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Keeping heatpacks around for emergency

omni

omni

antiunresemiretirismic
I was thinking about stocking up on heatpacks for times when the power goes out.
I live in a rural area, and thinking we're due for power outage when someone wipes out and takes a pole down. So I'm going to get a bunch of those 60hr ones. Anybody ever thought about or keep some just in case? I've never stored them, so how long a shelf-life do they have?
 
those things usually get well over 31 degrees celscious, alot higher than the recommended highest temp a corn be exposed too.... but i'm sure they'd work if you kept them monitored or wrapped them in something?
 
The actually only heat up an insulated box 10-20 degrees. They are UNLIKELY to keep the cages as warm as you intend. Cold temps aren't as dangerous as hot twemps, so freezer packs are more of a "needed!" than heat packs, I bbelieve. HOWEVER, if the temps can drop to close to or below freezing without power, then I agree you need SOMETHING. It won't here, so we don't worry about it. The shorter one (like the 40 hours ones) get warmer than the longer ones. You NEED to put one of each in a dummy cage and monitor it to see which one keeps the temps where you want them. Don't worry about the previous objection unless you put it in a too SMALL cage (not temp gradient) or tie the snake IN a bag with the heat pack. Plus, restricting air flow to the heat pack will reduce its efficacy.

If you have a few snakes, why not get a catalytic heater? One of those small green bottles of fuel ($2) will run one for ~7 hours or so, and they generate LOTS of heat. I know it'll get a small deer camp (no insulation) too hot to sleep in if you leave it on! No flame, safe in tents (i.e., indoors), don't need much of a vent - probably none in a normal house since they "leak," anyway, etc. Keep the entire room warmed (plus yourself!) for $6 per day! The catalytic converters only cost ~$40-50/each. Cheap IMO. In a LARGE room with lots of air flow in COLD conditions, you MAY need 2. I never have.

....or just get a generator and have zero concerns at all except for how much fuel to have on hand. We keep THOSE handy so we can heat our entire snake rooms. :)

KJ
 
I live up in the Sierra Nevada's and our power went out for a loooong time recently due to a very big storm. I actually used those ThermoCare heat hads (luckily I had some for my knee) and I just taped to underneath his tank.

You REALLY have to monitor the temp, though. It was really cold at first, then it jumped to really hot. Just fiddle with it.
 
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