If I’m sending a large box (rare) I make 5 holes with a screwdriver in the pattern of a 5 side on a die.
If I’m shipping a small or medium size box
It’s 2 holes.
I actually almost never use a full heat pack. The one time I did that early on, the frags arrived at 92 degrees.
I typically will cut the heat pack open, dump out some of the grains, then fold and tape it shut again.
Either way it gets taped to the underside of the lid covered with a folded paper towel. I try to have at least a layer of packing peanuts insulating it from directly touching the bags, but sometimes if the box is full enough I can’t fit any of those in.
I check the hub overnight forecast and make my decision on whether to heat from that. At the hub they’ll be subject to the elements in the middle of the night. They’re typically at the hub from midnight to 4 am or so, so that is when I look. That when they’re outside in the cold and wind. At the destination they are mainly indoors and on trucks. They shouldn’t be on the recipients porch longer than a few minutes, so destination temps aren’t as much of a concern.
If the hub temps are below 70 degrees I’ll use a heat pack. The farther below, the more grains I keep in the pack. I won’t ship If hub temps will be under 40. If hub temps will be over 80 or 85 degrees, I’ll put a small ice pack in the box (literally just a coral frag bag with frozen water). The hotter it is, the bigger the ice.
You’re right. Temperature is the number one factor to success or failure in a shipment. Moreso than time. I’ve had a shipment get stuck for 3 days arrive alive and happy because temps were between 70-80 degrees the whole time.
I also try to tape odd every seam in the box and tape the styrofoam lid all the way around as well. Cold or hot air getting in is what will displace the mild temp air in the box and will impact the water itself.
