June 20, 2017

A retro handheld console such as a Game Boy Advance SP or a Neo Geo Pocket Color with a selection of classic game cartridges - might just hit the nostalgic sweet spot for a person of military service age.
posted by fairmettle at 3:54 AM on June 20, 2017

From my own experience with being deployed, the frequency of care packages matters much more than what is actually inside them. Consistently getting care packages from your girlfriend/boyfriend is the equivalent of publicly being delivered bouquets of red roses - he will feel very loved and everyone will envy him as a lucky man.

Things he can share are nice as well - he may not have a lot of space for things but things circulate. Pocket sized books are nice as well - he can fit it in his uniform cargo pocket and read it when he's waiting somewhere. There is a surprising amount of waiting in a war.
posted by corb at 5:06 AM on June 20, 2017 [4 favorites]

When my son was in Afghanistan, I sent a package of birthday decorations to one of his friends in his unit, so on his birthday, there were streamers, little plastic army men, etc. We sent a package of blueberry foods and stuff because we're in Maine, where they grow, and he loves blueberries. DVDs. Local food, like maple sugar candy for us. Small packages of baby wipes, pens and notepads. Cut some cotton squares or use bandannas and spritz with your cologne to tuck in. Take a box to the grocery or Woolworths or dollar store, whatever fits, ships. There was a post on MeFi on packing homemade cookies.

The free shipping is awesome, wish the US did that.
posted by theora55 at 9:27 AM on June 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Perhaps he might be interested in a Limited Card Game (or LCG - think Magic the Gathering but better) such as The Lord of the Rings or Arkham Horror (both can be played solo), or Netrunner, Game of Thrones or Legend of the 5 Rings, which are multiplayer? You start out with the "core" set and then there are dozens of "deluxe expansions" (big box) and "adventure packs" (deck of cards-sized box) that, you guessed it, expand the game.

So you could send him the core set of whatever you think he might be interested in, and if he says he likes it, there are then the expansions you can send him on a regular basis. Depending on where you are in Oz a local game shop will have some, or you can order online from e.g. ozgameshop.com and forward them on. It's not the cheapest hobby I'll admit, but anyway, it's an idea. I can furnish with more info if required.
posted by turbid dahlia at 5:54 PM on June 21, 2017

Just a note, turbid dahlia, despite the name, Ozgameshop.com is actually located in the UK and posts /ships from the UK. Any store without the .au means it isn't usually a registered business in Australia. They are a UK business that caters mostly (almost exclusively?) to Australians. That said, their shipping is reasonable, considering, however-- having used them multiple times, their shipping is a bit slow compared (at least 2 weeks, sometimes 3) to Australian located stores.
posted by Dimes at 10:46 AM on June 22, 2017

Dimes, yeah I've bought from them a ton of times and understand it comes from the UK, but I just threw it in as an example as the prices are pretty reasonable and they usually have a decent amount of stock, unlike local mobs. But yeah, even with express shipping they still take a long time. Bookdepository used to be my go-to but no longer stock FF product, for some mysterious reason.
posted by turbid dahlia at 8:26 PM on June 26, 2017