Using home made boxes for shipping

www.Uline.com

Little pricey.

Thanks Daniel, pricey indeed! One less expensive option would be to place the bag with the herp in a smaller box with styro peanuts and the heat pack. And this one, inside a larger one also surrounded by styro-peanuts. It would be fast, cheaper, and great insulation. Just a thought.

Regards.

I would like to find some that are more like small "ice-boxes" (with styro lid and everything) that would fit in a cardboard box. They are probably going to be more expensive. Anyone knows where to find those?

I have some of these boxes. Unfortunately the particular ones I have aren't really large enough to ship a herp in, other than a single hatchling colubrid or two. They are used for the shipment of perishable medication.
A family member of mine receives medication regularly in such boxes which also include 3-4 ice packs. They bring the ice packs to me which I save for use in the summer, but I have a couple of the boxes as well.
My point is he is one individual, which does not require a large box to provide his medication. A hospital or pharmacy however may have similar boxes but of a larger size due to larger shipments of medication. That would be an option for a small time shipper to have access to free styro boxes.
My wife pulls meds at the hospital, but she said all incoming shipments are processed through the hospital pharmacy and they never see any of the packaging on the floor, since the pharmacy stocks the cabinets and med dispensers.

I also prepare my own boxes. I think one distinction that needs to be made here is that homemade boxes aren't nesessarily recycled or reused. I purchase new boxes and insulation in bulk and prepare each shipping box individually. I have complete control over the size and the insulation of each package.

Much like Clay, I prefer to make my own for the simple reason that I can attain a much higher insulation value then the commercially sold boxes. Those of you who have received animals from me, know how seriously I take the entire packaging process.

I have purchased from Uline.com on several occasions. The "trick" with Uline, is to watch for the sales and special offerings. They change every month. When they put items on sale - the prices are very competitive.

Thank you,

Much like Clay, I prefer to make my own for the simple reason that I can attain a much higher insulation value then the commercially sold boxes. Those of you who have received animals from me, know how seriously I take the entire packaging process.

Mike's packaging is probably among the best I have ever seen. You should see the time and detail he puts in his packaging procedure to ensure a safe arrival of the animal. By the way the boa is doing great! Thanks Mike.

Regards.

I used to get these from petstores. They get their fish delivered in them & are usually willing to part with them for free to unload them. Some may ask for a buck or two. I used them when I had to move my collection from St. Louis. They traveled with me but I didn't like the idea of regular boxes.