Not sure if anyone mentioned so, but that green reptile "carpet" is not the greatest. It's difficult to keep sanitary and would be much more costly to continuously replace than some other substrates. I've never personally used it but others have said that after a month or so of use, even if you clean it as best you can, it tends to smell a bit. I'd imagine it harbors bacteria much more than other substrates would.

As for not being able to find the thermometer/hygrometer combos in pet stores, you won't. Accurite is the most commonly used and can typically be found in WalMart or Home Depot for arround $12.