Cold Weather Shipping?

I've been shipping snails since spring so have never sent them in very cold weather. Is it ok to use disposable hand warmers as a heat pack? They are non-toxic like uniheat heat packs but heat up to 130 F whereas uniheat go up to 110 F - with insulation between the heat pack and snails would the hand warmer work or do I need to get a heat pack that's specifically designed for transporting fish? Or is it better to go without a heat pack and just insulate the box well - are parcels in heated sorting offices etc most of the time or are they exposed to cold outside temperatures? Thanks.

 

Check your postal system's regulations about the use of heat packs. They may not be allowed. I know they're just iron powder and use salt, air, and water to create rust really fast, which releases heat, but sometimes regulators don't like heat generators for fear they'll set off automatic fire alarms when IR cameras 'see' a hot spot.

They make Mylar insulation which has Mylar on one side and bubble wrap on the other, which makes for a pretty good insulator. I bought aquarium plants during the summer when it was ridiculously hot- I mean closing in 110 f. They came wrapped in two layers of that and were fine, to my surprise. I'm not sure if this would work for shipping snails or not.

 

I think disposable handwarmers only last 8hrs. If shipping 2 day, you need a 72hr pack. I use the uniheat 72hr packs, kensfish.com seems to have to best bulk price.

Edit: if the buyer is under a 50 degree low, I always use insulation + heat pack. I don't ship if it is under 30 degrees, but haven't tried it to know how they hold up.

 

I am on humira which is a very sensitive injectable med. It comes in one of those small disposable coolers with cold packs that in summer they are froze and winter they are water to regulate the temp inside the cooler. It even has this card that will change color if the temp went above or below a certain temp. I have gotten it when the temps in the 90's and below zero. So far no issues. I know its not fish or snails but just as sensitive.

 

Heat packs are fine, just be sure you insulate both the snails and the heat pack. I wrap the heat pack in a few layers of newspaper, tape it to the bottom of the box, and then put a layer of insulation, bags of livestock that are well insulated, and finally the styro top liner.

 

There are times when the hand warmers are appropriate. I have some 18 hour versions. Like when I am shipping from cold Iowa to hot southern Florida. As junebug stated, always insulate the heat pack so you don't cook a bag of fish. Used properly heat packs work awesome.

 

If you don't insulate the heat packs, they can also collect moisture and become inactive. I use newspaper or paper towels to wrap them, like the pp.

There are times when the hand warmers are appropriate. I have some 18 hour versions. Like when I am shipping from cold Iowa to hot southern Florida. As junebug stated, always insulate the heat pack so you don't cook a bag of fish. Used properly heat packs work awesome.

Hah, I didn't think of that, I'm from the PNW. I haven't had a situation yet where I am shipping to a place that is too warm for one. Thanks.

 

Hah, I didn't think of that, I'm from the PNW. I haven't had a situation yet where I am shipping to a place that is too warm for one. Thanks.

Constant issue for me because I frequently order or ship fish to Florida. I always tell them whether I want heat packs or not because I am more invested in safe arrival due to shipping costs, so I check the weather. I don't assume they have time, or would bother to check weather along the route. They assume it's cold or cool in Iowa nine months a year and I have received boxes that were on fire because it was very warm here too. A free ich heat treatment enroute. Not a great time for that lol.

 

Thank you.

Check your postal system's regulations about the use of heat packs. They may not be allowed. I know they're just iron powder and use salt, air, and water to create rust really fast, which releases heat, but sometimes regulators don't like heat generators for fear they'll set off automatic fire alarms when IR cameras 'see' a hot spot.

They make Mylar insulation which has Mylar on one side and bubble wrap on the other, which makes for a pretty good insulator. I bought aquarium plants during the summer when it was ridiculously hot- I mean closing in 110 f. They came wrapped in two layers of that and were fine, to my surprise. I'm not sure if this would work for shipping snails or not.

Thanks. I've had a look at Royal Mail's list of prohibited items and it includes Oxidising materials and says "These are substances that may cause or contribute to combustion of other substances. They may also be liable to explosive decomposition, react dangerously with other substances and injure health". I know a heat pack won't cause a fire and is non toxic but does it work by oxidation so would this be a prohibited item? However, the company that's selling the heat packs seems to be shipping with Royal Mail. I'll have a look at Mylar insulation thanks. I'm not sure if parcels spend most of the time inside or if they're exposed to the cold outdoor weather so I was hoping I might be able to ship without a heat pack and just good insulation. I've also been shipping snails with damp paper towels rather than in bags of water due to the restricted parcel size. Will damp paper towels get cooler because of evaporation?

 

Since my fish sales and trades are more for fun than anything else, I simply don't ship in the cold. Now granted, I'm in Canada, so it is colder than where you are.
But you may face similar problems in the UK - Canada doesn't have the efficient public mail system the US has - ours is privatized and they cut corners for profit - and US shipping advice is usually very optimistic compared to ours. US hobbyists ship boxes of a size we never would because it would cost us an arm and a leg. I sometimes order to a border town within the US, and drive over. A US hobby shipment of 6 fish will be in a box we would use for 20 in Canada or Europe one, due to the low costs of shipping. That gives a lot of room for heat packs and such.

