Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

Mylar bags and o2 absorbers... where do you get them?

Also anyone else remember where the "protocol" is for doing it?

IIRC Dump product (like dried rice, beans, pasta) in bag, throw in O2 absorber, seal top of bag except small spot with a straw in it to suck out all the air in bag, then seal it... put the lid on the bucket and they are good to go... IIRC using a piece of wood and an Iron was how to seal the bag...

I'm actually going to start storing beans and rice this way... I've got about 36 2 ltr bottle of rice stored up and there is no way I cycle thru that before the next 5 years are up... I need to go longer term. That and my pasta needs a home too, they don't fit into two liters ;) Elbow macaroni does, but thats another story.

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

FWIW I relocated this, some decent info it seems and step by step in doing mylar bags
http://survivalistbooks.com/faqv4/

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

I have some of both ordered thru www.survivalunlimited.com but they are out of the bags......called, said they would have some in about 3 weeks. Got a feeling this is one item that is moving like hotcakes right now.

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

http://beprepared.com/Default.asp?bhcd2=1204501354

or try

www.mredepot.com

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

Here is the best (cheapest/most variety):

http://www.sorbentsystems.com/products.html

I ordered online and it arrived a week later.

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

I do Sorbent as well

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

SOURCE http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-...ent/Categories

PROCEDURES http://www.waltonfeed.com/grain/faqs/iva5.html

3-4 O2 absorbers per 5 gal pail is what I use...

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

Which Sorbent bags do you guys use for the 5-6 gallon buckets? these?:

PAKVF4
4.3 mils
5 or 6 gallon pail liner.

How about the o2 absorbers - which size and how many per 5 gallon bucket?

thanks

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

PAKVF4-4.3 mils are fine.

o2 absorbors can depend on what altitude you live in, but you gotta figure at least 1 500cc packet for a 5 gallon bucket.

Low altitude, you better figure 2 500cc absorbers (at least). Some call for 3, I think that's overkill. If I lived up in Colorado still, I'd use one 500cc. SorbentSys does sell 750cc packs, too, that's kinda the middle ground. Food pails is NOT an exact science, as far as I can tell. I have done my homework, too. I'd bet there is not a website that has to do with food storage that I have not searched and screened.

When I did my buckets, I used smaller mylar pouches - more work and $, but I can just reach into my bucket and grab one 6 or 4 cup pouch of beans without worrying about resealing the whole bag again. I don't trust those colored (forgot what they're called) re-sealable bucket lids against air leakage. So I did bags that were about #10 can sized and smaller and stuffed 'em in buckets w/ lids. Plus, with smaller pouches, you can bring 'em for barter /trade if you had to.

With smaller pouches, get some 100/200/300 cc absorbers.

Don't forget your dessicant packs. Get 2 oz packets and use 2 or 3 per bucket (one on bottom and one on top) or 1 if you go smaller pouches. Only use dessicant packs with grains NOT beans (it dries out the beans too much and they will not soak/cook right).

One more thing:

If you have a vacuum with a smaller attachment, seal your bags with your iron/sealer but leave a little corner unsealed. Use the vac attachment to suck out the excess air and hit it with the iron/sealer to finish the seal.

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

Wouldn't something like a Food Saver (vacuum sealer) work fine? Why do you need oxygen absorbers and dessicants if it's vacuum sealed?

I'm just starting my research into survival prep. Right now I know very little about it, but I have already discovered that there are a lot of ways to spend money on survival gear. I'm looking for effective but low cost means of doing it.

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

We have a Food Saver vacuum sealer. I have tried to seal various things but the vacuum doesn't always hold...especially wheat and other grains. Not sure why. We use it for meats and other items we put in the freezer and it works okay.

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

is that necessary?

I never done any food saving like this before but the thing that strikes me about this is that you then would have the odors of the plastic bucket coming into the food and furthermore what would be the point of the mylar, just dump everything into the bucket and top it off with the o2 absorber.

please explain for me as I may have to do this soon too

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

Quote: When Mylar bags are used by the storage food industry they are generally for products sealed in plastic buckets. The reason for doing this is that the High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) from which the pails are made is somewhat porous to gasses. This means that small molecules, such as oxygen (O2), can slowly pass through the plastic and come into contact with the food inside. The problem is further compounded if oxygen absorbers are used, as the result of their absorbing action is to lower the air pressure inside the container unless it has first been carefully flushed with an inert gas such as nitrogen. How fast this migration activity will occur is a function of the specific plastic formulation, its wall thickness and the air pressure inside the container. In order to gain the maximum possible shelf life a second gas barrier, the Mylar bag, is used inside the pail.

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

Anyone know why honeyville grains 500cc absorbers are so cheap? They are about 4 times cheaper then sorbent systems. Are they less reliable or something?

Also does Sorbent Systems send those pink pills that tell if they are still good? Honeyville doesn't so there is no way to know how old they are.

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

Ok, I understand this part, but what about the part about sealing the bag with a straw sticking out? That's the part I am confused about, since it would prevent any vacuum from being achieved inside the mylar bag as the o2 from inside the pail would be sucked through the straw into the bag. right?

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

Not sure what the straw is for...must be a technique for sucking the air out then quickly sealing the bag.

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

Yes, the straw technique is for sucking the excess air out the bag. I think a vaccuum attachment works best. Put your beans/grains/rice in the bag, thump the bag/bucket on the table/floor to get the contents to settle, get your wooden board and iron ready, fold the bag opening over the edge of the board so there's already not much air left, seal it 75% across, use vacuum to get more air out, then immediately seal the rest with your iron. No need to get crazy about it all, that's what the O2 absorbers are for. The idea is to get as much air out first though - so the O2 absorbers can work to their greatest efficiency.

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

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Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

Thanks Mum!

Re: Where do you buy your mylar bags and O2 absorbers?
 

very informative thread. this should be a sticky.