What Styrofoam to Use when Shipping Tarantulas

Steaminpies

Arachnopeon
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When looking this up I came across surprisingly few results or threads which were ancient and felt I could trust no longer. What styrofoam is best for shipping tarantulas? I bought cheap crafting foam from Walmart which many people in the old threads said would suffice. Supposedly any foam being used is mainly for structural support of the package and the insulation provided by XPS or some similar foam is negligible. Is this true?
 

BoyFromLA

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Well it is open possibility, your imagination is your only limit.

You can use that, but also shredded newspapers, crumpled papers, airbags, etc.

It also depends what size tarantula you are shipping, how many you are shipping.
 

Steaminpies

Arachnopeon
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Yes, I know that much. I should’ve specified I was asking about the interior lining of the cardboard box. So what I’m wondering is will this cheap craft foam work to create the insulated/cold shipping box part of the packaging.
 

CommanderBacon

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Yes, I know that much. I should’ve specified I was asking about the interior lining of the cardboard box. So what I’m wondering is will this cheap craft foam work to create the insulated/cold shipping box part of the packaging.
Yeah. I've received tarantulas packed in all sorts of weird stuff. The weirdest was inside pill bottles nested in a bunch of shopping bags.

It doesn't really matter, within reason (obviously you wouldn't want to pack a spider in something with cleaning supply residue on it, etc.).
 

viper69

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Yes, I know that much. I should’ve specified I was asking about the interior lining of the cardboard box. So what I’m wondering is will this cheap craft foam work to create the insulated/cold shipping box part of the packaging.
Not sure anyone can tell you the thermal properties of “craft foam”, very generic sounding.

It’s like asking is this gasoline good.
 

Steaminpies

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I genuinely don’t know what to make of these replies... What I’ve been trying to convey is, like Edan said, I want a styrofoam box in a cardboard box. Which I referred to as the insulted/cold shipping box, since that’s what you're replicating without needing to buy one. Has anyone used this cheap crafting foam for this purpose before and had any issues? I obviously don’t need the thermal properties of it. I obviously don’t expect you guys to be able to answer such a question. Will this suffice or will it actually be doing nothing for the packaging and well being of the spider? Would you err on the side of caution and drive to Home Depot for XPS foam? Yes or no. Sorry if I’ve come off a bit abrasive.
 
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Dry Desert

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I genuinely don’t know what to think of these replies... What I’ve been trying to convey is, like Edan said, I want a styrofoam box in a cardboard box. Which I referred to as the insulted/cold shipping box, since that’s what you're replicating without needing to buy one. Has anyone used this cheap crafting foam for this purpose before and had any issues? I obviously don’t need the thermal properties of it. I obviously don’t expect you guys to be able to answer such a question. Will this suffice or will it actually be doing nothing for the packaging and well being of the spider? Would you err on the side of caution and drive to Home Depot for XPS foam? Yes or no. Sorry if I’ve come off a bit abrasive.
It will be fine to use, as already stated most packaging comes this way without any issues.
 

RoachCoach

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Yeah. I've received tarantulas packed in all sorts of weird stuff. The weirdest was inside pill bottles nested in a bunch of shopping bags.

It doesn't really matter, within reason (obviously you wouldn't want to pack a spider in something with cleaning supply residue on it, etc.).
Wait, they put the T's inside the pill bottles or they used them as part of the insulation? That's pretty gangster to use pill bottles as shipping medium. My grandmother did put rocks inside her old pill bottles for us when we were toddlers though.
 

ccTroi

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When looking this up I came across surprisingly few results or threads which were ancient and felt I could trust no longer. What styrofoam is best for shipping tarantulas? I bought cheap crafting foam from Walmart which many people in the old threads said would suffice. Supposedly any foam being used is mainly for structural support of the package and the insulation provided by XPS or some similar foam is negligible. Is this true?
I tend to save the shipping foams from previous orders I receive. I’ve used the craft foam you’re talking about in the past and had no problems. I haven’t used XPS or similar foam before, but packages lined with craft foam hold heat pretty well. Just make sure it’s tight tight in all sides and corners. I presume XPS and other similar foam insulation hold temp more efficiently.
 

Steaminpies

Arachnopeon
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I tend to save the shipping foams from previous orders I receive. I’ve used the craft foam you’re talking about in the past and had no problems. I haven’t used XPS or similar foam before, but packages lined with craft foam hold heat pretty well. Just make sure it’s tight tight in all sides and corners. I presume XPS and other similar foam insulation hold temp more efficiently.
Thank you, I appreciate the reply. If only this could’ve been one of the first replies. No offense to those who replied initially, but it felt like pulling teeth to get what I felt was an adequate answer. Maybe I didn’t phrase myself well enough, though.
 

cold blood

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Wait, they put the T's inside the pill bottles or they used them as part of the insulation? That's pretty gangster to use pill bottles as shipping medium. My grandmother did put rocks inside her old pill bottles for us when we were toddlers though.
They get tossed out by the truckload, why not re use them....plus the locking top means I dont have to tape the lid on and can actually have an air hole on the lid.

Thank you, I appreciate the reply. If only this could’ve been one of the first replies. No offense to those who replied initially, but it felt like pulling teeth to get what I felt was an adequate answer. Maybe I didn’t phrase myself well enough, though.
Insulation is a reason...I am simply unaware of what crafting foam is...but you can use pretty much any styrofoam...you can cut up a large cooler, you can buy sheets pretty cheaply at hardware stores and cut them to fit or some are lucky enough to find coolers that fit perfectly into boxes. You can buy the stuff with metallic backing, but you dont have to. As long as its well enough fit to insulate and stabilize the package a bit, you are good.

it doesnt need to be perfect

20180817_184047.jpg 20180817_184034.jpg
 
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CommanderBacon

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Wait, they put the T's inside the pill bottles or they used them as part of the insulation? That's pretty gangster to use pill bottles as shipping medium. My grandmother did put rocks inside her old pill bottles for us when we were toddlers though.
They put the Ts inside of pill bottles, and then wrapped the pill bottles in grocery bags, nested them in more grocery bags and advertisements, and shipped it out. It was weird, but the Ts were fine.

I'm used to receiving them in drams nestled inside crumpled or shredded newspaper or packing peanuts, inside of a cardboard box that is lined with either styrofoam or house insulation foam (which is also used for tabletop terrain crafting for mini gaming and I've heard of being called crafting foam).
 

Steaminpies

Arachnopeon
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Insulation is a reason...I am simply unaware of what crafting foam is...but you can use pretty much any styrofoam...you can cut up a large cooler, you can buy sheets pretty cheaply at hardware stores and cut them to fit or some are lucky enough to find coolers that fit perfectly into boxes. You can buy the stuff with metallic backing, but you dont have to. As long as its well enough fit to insulate and stabilize the package a bit, you are good.

it doesnt need to be perfect

View attachment 382115 View attachment 382116
Yes, I know insulation is the reason for the styrofoam lining. It’s why I was so specific in looking for an answer - because the cheap crafting foam I’ve been talking about is just generic, wide/open celled, white stryofoam which doesn’t appear to have too much insulating capability. So, I took to the forums. I figure you could get this type of foam from really anywhere i.e. Walmart, Target, Dollar General, etc. It’s not the same as seen pictured in your images (should still do the trick), which seems more like a cooler-type styrofoam.
 
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Steaminpies

Arachnopeon
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Ah, I see. Sorry for the confusion, but the first quote was meant to be a sort of paraphrasing of what some advised in the now over decade-old threads I was referencing when creating this one.
 
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