 

I think disposable handwarmers only last 8hrs. If shipping 2 day, you need a 72hr pack. I use the uniheat 72hr packs, kensfish.com seems to have to best bulk price.

Edit: if the buyer is under a 50 degree low, I always use insulation + heat pack. I don't ship if it is under 30 degrees, but haven't tried it to know how they hold up.

Thanks. I've checked and the ones I've found so far are saying they provide heat for up to 10hrs but I've seen some that will last for 12hrs or even 18hrs. I try to ship in the late afternoon and they should only be in transport overnight and arrive the next morning. I've read that the heat packs work on contact with air - an oxidation reaction? - so by wrapping the pack loosely in paper and retricting air flow could this make it last longer? I was thinking of just buying a few and testing them. The prices at kensfish.com are good but not sure how much international postage would add to the price as I'm in the UK. Its interesting as the hand warmers seem to use the same chemical reaction as ones designed for transporting fish but are much more reasonable.

 

I've read that the heat packs work on contact with air - an oxidation reaction? - so by wrapping the pack loosely in paper and retricting air flow could this make it last longer?

Not that I've noticed. The ones I have received seem to be running out of "juice" about when they are supposed to. But as you said, when shipping overnight it shouldn't be a problem. In the short term most fish are tougher than most give them credit for. As long as the temp drop or rise is fairly gradual, which it will be when properly packaged and insulated.

 

Not that I've noticed. The ones I have received seem to be running out of "juice" about when they are supposed to. But as you said, when shipping overnight it shouldn't be a problem. In the short term most fish are tougher than most give them credit for. As long as the temp drop or rise is fairly gradual, which it will be when properly packaged and insulated.

Thanks for your reply. I will try experimenting with different insulators to see what works - even with just a thin layer of foam the tub stayed 5 degrees C warmer when I put it in the fridge as a test (without the snails inside). Royal mail say parcels spend the majority of time inside so hopefully if I can insulate enough it will even out any sudden changes in temperature. Something like Mylar insulation that California L33 mentioned sounds good. I don't think I'll ship if the temperature is predicted to drop below 2 C just in case they are outside too long - I only ship with a very small volume of water so don't want any risk of this freezing.

 

Thanks for your reply. I will try experimenting with different insulators to see what works - even with just a thin layer of foam the tub stayed 5 degrees C warmer when I put it in the fridge as a test (without the snails inside). Royal mail say parcels spend the majority of time inside so hopefully if I can insulate enough it will even out any sudden changes in temperature. Something like Mylar insulation that California L33 mentioned sounds good. I don't think I'll ship if the temperature is predicted to drop below 2 C just in case they are outside too long - I only ship with a very small volume of water so don't want any risk of this freezing.

Do they sell "blow-in" cellulose house insulation over there? It is very cheap and one bag will last a very long time as it is packaged compressed. It does a remarkable job of insulating, and very light. I use styro boxes but the insulation adds a LOT of insulating value. Much more than crumpled newspapers and other commonly used free/cheap shipping materials.

 

Wait, Canada *only* has private mail carriers? Wow. Didn't know that.

 

Do they sell "blow-in" cellulose house insulation over there? It is very cheap and one bag will last a very long time as it is packaged compressed. It does a remarkable job of insulating, and very light. I use styro boxes but the insulation adds a LOT of insulating value. Much more than crumpled newspapers and other commonly used free/cheap shipping materials.

I've not heard of it before (although I haven't done a lot of DIY so might just be that I haven't seen it). I've had a look online and can't seem to find a place that sells it. I found loose fill cellulose insulation but it says it produces a lot of dust so not sure if I would be able to use it.

Since my fish sales and trades are more for fun than anything else, I simply don't ship in the cold. Now granted, I'm in Canada, so it is colder than where you are.
But you may face similar problems in the UK - Canada doesn't have the efficient public mail system the US has - ours is privatized and they cut corners for profit - and US shipping advice is usually very optimistic compared to ours. US hobbyists ship boxes of a size we never would because it would cost us an arm and a leg. I sometimes order to a border town within the US, and drive over. A US hobby shipment of 6 fish will be in a box we would use for 20 in Canada or Europe one, due to the low costs of shipping. That gives a lot of room for heat packs and such.

I think I will stop shipping when the temperature is predicted to drop below 2 c - I'll have to keep checking the weather forecast. I have to be careful with the size and weight of my shipping boxes as its quite easy to go just a bit over the limit and the price jumps up. This makes it really hard to add insulation to the boxes as there's just about room for the snails. But the shipping is very fast - the vast majority arrive the next day and I ship in the late afternoon so the snails are usually only in transport for about 18-21hrs. I didn't realise until recently that USPS offers free shipping supplies as that can add quite a bit to the P&P costs - I get my packaging boxes and containers in bulk so it helps with the price but I'm suprised by the prices charged for single cardboard boxes.

 

Yes, loose fill insulation is what it is called here. If you have home centers there it would be a very common item.