Sending one to my nephew at Camp Erbil. What is the best way to package it? Cardboard Box and rienforce the sides with duct tape or pack it all in a rubbermaid tote box and close it with zip ties and gorilla tape?

Card board box. I would also break it up into several smaller shipments as opposed to one giant box. Unless things have changed, it will look like it was kicked there the entire way. Smaller boxes fit in the mail bags and suffer less. Expect the box to be inspected too. Use the customs form and list generically what is inside. I would hesitate to list things like knives but rather state Tools. The last time I was in a mulim country the packages were inspected by a US inspector and a local Muslin inspector each leaving a notice of the "visit". Things may have changed as it has been a few years.

Go to the Walmart meat section and ask for some meat boxes, they are generally heavy duty cardboard and water resistant.



Mail has been returned to the sender due to it being shipped in cardboard boxes that previously held motor oil, paint, paint thinner, chemicals, alcohol...the mail guys will not open it to inspect it and verify the contents, they just return it to the sender.  (This happens so frequently that they even have an AFN commercial about the problem.)



Don't use rope, duct tape, or zip ties, just use the clear strapping tape.



Place a heavy duty yard trash bag in the box and place the items inside of that, tape it shut, then seal up the box.  Sometimes mail will be palletized and sitting on the cargo ramp waiting for a flight, sometimes it rains, sometimes the guy palletizing the mail didn't do a good job and the plastic is torn or open in a few spots...and your mail gets wet.



As fas2c mentioned be generic on your customs form or it may be broken into and items may be stolen.  Ship it via Priority Mail and insure it for the full value; when it is shipped like that there are tighter controls on it and greater accountability as in every time it changes hands someone HAS to sign for it.  Conduct a detailed inventory and take pics, save all that for your use if anything turns up missing.  I haven't heard of any mail being hand inspected just for the sake of being inspected although the majority of it does get x-rayed.

Great information on packing and shipping! Thank you again for all of your input.

When I was in AFG There was an E7 and some subordinates who were arrested by CID for stealing mail contents. Cell phones, electronics, ect were prime targets. Personnel were caught in possession of stolen property. I know many people who had knives stolen out of boxes. This is the reason for being generic on the customs form.

I forgot about the chain of custody with regards to tracking, certified mail, ect. These things have to be verified on each handoff by each party.

post office
flat rate box
15.75
done

Nevermind