How to Use Luna Dry Ice Packs for 24–72‑Hour Shipping

Luna dry ice packs help you ship frozen food and sensitive goods without the mess or hazards of solid CO₂. With the right insulation and packout, they hold cold for 24–72 hours and simplify air and ground compliance when you aren’t using actual dry ice. This guide gives you clear sizing rules, air‑shipping checklists, and 2025 trends so you can ship with confidence.

• Pick the right cold source for frozen food, −20 °C biologics, or 2–8 °C vaccines (Luna dry ice packs vs dry ice)

• Size your refrigerant fast with a rule‑of‑thumb calculator (Luna dry ice packs sizing calculator)

• Fly compliantly with dry ice using a one‑page checklist (IATA PI 954 dry ice checklist 2025)

• Validate your packouts with simple tests (ISTA 7D/7E and USP <1079> basics)

What are Luna dry ice packs and when should you use them?

Short answer: Luna dry ice packs are reusable gel/PCM sheets, not solid CO₂. They freeze in a standard freezer and act as thermal mass, keeping parcels cold for 24–72 hours when paired with good insulation. Use them when you want clean, low‑hazard shipments without dry ice documentation.

Why it matters to you: Think of your box like a thermos. Luna packs buffer heat gain gently, avoiding the extreme −78.5 °C of dry ice. For most frozen food and many chilled medicines, Luna packs reduce handling, cost, and risk—while staying effective on 24–72‑hour lanes. For deep‑frozen needs, add −26 °C PCM or top with a small amount of dry ice and follow PI 954 rules.

Luna dry ice packs vs dry ice: which one fits your lane?

Use dry ice when you truly need −78.5 °C or very long flights. Choose Luna dry ice packs when you want multi‑day cold with easier handling, minimal paperwork, and simple returns. For below −20 °C biologics, −26 °C PCM bricks often replace dry ice without CO₂ off‑gassing. Always match refrigerant to label claims and lane risk.

Quick tips:

• For frozen food, start with Luna dry ice packs, then add a small dry‑ice topper only for heat waves or >72 h lanes.

• For sub‑20 °C biologics, prefer −26 °C PCM.

• For 2–8 °C vaccines, use +5 °C PCM; don’t co‑pack with dry ice in the same cavity.

Real‑world case: A meal‑kit brand replaced loose ice with Luna dry ice packs plus thicker liners. Leaks disappeared and core temps stayed below −10 °C on 48‑hour lanes, with dry ice held only for rare heat spikes.

How many Luna dry ice packs do you need for 24–72 hours?

Short answer: Profile the lane → pick insulation → size pack mass. Start with 25–35% of payload weight in Luna dry ice packs for frozen food, then validate with a logger. Add +10–20% for hot lanes or large voids. Screen with ISTA 7D/7E before scaling.

Practical path: Treat “ambient + time” as your heat load. Choose a shipper rated for your worst 24‑hour period, and stack enough Luna dry ice packs to buffer the entire journey. Run one bench test in a warm room to confirm. For parcel lanes, ISTA 7D/7E gives realistic summer and winter swings.

Luna dry ice packs sizing calculator (rule‑of‑thumb)

Use this quick baseline, then validate.

Actionable packing tips

• Eliminate voids: Air is a heater; fill >25% empty space or add +10% pack mass.

• Layer smart: Cold sinks; place Luna dry ice packs on top and sides.

• Pre‑condition: Freeze packs fully; pre‑chill the shipper so cold goes to product.

• Log wisely: One logger in the core, one near a corner to catch warm spots.

Actual result: A seafood shipper added a thin reflective liner to Luna dry ice packs. Core stability improved by >10 hours in 48‑hour ISTA 7D tests, removing routine dry‑ice use.

How to pack boxes and fly with dry ice under IATA PI 954?

Short answer: For ground, keep it tight, insulated, and ventilated for moisture. For air with dry ice, follow PI 954: UN1845 naming (“Carbon dioxide, solid” or “Dry ice”), net dry‑ice weight per package, vented packaging, and a Class 9 label. Operator limits may be stricter. If you use only Luna dry ice packs, hazmat steps typically don’t apply.

2025 PI 954 acceptance checklist (one‑page you can train)

1. Air Waybill: UN1845, proper name, net kg, package count.

2. Quantity: ≤200 kg dry ice per package (check carrier variations).

3. Package: Rigid outer, vented to release CO₂, no leakage.

4. Marks/labels: UN1845 + net weight + Class 9; remove irrelevant labels.

5. Overpack: Repeat marks/labels and show total net dry‑ice weight.

6. No dry ice? Luna dry ice packs alone usually avoid these hazmat items.

Can Luna dry ice packs support vaccines or biologics?

