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Comment by JohnFen | Hacker News Reader

Replying to my comment to add a complete list of what's in the summer packs I'm handing out now. I also wanted to mention that I buy the items for these in bulk to keep costs down, and that the letter I include has ideas and instructions for how to get the most use out of the kit, such as using the mylar blanket+ziplock bag as a makeshift solar water heater.

Also, I select items with an eye toward covering things that aren't readily available from other services.

  1 first aid kit (3 Antibiotic packets; 3 Hydrocortisone Packets; 6 Ibuprofen Packets; 6 Bandaids; 1 large bandage; 3 Sunscreen packets)
  1 tuna snack
  1 granola bars
  1 mylar blanket
  1 hot hands
  6 wet wipes
  1 travel kleenex
  1 pair socks
  2 sanitary pads
  1 chap stick
  1 toothbrush cover
  1 can opener
  14 q tips
  1 toothbrush/toothpaste
  1 Applesauce pack

Everything is packaged in a gallon-sized ziplock freezer bag.

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Thank you!

Have you considered adding any of:

- A few strips of duck tape, with peel-off backing. Those might be used for repairing shoes / clothing / makeshift shelters, improvising pressure braces for weak joints, and securing the mylar blanket or other possessions in windy conditions.

- Several sheets of "quality" tear-off paper towel. Cheap, and they're fairly good as ersatz washcloths and sponges

- A plastic hair comb

I love the tape idea! And including some paper towels seems like a no-brainer. One of the uses I suggest for the sanitary pads is as sponges. That is, after all, what they are. Just super-absorbant sterile ones.

I used to include a comb, but stopped because they're easy to get from other places, they sometimes damaged other things in the bag, and they were often discarded. I also used to include nail clippers, but couldn't find inexpensive ones that weren't really crappy, so I didn't think they carried their weight in terms of cost/benefit.

I've been trying to find a way to include decent gloves (meaning ones that would be better than wearing one of the pairs of socks on your hands) in the winter kits for years, but I can't find any that fit into the budget. However, last year I teamed up with a sewing hobbyist who makes very warm and cozy hats. I couldn't put one in the packages, but carried a few with me and would give them separately on a more selective basis. Maybe we can expand that to gloves as well.

I've learned both from professionals, and just talking to folks on the street, that the undergarments, unmentionables, and similar are always overlooked: socks, socks, socks, underwear, underwear, underwear, menstrual products x 10.

Great to see these things on the list!

Yes. Undergarments are tough because they are omitted from free clothing bins and second-hand clothing outlets for hygiene reasons. It's easier to get a pair of shoes than a pair of socks.

Your sunscreen and mylar blankets ideas are gold; I will swipe that idea for our church's packs.

We have two items that are not on your list that our church has: a micro-sized rubber duck for frivolity (cost $.05) and a cheap wash rag (cost $.15)

I love the duck idea conceptually, but worry a bit about them ending up as litter[1]. I recently purchased a couple thousand compressed (just add water) washcloths that are about that price and the size of a large candy. I think I'll start including a couple of those.

Thanks!

[1] Speaking of litter, there are a couple of small streams in my part of town, and when I started giving these out, I also started finding mylar blankets in the streams. Fishing them out is no fun. Mylar blankets are particularly bad for the wildlife.

I mentioned this in my letter in further packages, and that if I keep finding mylar blankets improperly disposed of, I'll have to stop including them. Within a week, I stopped seeing them. I think word spread and the community became self-policing about it. That was pretty wonderful to see.

Thank you for your service. You're a boon to your community and helping people in real need.

Thanks for the kind sentiment. I do this because I feel I owe a debt to my community. I have been blessed with success in my life, and that wouldn't have been possible without the direct and indirect support of my neighbors. This is one of the ways that I'm sharing the fruits of that.

It started when outside of my workplace one winter, a man was leaning against a street sign. After him literally not moving for a couple of hours, we checked and he had died of hypothermia sometime in the night. I started giving out winter packages with just the blanket, hot hands, and a first aid kit and it ballooned from there.

I can't do much about the huge issues we face as a society, but I can do this much.

"Whatever you do in life will be insignificant but it is very important that you do it because you can't know. You can't ever really know the meaning of your life. And you don't need to." -- Ghandi

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