Planning on moving in the near future - help with maintaining heat?

[rixusaku]

I'm planning on moving in April and it might potentially be across the country. I dont know if I'm going to drive to my destination or fly (although due to covid I'm thinking we're going to drive) which leads me to a question. I'm going to keep my skink with me in the car during the move, which will result in a multiple day drive, so I wanted to know how people keep their pets in a situation like that. I have a mesh backpack carrier for him (intended for short trips) but I noticed that there are special heat packs designed for this specific situation.

Has anyone used any before and have any recommendations for use? Thanks!

[splashy07]

You would be much better off leaving with a friend and having your skink shipped to you once you get there.

[rixusaku]

Hmm alright. Do you have any recommendations for who to use for shipping? Also, if we ended up flying, would that be a safer route for the skink to bring him with me?

[splashy07]

Reptile shipper is best.

Reptiles 2 You
Reptiles Express
Ship Your Reptiles

All are FedEx based and overnight. Register with one of those and buy the correct
shipping container/supplies.

[rixusaku]

Ahh thank you so much!!

Shipping my little guy makes me extremely nervous even though I realize that shipping them is quite common. I've heard horror stories before and those stories are what cause me to be nervous about it. x~x;

[splashy07]

I'm a breeder, therefore I ship plenty of them. Never once had an issue. Proper packaging is a must, I would check with your airline about bringing with you, and I would still advise (may be necessary with your carrier anyway) buying the proper shipping materials.
I have never travelled with livestock, perhaps someone who has can offer more insight.

[rixusaku]

I have been doing some research on bringing him with me on a plane and it looks like that's an option as long as he's in a carrier that can fit under the seats, which shouldnt be too much of a problem. I dont think the current mesh backpack carrier I have for him would be appropriate in this situation though, so I've found some breeder/feeder boxes that he could fit in and could fit under the seat if I go that route. If I ended up doing that I was even considering sewing a case to put the box in so he doesnt have to see all the moving people and such which I would guess would cause him more stress. I've sewn plenty of clothes and costumes for myself in the past so I'm confident I can figure out how to fashion an appropriate bag for the box. I might end up doing the shipping option though.

[splashy07]

Make sure you purchase heat packs either way. The last time I was on a plane I was freezing.

[rixusaku]

Oh yeah definitely! I was teetering between buying hand warmers meant for people since they're at a lower heat than the reptile ones or just going with a reptile one that's rated for a low travel duration, but the hand warmers still get to around 111° F easily.