Posted by:
jeff favelle
at Mon Feb 27 09:09:59 2006 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by jeff favelle ]
if the box that YOU plan to heat using 2 heat packs and is expected to be in freezing weather is suddenly placed inside a heated room. I saw somewhere where someone placed a monitoring device inside a package to record the temps at set intervals. It was amazing to see and if I remember correctly, there was 50 degree difference between the high and low. Your 70 degree box could end up being over 100 degrees if placed inside a heated office.
That only applies if you have heat packs that give unlimited heat. If you're heat pack reaches an upper limit of 90F, then no amount of "heated room" 90F and below is going to make that box climb any higher. If you have a heat pack that keeps giving heat infinitely until 150F, then yeah, its going to heat the box up more in a warm room than a freezing room. But to my knowledge, such heat packs do not exist. Remember, these heat packs are designed for the FISH industry. Fish don't like the heat. They like it less than reptiles. It take the O2 out of the water.
Furthermore, the use of heat-retainign gel packs eliminates any over-heating problems. Heat the gel pack to 90F, and it will slowly cool over time. By the time that box hits a sunny tarmac or an over-heated room, the gel packs are slightly less than what they started at. It takes a LOT to warm them up. Therefore, the box stays at the temp of the heat pack as well. This works well in the HEAT of summer where I heat the gel packs to 70F, then I don't have to worry about over-heating.
In most cases, you can get away with it. But what happens if a box is lost? Properly packed still may not save the animal's life.
How is shipping at any other time of year going to help if the box is lost?? If the box is lost, its LOST! LOL!
If someone in Canada for example is sending me a package and they add two 48 hour heat packs, the animals would be dead by the time I opened the box here in FL.
Noooooo.....(for reasons stated above). If you pack the box properly with the right amount of heat SINKS and enough buffer capacity, the box can withstand AMAZING amounts of heat and cold. When I first started out 11 years ago, I did TONS of tests on empty (no herps) boxes. Leaving them outside in winter, leaving them in DIRECT sun, etc etc. If you pack them PROPERLY, they take a LONG time to fluctuate.
These animals can tolerate extreme cold far better than extreme heat. And that's what concerns me with added heat packs.
Yeah, but don't use heat packs that get to 150F and you'll be fine. I have never seen any heat packs get past 100F. And its not like you put the heta pack IN the deli cup with the snake. I'll snap a pic of a box next time I ship (this week). I'll show you. Winter shipping rocks. Much better than summer, in my opinion. Best is spring. Fall is good, but lots of storms up here that cause delays.
Shipping is 10x easier than most people think.
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RE: A potential problem is... - jeff favelle, Mon Feb 27 09:09:59 2006