Microwave heat pack for travel?

[Toxique]

Well, I've been thinking now that it's been getting colder outside, and winter coming in fast and strong (being in central Wisconsin, winters here get COLD), about something to keep Mortimer warm when I transport him. Even though I keep my truck heated prior to getting into it when snow is on the ground, sometimes the walk to my truck is long enough to make me worry about Mortimer and his little traveling tub.

But I've seen these little microwave bags, usually filled with corn or some kind of seed, and I was wondering if that would be something I could use with Morti? I figure it'd save a bit as it is reusable, and for using it with him I could wrap it in a towel or something of the like?

This is the site I was looking at: http://www.corn-bags.com/index.html

Think it would be safe to use for him? Again I am worried with taking Mortimer outside, even temporarily, once snow and freezing temps have taken over. Its not uncommon for some days to remain around -5* to 15*F here in winters

[Susann]

Whether a re-heatable bag is the best way to go would depend on where you're going and how long you will be gone with Morti.

It is perfectly safe as long as it doesn't get too hot. But most re-heatable packs don't stay warm for very long, so, again, depending on how long you will be gone, it may not be good for more than the time until your car gets warm enough.

I use the self-heating heat-packs. The brand I use is HotHands, and I get their Body and Hand Super Warmers. You just open the foil pack and they warm up automaticly. Since they get very hot I have made little pouches for them to minimize risk of my BTS getting hurt. The average temperature of the bigger pads is 140 degrees F. The smaller hand-warmers stay warm up to 10 hours, the bigger ones up to 18 hours. So you wouldn't need to worry about having to get access to a microwave to re-heat your pack.

[Toxique]

The traveling time in on itself is not very long, only about 1 hour. But the problem with the hot hands is the frequency of how much I travel, I go back and fourth between my apartment and my parents house at lease once a week. Weekends is at my parent's, weekdays at my apartment for school, and Mortimer is always with me. (I leave my snake at my apartment because he doesn't need the frequency of care that morti does). So the hothands would eventually get expensive to keep buying, hence why I wanted something I could just reheat and reuse.

[Susann]

In that case you're only talking about needing it to keep him warm until the car heats up enough, a reheatable bag would be a better choice for you. You'll be able to reheat it at your parent's house before going home again.

I was thinking, if you go places where you get out of the car with Morti and then go back home on the same trip, then a reheatable bag wouldn't stay warm long enough.

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

I use what Susann has

[Chasen]

I am about to embark on a 12 hour drive north with my reptilian charges. Info on exactly how you guys use the hand/body warmers would be greatly appreciated.
Susann, you mention pouches?? Can you elaborate please?? Thanx all

[Katrina]

Mortimer doesn't really need much more care than a snake - you could easily leave him for two days and not worry about stressing him and traveling in cold.

I've used those reusable bags before for quick trips to the vet or something. Use a temp gun to ensure it isn't too hot. But I don't think they would last an hour unless insulated well.

[Susann]

I am about to embark on a 12 hour drive north with my reptilian charges. Info on exactly how you guys use the hand/body warmers would be greatly appreciated.
Susann, you mention pouches?? Can you elaborate please?? Thanx all

I use the bigger pads by HotHands, called BODY & HAND SUPER WARMER. They stay warm for about 18 hours. The AVERAGE temp is listed at 140 F (60 C). So HOT!

I used the smaller Hand-ones on a 15 hr trip (bringing home two babies in Jan). But they too get REALLY hot. They are not intended for use with animals, it says right on the package.
I know how much BTS like to squeeze under stuff, so I was a bit worried about my skinks getting too hot while burrowing close to the packs.

So I made these fleece "pouches" to put the heat packs inside, thick enough that the whole thing doesn't get HOT to the touch, but snug and secure enough so my little babies couldn't crawl inside the pouch, and maybe get stuck and not be able to get away from the heat.
(Yes, I know, I tend to go a little overboard with the worrying.)

I also wanted to feel secure enough to not need to constantly check them. They were babies, leaving the only home they'd ever known, being in a car for looong periods of time; I didn't want to add a bunch of opening of the container and a hand coming in to check the temp.
So I put the container with the BTS in the back of the car, supported on all sides so it didn't move at all, and slid the heatpack (in the pouch if it was just barely opened and really hot) UNDER the container with the skinks. That way I knew without doubt that there was a warmer end and a cooler end in the container, and if they wanted to be on the warmer side I didn't need to worry about them getting TOO hot. By the time we pulled over for the night, I could slide the pouch from under the container into the container while sleeping for the night at a motel. I opened a new pack and leaned it up to the container on the outside, and by morning it was perfect to go under the container in the car, and the previous day's pack was ready to be thrown away.

You don't need to MAKE a pouch like I did. Stick it inside an oven-mitt, or a pillowcase, or wrap a towel around it. I just felt the pack was too hot all on its own. You could put it in an oven-mitt, fold the mitt over, stick the whole thing in a pillowcase and drape the rest of the pillowcase on top for burrowing.
There's lots of different ways I'm sure, but I feel that just the plain pouch in a small container with the skink can be dangerous. They are awesome for emergency heat in situations like these, but you have to be careful with them.

But there. That's what I do.
I would suggest you open one up before you use them so you get a feel for how hot they get, and can come up with a way to use them safely on your long trip.

[Chasen]

Thanx Susann,, excellent info.

[Susann]

Hahaha Teaches you to ask me to elaborate again, huh!? I get "the runns" with words all the time. I really hate it....

[StaceyLeigh]

Oh this gives me a great idea for a knitting project! I am going to knit some pouches to stuff the hothands into in case I need them this winter. Thanks for the warning that these get really hot.