>I use thicker-wall styro medical shippers, with a fitted outer cardboard
>box. That reduces heat transfer rate in or out. Regular fish boxes (called
>"Florida Boxes" in the US) are too thin. Check your vet or local hospital
>oncology dept. for really good containers with 2"+ walls. They are delighted
>to recycle them, rather than send to a land fill.
My larger boxes do have the thinner wall so I'll check with my vet. Thanks
for the tip! I get some of the thicker walled ones from a pharmacist but
they are smaller and have no outer box.
>I like very little water and much air in the bags, so that leaves too little
>thermal mass, sometimes. Using a "Blue-Ice" or equivalent gel device can be
>useful, but put it in at *room temperature*, and recognize it will increase
>the shipping cost a bit. Pack so it can't bash around and beat on the fish
>bags, too. Heat flow in or out (calories per minute) depends on the
>difference in temperature inside and out and wall insulation. It takes a
>calorie to heat a gram (1cc) of water one degree C. If you have more thermal
>mass (grams), and thicker wall container, the rise (or drop) in internal
>temperature will be slower, in direct proportion. The room-temp. "cold" pack
>can be useful. Regular bags with extra water work just as well at lower
>cost. Send some cultures or plants in them.
I assume when you say *room temperature* you mean just leaving it out for a
while before shipping? I thought about just filling a baggie with ice cubes
and taping to lid but didn't know if that would really help, but it appears
it will. This was terrific info. Thanks so much!
>Which brings me to my "Scotch and Water Diet."
Geez, you mean we've been wasting potential calorie loss with those
straight shots? Blasphemy!
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Carvi Shamsid-Deen
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