What to get someone going to Afghanistan?

A question about : What to get someone going to Afghanistan?

My maid of honour is in the RAF and she's recently been told she's going out there for 6 months very soon - and because she's a very good friend I want to get her something that she can actually use out there..

So... any ideas? Has anyone been out there with the RAF or other forces and what would YOU have welcomed? I intend to send out monthly packaged with stuff from home like chocolate, coffee, tea and anything I can think off that will keep in the heat and is easily shippable...

But what can I give her to take out with her?

Many thanks!

Best answers:

• Some form of games console, not only will it entertain when there is nothing to do, also on the flight out there and back.
  Maybe a PSP, or a Gameboy advance / DS Lite
  Both can be modified... (ahem...)
• My other half took laptop which he can watch dvd:s on. Last time a small portable dvd-player. Choccies a bit tricky if you intend to send them. Some of the choccibiccies I sent apparently had melted in the heat so I stick to other biscuits. The dog liked the melted ones apparently....
• a real nice pair of sunglasses...i agree with the PS/Nintendo etc to.....but you should think about something personal like photos of you all together........silkyuk hit the nail on the head though......nothing beats a parcel full of goodies from home.....wine gums crisps NO chocolate! so buy loads of shoes (so you can use the shoe boxes lol good excuse) and just send her lots of goodies while shes away (parcels 2kg and less can be sent FREE to afghan just so you know)
• Hiya
  I just got back from Afghanistan, and, as a female, I welcomed monthly magazines and goodies. To echo previous posters - NO CHOCOLATE, they literally do arrive in liquid form. Sweets like Maoms are pretty good...Haribo is hit and miss as it all sticks together! Like the previous poster said, anything under 2kg is FREE and make sure you check out the ebluey website www.ebluey.com. Best thing for her to do is make sure she has an IGS account and email you from work and via her work email
  If you can't afford, or don't want to splash out on a DS or PSP, a cheapy dvd player thingy would be good - lots of...erm, cheap DVDs available out there. Otherwise, an MP3 player if she doesnt already have one.
  HTH
• She has Mp3 player and Laptop - will ask her OH if she's taking the laptop otherwise her early christmas pressie might be a cheapy portable DVD player!
  Good point about the chocolate! Hadn't thought about that!
  Also didn't know stuff under 2 kg goes for free!! Even better!!!
  SO main going out there pressie will be dvd player if applicable - and a bunch of *cough* cheap DVDs. She's not a very girly girl but if I can find any motorbike magazines she likes I'll send them out to her in her shoeboxes (I'm a money saver - how often do you think I buy shoes that come in boxes :P - I'll have to beg some I think hehe)
  Then it's Jammie Dodgers, boiled sweets - ooo might do a retro sweetbox if I can find enough that don't melt! - crisps, maybe the occasional molton brown lotion and shower stuff...
  Would girly time of month stuff be worth sending out? Seriously I assume they can buy or get issued stuff out there, but is it cheapy stuff and would some Always be worth sending out once a month?
• Find out if she has air conditioned accomodation. My friend is out there and he hasn't so his wife sent him a little fan. He keeps an iced bottle of water in front of it whilst sleeping and it sprays water on him to keep him cool.
• What about a jar of marmite? You either love it or hate it!
• Shes going out for 6 months .... I thought RAF only did 4?
  Echo everyones comments really. I just sent the OH is favourite sweets, crisps and biscuits. A book I thought he might like, lots of pictures, wet wipes, mints, chewing gums.
  You can top up her phonecard as well don't forget!
• I'm not sure why but she's out there for 6 - I think she's in the MPs or security or something at the moment (I'm a Navy gal so this airforce stuff is like a different world to me!) so maybe that's why she's out there for longer? I honestly don't know so I'll ask her next time she's over
  Ooo phone cards... hadn't thought of them either! (this list is growing!)
• My brother was out there last year and we all sent regular parcels. Its really important for them to get something/anything really so I would make sure you sent little and often.
  We found all kind of daft things to send- remember she probably wont have much room to bring lots back so dont go sending anything valuable.
  As a special treat we found those little vodka shots in plastic glasses went down well wrap well though. Asda do a great range of small travel games such as connect 4 and monopoly. Paperbacks, local newspapers (where my brother was they could get national news but local stuff was appreciated) Aerosol water sprays very popular and lots and lots of wet wipes as it is so dusty out there everything gets filthy. Also put notes into the box the written word becomes very precious too. Photos? cheap mp3s with some radio programmes downloaded.
  You will get creative im sure Mrs T as time goes on but whatever you send I am sure it will be loved
• I thought aerosols, and (especially) alcohol was a big no no to send out.
• Magazines are a good one, be that "girls" magazines like Heat etc or News weeklies/monthlies (eg The Economist/Tribune) or sports/hobbies stuff (presumably "What Truncheon" if she's RAF Pol) .
• hello
  when i was out there, the best thing my wife gave me before i left was some American dollars $$$ as these can be used on the base in the BX where she can buy herself a very cheap dvd player or a very cheap Nintendo ds lite etc.
  Also my mates are out there now and instead of sending them the usual mags like FHM and loaded etc, i sent them (at first as a joke!!) some really obscure magazines like practical cross stitcher, steam monthly and camper and caravanning monthly. At first he said it was very funny but when they are bored of reading fhm the other obscure mags provided lots of good laughs and breaks the monotony of groundhog day.
  But definitely the american dollars, if she is staying in the accom at kandahar get her a small bathmat to put on the floor next to her bed as the floors are icy cold in the mornings and putting your feet onto something furry is a lot nicer.
• My OH is out there at the moment. At the moment i am regualarly sending Jiffy Bags full of Haribo, etc and the magazines such as More, Cosmo and things like that to her. Apparently the 2kg weight limit is the limit for all BFPO's but i am not sure how right my local PO was about that.
  Try contacting some companies for her and see if they are willing to send freebies out there to make her life more comfortable. i've just done that for my OH and she has already received some Palmers products (cocoa butter and other moisturisers). Most companies are willing to do it for service personnel.
• Thanks rugby - I hadn't even thought of freebies *duh!* so will get on to collecting a bunch too that I can ship out to her as well as any that will send direct...
  Great ideas there!
  Also hadn't thought about US$... I have a mate in the UK who is in the USAF so we have access to the BX over here when we visit and it's great! I used ot have access myself when we first moved here thanks to my stepdad being stationed here through NATO and I DO miss it!!!
  Thankfully my US mate buys me my Yankee Candles as pressies whenever they visit us which is one of my fave treats!! Actually I might get her some of the non-glass covered ones and send once in a while - especially the christmas scented ones nearer christmas time...