Hey Tom, the LS I have is actually smallish pellets and did soften when soaked. Not nearly as quickly as the regular, but after about 5 minutes they squished. I toss my Mazuri with dried herbs but they are the LS plain. But... I'm the only person I've found to have torts that eat the LS so...
Based on ingredients, the LS looks like the healthier option. I bought a huge bag of the regular, but mine eat both, so I'm going to try to focus on the LS and phase out the regular. Clearly the regular isn't bad, I just assume corn is less healthy than hay...
Not related exactly, but if life or death you can always put in a small container, and inside a larger sweatshirt that you're wearing. I used to transport my lizards in bags underneath my shirt for long drives to and from college. It was a little overkill, but made me feel better.