The packing list

Items worth the postage

Categories, not verdicts. Nothing here has been bought, packed or shipped by us — each entry links to a search so you can read the current listing yourself.

Read the destination's own published rules before you read this list. A dorm, a military address, a hospital unit and a correctional facility each allow different things, and the destination decides, not the sender.

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Food that survives the trip

Food that survives the trip

Shelf-stable snack packs

Shelf-stable snack packs

Sealed, individually wrapped and unbothered by a week in transit. Check the destination's rules first: some campus mailrooms discard perishables, and military mail publishes per-ZIP restrictions on food.

Seen in: Care Package Ideas That Survive the Trip

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Small comforts

Small comforts

Unscented hand cream

Unscented hand cream

Unscented on purpose: shared rooms and hospital units frequently restrict fragrance. Liquids and creams have their own mailing rules on volume and packaging, so check the listed size before you pack it.

Seen in: Care Package Ideas That Survive the Trip

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The part that gets kept