How to Ship Dino Bones Cross Country
May 20, 2014
If there’s one thing every kid loves, it’s the Tyrannosaurus rex (maybe it’s the teeth, the size or the way it eats a dude off of a toilet seat in “Jurassic Park”). And if there are two things every person who works at Ernest Packaging Solutions loved as a kid, it’s the T. rex and packaging.
So when we heard that the Museum of the Rockies (MOR) is donating one of its T. rex fossils to the Smithsonian for 50 years, the inner children in us got all hyped up and excited, then asked for some raisins and a juice box.
But how are 66-million-year-old dino bones going to make the 2,000-mile trek across the United States? With a very, very, very customized packaging solution, no doubt.
Says the National Geographic: “In some ways, moving a T. rex is as simple as wrapping it up, putting it in a box, and sticking the box on a truck. But when the cargo is a 38-foot-long, 7-ton, 66-million-year-old fossil, not just any box or truck will do.”
Well, yeah.
Nat Geo continues: “ … staff members at the MOR will carefully wrap each bone in a custom cradle made out of plaster and burlap or cheesecloth,” which are all packed into foam crates so they are stabilized and won’t be jostled during their journey.
But potholes aren’t the only danger to the fossils. Moisture, heat and other elements can damage the bones and when moving from the mountains of Montana to the coasts of D.C., and these priceless artifacts will encounter a variety of weather challenges. Conservation experts will inspect the bones upon arrival to ensure no damage took place and work to fix any issues before putting them on display in our nation’s capital.
The Smithsonian Museum could certainly have reached out to us as we engineer packaging for all sorts of crazy wild things. Just take a look at any of our Ernest Challenge videos! Seriously, we love these challenges and will protect your merchandise with the same care that these museum folks care for their priceless artifacts.
If we can protect snake eggs from heating up in the Sahara, or make a paper snowboard for one of our customers or crate a Jeep think of what we can do for you! Contact us today to learn how our expert engineers and consultants create customized packaging that is right for your business.
