Can You Over Wrap A Shipment?

^ I hate having to undo that wrap. Lol. I pack it so that I'm comfortable it will make it without breaking. Whether packing materials are reusable is not my main concern.

 

Personally, I back-over everyone of my boxes with my van before I put it in FedEx's hands.

 

I know it was said earlier but DOUBLE BOX! The inside box just the way you described above and then just packing peanuts in the outer box. Cheap, light, and greatly decreases odds of a breakage. Plus the sounds of the peanuts squishing helps mask the sloshing!

 

I've found using a styrofoam wine shipper works best. It insulates the bottles from extreme heat or cold and provides excellent cushion. Depending on the size of the bottle, I either bubble wrap it or stuff newspaper around it so that they don't wiggle or squeak against the sides.

 

As for overpacking, I agree with the others. Really, there's no such thing.

As for packing tape to secure bubble wrap, I also agree with the others. I generally use the kind that sticks to itself or rubber bands. Sucks to have to painstakingly have to peel that packing tape off of the perfectly good bubble wrap (or, shudder, cut it).

As for wrapping around the caps, I do something a little different. I don't remember where I picked this up exactly, but I use a parafilm (basically paraffin was tape). Works great, comes right off with no mess, and, hey, poor man's wax-dipped bottles.

 

That stuff is $25 a box, and a bag of bottle wax (which will do 50-60 bottles) costs $11 at a homebrew store. Go with the wax! I've taken to waxing every bottle I store or ship - will keep caps from blowing off (I had this happen to me in a box) and it looks nice too.

 

In for the 10-20 foot drop videos.

 

It works out to about the same then. I've done about 3 cases worth of beer and am about 1/2 way through a roll (maybe).

 

It's been said several times, but can't be over-said: please no packing tape on bubble wrap around bottles. If you really want to make sure they stay wrapped, thin rubber bands are the best.

 

painters tape doesnt stick to anything really. safe on labels, bottles, etc.. box in box all day !

 

Never. I like to think of my boxes as howitzer-proof.

 

Thy have a UPS hub here in Greensboro, and I've known people who have worked there. It's a bitch of a job, and you have to chuck boxes at an amazing rate for your whole shift, don't move enough boxes and they fire you no questions asked, they have a minimum they must maintain. So... their main focus is on moving freight, it doesn't matter much how they just have to move it, hence busted up stuff.

 

I don't tape or rubber band the foam or bubble wrap they're packed tight and can't come undone. Everything I send can be reused. If I don't have the tight box I buy them at fed ex, 2 boxes cost me $7.

 

I guess they don't like the parafilm.....its the best. I use it on all my trades and have gotten compliments on it. When I ship beers they are no longer mine so I do my best that they arrive safety. Would be a drag to have to send another bottle because of laziness or lack diligence.

 

Ah, yes, YOU'RE where I picked up that tip! I agree. Trade partners love it.

 

Bubble wrap the shit out of everything. Reinforce the insides of your box with heavier cardboard. Box within a box. If it's hard to tape shut, then you have packed it well.
Then inform FedEx that there is a sleeping baby in the box and to be very careful with it; it is imperative that the baby make it to the sacrifice altar by Friday.

 

Anyone use uline or similar pulp shippers? Do you extra wrap bottles? Would make sense for 22oz bottles, but seems like they were made for 750s and may be counter productive if there is more space between each tray.

 

I will add enough packing material to keep the bottles from moving around in the shipper.