They DO expire, and there should be a small expiration date printed on the plastic pouch, typically on the edge.
If the heat pack is unopened but STIFF, that indicates it is no good, and won't heat up at all.
Heat packs typically come with an expiry two years out or more, so they aren't...
ShipYourReptiles.com is exactly the site for you.
It can seem daunting and even difficult to ship a live reptile, but once you understand the process, it is actually pretty simple and straight forward.
The first thing you need are the proper shipping supplies. Check out our shipping kits...
Shipping is a quick and reliable choice. You can send them out late in the day, and have them in hand the following morning.
Doing a multi-day trip in a vehicle brings a lot of variables into the picture, including temperature control, hydration, feeding, stress and more.
The expense of...
You can get a free quote at ShipYourReptiles.com based on your package size and the from and to zip codes.
Use the smallest box that you can safely use, as the larger the box, the more it will cost to ship. Run a quote for a 2 pound box at 7x7x6 and a 2 pound box at 15x11x7 for example, and...
You can ship reptiles with either UPS (no snakes) or FedEx. You would need to be certified to ship FedEx, but if you use ShipYourReptiles.com, you are shipping under our certification. As mentioned, we do have extensive how-to and temperature guidelines at our site, in the Get Help Section...
We do have extensive FAQs at ShipYourReptiles.com covering all aspects of packaging and booking.
You can find the specific info on regulating the temperature of your package, including heat pack use, here.
US Postal is going to give you the poorest and most unpredictable service. I don't recommend shipping live reptiles through USPS.
ShipYourReptiles is a FedEx service. Without our service, you need to be individually certified with FedEx to ship live reptiles. With ShipYourReptiles, you are...
I have not heard of any issues, but I much prefer crumpled newspaper for the fit, the cleanliness (those peanuts get everywhere!) and the recycling aspect.
ShipYourReptiles.com is the only service that offers Live Arrival Insurance, and pricing starts at 20% off the FedEx retail rate.
We have a Get Help section that will answer many questions for you, as well as shipping kits for packaging and supplies. For a single frog, one of our Shipping...
The box is not air tight if you tape in a typical manner. But there isn't a lot of fresh air flow without the holes either.
Heat packs use oxygen for the heat generating process, it is important to have some fresh air "flow" to allow for that process to happen, otherwise the heat pack may...
We have done these kinds of hot and cold tests as well, I think a well insulated box is the biggest key to success here.
What would be most helpful and interesting is to do this test as a comparison, where you have one box with your heat pack/cold pack/phase 22 pack (as appropriate) and one...
We have guidelines at our site for packaging and weather/temperature considerations. Start here:
ShipYourReptiles Get Help section- Regulating the Temperature of Your Package
That link covers the various temp ranges for heat pack, cold pack, and no-pack use : )
I would suggest getting a late day pickup for your package, or dropping it off late in the day, and not using a heat or cold pack.
We have shipping temperature guidelines in our ShipYourReptiles Get Help section, which covers both heat and cold pack use.
If you could only see behind the scenes : )
We spent most of an entire day discussing YOUR situation. If we would have known about the delay earlier in the week, Andy could have worked his magic, and customer service, and tried to make something happen sooner, rather than after the fact...