I always use a pillow case as well. Last year we drove to a pet store that is about an hour away and bought a corn snake. It was already 2 years old so it was pretty good size. The guy from the pet store taped the box up and didn't do a very good job. Halfway home we stopped to get gas and i peeked in the box and he wasn't there. Luckily his tail was hanging out under the driver side dash and i pulled him out before he got any further. He would more than likely have died if we didn't find him right away because it was middle of winter here in michigan.