Short answer: Yes for 2–8 °C shipments when paired with +5 °C PCM and tight packouts. For below −20 °C biologics or plasma, use −26 °C PCM or dry ice per label. Avoid co‑placing dry ice with 2–8 °C payloads unless permitted.

What to do: Build a mini “portable fridge” around your product. Surround with the right PCM, control voids, and monitor continuously. Dry ice is powerful but can over‑cool; Luna dry ice packs provide steadier profiles for drugs that must not freeze.

2–8 °C shipments: when not to use dry ice

• Do not co‑pack dry ice in the same cavity as 2–8 °C goods unless the label allows it.

• Use +5 °C PCM and add a barrier to prevent cold spots.

• Include a logger; follow your program’s storage and handling toolkit.

Qualification basics: ISTA 7D/7E and USP <1079> with Luna dry ice packs

Short answer: Run a simple three‑run ISTA screen (summer/winter/shoulder) to expose weak packouts early. Document SOPs under USP <1079>, and use MKT per USP <1079.2> when judging brief excursions.

Your checklist: Define product limits, shipper and refrigerant layout, acceptance criteria, and logger placement. Keep results with training records to satisfy audits and customer QA. Luna dry ice packs integrate cleanly into these protocols for both food and pharma lanes.

What to capture in your protocol

• Product limits: Range and excursion tolerance.

• Shipper + refrigerant: Box size, insulation, Luna dry ice packs count/placement.

• Profile: ISTA cycles, durations, acceptance criteria.

• Monitoring: Logger locations, start/stop rules, MKT calculation.

Cost and sustainability: Luna dry ice packs vs dry ice vs −26 °C PCM

Bottom line: Luna dry ice packs reduce hazmat handling, streamline returns, and cut moisture mess. Dry ice delivers the coldest power per kg but adds labels, venting, and acceptance steps. −26 °C PCM bridges the gap for sub‑20 °C lanes without CO₂ gas. Choose the smallest tool that reliably hits your lane.

2025 cold‑chain developments and trends

What’s new: Airlines continue to enforce IATA 66th‑edition dry‑ice acceptance checklists. USP <1079.2> clarifies MKT for excursion decisions. Vaccine handling guidance remains anchored in national toolkits. −26 °C PCM options are widespread as dry‑ice alternatives, and shippers increasingly reserve dry ice for extreme lanes. Luna dry ice packs fit this shift toward safer, reusable cooling.

Latest progress at a glance

• PI 954 clarity: Consistent marks, net weight, venting, and Class 9 label expectations.

• Practical MKT: Better rules for judging short excursions during validation.

• Operational shift: Routine frozen food moving to Luna dry ice packs or −26 °C PCM to reduce hazmat.

Market insight: Many teams now target <−10 °C at arrival for frozen food using Luna dry ice packs and improved liners. They hold dry ice for only the hottest weeks or >72 h routes, enabling lower cost and simpler acceptance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Are Luna dry ice packs the same as dry ice?
No. They are gel/PCM packs you freeze in a standard freezer. They are marketed for “dry‑ice shipping” but are not solid CO₂.

Q2: How long do Luna dry ice packs keep things cold?
Up to 72 hours in a well‑insulated shipper, depending on quantity and lane. Always validate your exact setup.

Q3: Can I fly with Luna dry ice packs and no dry ice?
Generally yes; gel/PCM packs are typically non‑hazardous. If you add dry ice, follow PI 954 marks, venting, and label rules.

Q4: Are −26 °C PCMs a legal dry‑ice replacement for biologics?
Yes. They are common for sub‑20 °C lanes and avoid CO₂ off‑gassing. Validate to ISTA profiles.

Q5: How do I document compliance?
Screen with ISTA 7D/7E, write SOPs per USP <1079>, and apply MKT per <1079.2> for excursions.

Summary and next steps

Key takeaways: Luna dry ice packs deliver clean, reusable cold for 24–72 hours. Start at 25–35% pack mass vs payload for frozen food, scale for heat or voids, and validate with ISTA 7D/7E. Use −26 °C PCM for sub‑20 °C lanes and follow PI 954 only when shipping real dry ice.

Action plan:

1. Define lane (24/48/72 h; summer/winter).

2. Pick shipper and Luna dry ice packs mass.

3. Run one ISTA screen with two loggers; record MKT rules.

4. For air + dry ice, implement the PI 954 checklist and train handlers.

5. Keep a summer spike plan (−26 °C PCM or dry‑ice topper).

About Tempk

We design and validate temperature‑controlled packaging that hits 24–72‑hour lanes with fewer surprises. Our shipper kits pair Luna dry ice packs, PCMs, and high‑performance liners, backed by ISTA data and SOP templates your QA team can adopt quickly. If you need lane‑specific sizing, air‑acceptance guidance, or validation support, we’re ready to help.

CTA: Book a 30‑minute consult to get a tailored Luna pack count, a PI 954 checklist, and a ready‑to‑use validation template.