subject: Weatherproofing Your Parcel for Its International Journey [print this page] Weatherproofing Your Parcel for Its International Journey
Sending a parcel internationally is much different than sending one a few towns over, there will be a considerable increase in the number of people and companies involved in the delivery meaning that your parcel could be handled by many different people. We all wrap our parcels for any delivery we may make but there are a number of extra considerations we need to make when our parcel is travelling around the world.
If we know where our parcel is going to then we may know what the climate is like and what conditions your parcel could risk being exposed to. In humid or wet environments for example the humidity and damp could cause some lighter stick tape to come loose which could end up with your parcel's contents being easily accessed or fall out all together.
It is important then that you use strong parcel tape for your parcels and equally strong wrapping paper or a sturdy corrugated cardboard box. These are much more resistant to any weather but also any heavy knocks as well. Some people will send their parcels inside of a plastic mailing bag; this bag is sealed with a strong adhesive to ensure that nothing can get in or out unless the bag is cut open. This also ensures a greater level of security so that if your parcel arrives and the bag has been cut open then you know that someone has tampered with the parcel.
One other aspect that many parcel senders are not aware of is that you need to not only protect the parcel's contents but you should also make sure the label and address is protected also. A bit of light rain can easily cause ink to run and make names and addresses nigh on impossible to read which could delay or prevent your parcel from being delivered.
You may find your chosen parcel delivery firm will use a bar-coded label to identify the parcel but you shouldn't leave it to chance as sometimes these labels are not used or the delivery agent may not have their barcode scanner and computer, especially in more remote destinations, the best way to protect your parcel is to use a document envelope.
Document envelopes attach to your parcel with one side sticky and one not, this is good for international parcels where you may have to provide customs information and shipping notes, they can all be stored in this envelope which is clear so that all the information can be read from the outside, preventing the documents and information from getting wet or damaged.
If you need to send a parcel internationally then make sure that you choose a reliable international freight company that can handle your parcel with speed and care. There are many couriers available to book a delivery with online so make sure you compare all available services.
