Mailorder film in summer

mgb74 · Jul 28, 2018

Even in Minnesota, it gets hot in the summer. So I avoid mail ordering film in the summer. I suppose I could, if I wanted, have it held at local PO or UPS/FEDEX location though not sure how hot their storage gets.

Am I being overly cautious here?

BAC1967 · Jul 28, 2018

I’ve mailed film from very hot locations without any problems. I usually take it into the post office so it doesn’t sit outside cooking in a metal mailbox. It was 100F a few days ago when I mailed a roll of Kodak Aerochrome Infrared film to the lab. I took it into the air conditioned post office, I’m not worried about it.

btaylor · Jul 28, 2018

Funny, I’ve often thought about that too in years past. I would keep my film in a cooler when I traveled. I would walk the mailer into the post office. From there it would end up in the back of a truck in the summer at ambient temperature or higher for hours and hours. Never had a problem.

Alan9940 · Jul 29, 2018

I live in the desert southwest and, other than keeping an eye out for it so it doesn't sit too long in the heat, I don't worry about it. Never had a problem.

mshchem · Jul 29, 2018

mgb74 said:
Even in Minnesota, it gets hot in the summer. So I avoid mail ordering film in the summer. I suppose I could, if I wanted, have it held at local PO or UPS/FEDEX location though not sure how hot their storage gets.

Am I being overly cautious here?

I try to do the same.

mgb74 · Jul 29, 2018

I was informed that - at least in Minneapolis - the UPS warehouse and sorting area is not air conditioned.

BrianShaw · Jul 29, 2018

I know some packages, especially those delivered by USPS, get searing hot riding around in the back of their truck waiting for a late afternoon delivery. I avoid buying perishables by mail during the summer. For us, though, 90 degree weather isn’t unusual in that season. I’ve not noticed that to be the case with UPS or FEDEX...

At the warehouse/sorting I’d assume that they at least need to control the temps for habitability of the human workers so maybe that’s not as bad as one might think.

But, often, some products are more tolerant of temp extremes than we might think.

mgb74 · Jul 29, 2018

BrianShaw said:
I know some packages, especially those delivered by USPS, get searing hot riding around in the back of their truck waiting for a late afternoon delivery. I avoid buying perishables by mail during the summer. For us, though, 90 degree weather isn’t unusual in that season. I’ve not noticed that to be the case with UPS or FEDEX.

I can't believe the white USPS trucks are any worse than the brown UPS trucks. Where I live, the mail is delivered in the driver's personal minivan. I'm guessing he keeps the air on. With USPS, I can specify hold for pickup. But most retailers seem to use Fedex or UPS - especially for their free shipping.

None of that addresses the inter-city portion of the trip. I thought that if the warehouse was air conditioned, there would be a lot of thermal mass while in the trailer. But appears not.

BrianShaw said:
At the warehouse/sorting I’d assume that they at least need to control the temps for habitability of the human workers so maybe that’s not as bad as one might think.

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BrianShaw said:
But, often, some products are more tolerant of temp extremes than we might think.

That may well be true at the temps likely to be encountered.

BrianShaw · Jul 29, 2018

“I can't believe the white USPS trucks are any worse than the brown UPS trucks.“

Believe it... why would I lie to you? I was shocked when I started taking the packages from the hand of the letter carrier rather than picking it off the porch when I got home from work.

Old-N-Feeble · Jul 29, 2018

I've noticed packages can be very hot when delivered in summertime. I started ordering film during winter months many years ago. Why take the risk?

I order liquid chemistry in springtime or during fall to avoid scorching heat and freezing temperatures.

bvy · Jul 29, 2018

Is film delivered to warehouses and retailers under refrigeration or temperature control?

Old-N-Feeble · Jul 29, 2018

bvy said:
Is film delivered to warehouses and retailers under refrigeration or temperature control?

Surely not but most retail photo operations are probably climate controlled and at least the film will only get hot getting to the retailer, not getting to us.

Agulliver · Jul 30, 2018

A few days in the heat is not going to damage your films.

Has anyone here at APUG/PHOTRIO ever experienced what they believe to be film damaged/deteriorated due to spending a few days in the mail in summer?

Let's face it, most of us have kept film (unexposed and exposed) in cars for a few days. I've just developed some FP4+ and HP5+ which spent last week in a tent under blazing sun (we had 30C+ here in the UK)....probably 40C in the tent during the day. It's all fine. I fully expect the Kodak Colorplus 200 C41 films to be fine too.

Who knows when the film you buy in the winter was shipped from manufacturer to warehouse, from warehouse to retailer. I suspect you are over-worrying.

Old-N-Feeble · Jul 30, 2018

Not over-worrying, just minimizing the chance of heat damage.

BrianShaw · Jul 30, 2018

Agulliver said:
A few days in the heat is not going to damage your films.

Has anyone here at APUG/PHOTRIO ever experienced what they believe to be film damaged/deteriorated due to spending a few days in the mail in summer?

Let's face it, most of us have kept film (unexposed and exposed) in cars for a few days. I've just developed some FP4+ and HP5+ which spent last week in a tent under blazing sun (we had 30C+ here in the UK)....probably 40C in the tent during the day. It's all fine. I fully expect the Kodak Colorplus 200 C41 films to be fine too.

Who knows when the film you buy in the winter was shipped from manufacturer to warehouse, from warehouse to retailer. I suspect you are over-worrying.

This is very true.

Poisson Du Jour · Jul 30, 2018

mgb74 said:
Even in Minnesota, it gets hot in the summer. So I avoid mail ordering film in the summer. I suppose I could, if I wanted, have it held at local PO or UPS/FEDEX location though not sure how hot their storage gets.
Am I being overly cautious here?

There is a post box 240 metres from me that is exposed to all weather, but especially, full hot summer sun. It has to be repainted its lively bright red each year because of the heat fading the paintwork! There is no doubt the temperature inside gets mightily hot. The postie opens the door and lets the heat escape before pulling out the bag full of mail. There is a message in his caution.

I do not know about Minnesota, but dropping film into a post box on the street in the blazing heat is not something I would think of doing.

Agulliver · Jul 31, 2018

But a few days in great heat really isn't going to damage your film. It's weeks, months, years in the heat that damages it.

aleckurgan · Jul 31, 2018

Old-N-Feeble said:
Surely not but most retail photo operations are probably climate controlled and at least the film will only get hot getting to the retailer, not getting to us.

Unfortunatelly not all of them are climate controlled. Couple of years ago I visited the Fotoimpex shop in Berlin. To my surprise they had all film including Delta 3200 unrefrigerated, while it was a hot summer and thermometers that they were also selling showed +31C inside. There was no air-conditioning, only a fan that moved hot air around the room.

guangong · Jul 31, 2018

In the old days of Kodachrome, and Kodachrome Professional at that, I frequently dropped exposed film in the old brown USPS mailboxes that sat on sunny summer corners. Slides always came back o.k.

Mailorder film in summer

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