Quote Originally Posted by ChaosAffect View Post
Another downside is that you'd be powering every shelf even if you're not using it. I've got a 4 shelf/8 tub rack and am only using 1 shelf at the moment. If I had one long piece I'd be using 4x the power for it.

And on your original question, Herpstat 1 for me. I'm going to be investing in a Herpstat 2 down the line so I can run both my rack and display cases off the same tstat, and moving my Herpstat 1 over to an incubator.
One additional downside of running a single strips. If you plan on disinfecting a rack (I would suggest that is a good idea) all the 'safe' disinfectants require saturation for at least 10 min that means wet quite wet. Power and liquids do not go well together. Independent strips allows one shelf to be done at a time and not needing to remove the heat from the whole rack at once. Racks save space but I have never found them faster to clean or easier to heat.