What to send to Afghanistan?

[weddingseason]

Friend's brother serving out there so I'd like to send a parcel but I don't know him that well and have no other forces connections so was hoping you lovely ladies could tell me what I should send?

So far anyone I ask just says porn which I'm sure I can do but is there anything else that would be appreciated?

Sweets, fags and socks.

Nothing choclaty it will melt.

AFAIK, porn is rather frowned upon. All the charities that send boxes to soldiers request that people don't send "adult" material.

Sweets, loads n loads of sweets.

Can be scoffed, passed around to your mates, and given to the Afghan kiddies when they understandably beat you hands down at footy.

Puzzle books; FHM; Loaded; Top Gear mag; sweets; bombay mix (never made it out of db's office or so he tells me); pork scratchings; flapjack were all popular.

My dss always asked for posh shower gel, hand moisturiser, antibac hand gel and beef jerky.

Definitely no porn and I would check the fhm and loaded. Even some of the pictures in those would be considered too risqué.
Any food you send should have at least 3 months on sell by date - this is a really busy time of year for bfpo and many parcels will take a long time to get through.
Toiletries depending where he is, non chocolate sweets, puzzle books, fiction books, plain t shirts, photos from home, if he is right out on front line small toys and pens he can give to children, nothing with too overt big names as the over westernisation isn't ideal for the kids.

Nothing that is likely to cause offence through lack of clothing/sexual content so FHM and the like are not acceptable (although I know some do get through it's not worth the risk as your whole box may get binned rather than just the offensive material if found). I've had requests for mince pies and Christmas cake (small/individual ones), nuts, pringles (the tube protects them better than normal crisps), sweets as others have said (though beware Haribo and similar jelly sweets unless specifically the veggie ones if you think they will be given to the Afghans), shortbread, fudge/tablet and small games(penguin skittles has been particularly popular!)

I would check the fhm and loaded. Even some of the pictures in those would be considered too risqué.

Well, db got the three copies of each that I sent last year and this when he without any problems!

With regard to FHM and other lads mags it's individual choice as to whether you ignore the rules and risk it - for every one that gets through there are lots that don't, just pot luck.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. Will take it all on board and start planning my monthly parcels!

I wasn't told there were any rules Penguin, ergo, I wasn't ignoring them. Db RN, and the Army seemed pretty appalling at passing info on to the RN personnel supporting them, so if I'm not told, I don't know.

see here: www.bfpo.mod.uk/enduring_free_packet_service.htm
details would also have been included in your partner's detachment info.

Just a question but if I put a copy of FHM in box for my db and address the box to him myself, who is going to remove it? Where can I find the rules as to what can and can't be included?
I would understand if I was putting a goodwill box to send to someone I didn't know via a charity but like the op the box is sent directly to the service member.

No idea who checks or how, but I know it doesn't get through (individually addressed item to DH).

You'll need to get it into the system ASAP, as the last-posting date is here already.

Try including:

Haribo, haribo, haribo, playing cards, Top Trumps cards, trail mix, little novelty items (try a joke shop, or stocking fillers billed suitable for 10 year olds), pens, Norwegian formula hand cream, Puzzler mag (and similar), and more haribo.

A one-way ticket home.

Checked at customs.

I thought that if they were checked, mags that were unsuitable would be chucked out so not worth paying for them really.

2011 calendar for him to tick off the days.
What about a cool retro handheld game like donkey kong/pac man etc?

Pack of cards

A wooden/metal tricky puzzle.

baby wipes

Nice toothbrush
After sun lotion.
Vitamins

Penguin - it wasn't my husband, but my brother that went. As I said, the Army were appalling at detailing things for the RN personnel going in support.

FHM gets through, as my brother got the ones I sent, though as ours was BFPO to BFPO, I wonder if it cleared customs.

Some do get through if the boxes are not checked, just pointing out that it is pot luck whether your box is checked or not and it up to individuals whether they take the risk.

Your DB will have had the same info as DH, I don't think they discriminate!

Oh well, db didn't tell me, neither did dsil, so sent FHM in Amazon packages and they got there. Incidentally, having now looked at the Op Herrick info on the BFPO, it doesn't preclude FHM, just lewd or obscene publications, and I don't think it qualifies as that, so that must have been why it got through.

My ex did a tour of Afghanistan when we were together and used to send customised pitures out of porn mags to me (he thought himself somewhat of a comidian sending it to work knowing people would be straight over asking how he was getting on, causing me many very embarrassing episodes) so someone was sending them out there and they were greatly recieved by my ex and the lads he was out there with! It was a few years ago so maybe the rules have changed or maybe they were lucky and their parcels weren't checked!

the BFPO guidance in the link says

"Magazines containing pictures that might offend the cultural values of host nations, even though these might be widely available in the UK . 'Top shelf' magazines are an obvious example."

Anything showing partially clad women (ie topless, bikinis etc falls into this category in states such as Afghanistan.

Checked with DH; he said I was going overboard with the haribo! Home-made fudge instead. Also toiletries in their favourite scent (there's plenty of random stuff in the NAAFI, it's the special smell that counts). Or very recognizably upmarket, like Trumpers.

My DH's cousin just back - he wanted sweets, sweets, sweets, meat products like pepperami/biltong/jerky and plain black light ankle length sports socks as they are cool in the heat but rot really, really quickly. Asda do good ones.

We once sent 1.9 kg of vegetarian individually packaged flumps (so they don't stick together and form one big flump lump)as they are really light so you can send LOADS and still be under the 2kg limit!

Loving the idea of a flump lump! That must have taken ages to wrap