I have been looking around for a stuff sack that has a valve on it. This way when you put your clothes in it and squish all the air out, you could just shut the valve and the air would not re-enter the bag and cause it to poof back up.

No luck with finding a bag that would work like that - the ones I found had hard corners, so it did no good to try and make them squish.

Today I was going over my pack list and stuffing the clothes back into my OR Stuff sack and then into the pack.......... while pulling the string and getting the air out, it hit me......Just use a small peice of door seal in the opening, before pulling the draw string tight.

- Get everything in your stuff sack and pull the string almost all the way.
- put the gasket in the opening and then squish the rest of the air out.
- Pull the drawstring the rest of the way, crushing the gasket.
- now you can shape the bag for how you want it in your pack.
- shove the rest of the crap in your pack, without fighting your clothes sack from reinflating. :)

Works great so far, I dont know how long it keeps the air vacum but it is at least long enough to get all your other equipment in without it poofing back up.

Space bag/ziplock storage bag from Wmart has a valve.

I have seen drysacks with a valve, do not recall the brand or poundage.

Might have been a "kayak bag."

Space bag/ziplock storage bag from Wmart has a valve.

I have seen drysacks with a valve, do not recall the brand or poundage.

Might have been a "kayak bag."

The Kayak bags I have looked at all have those hard corners.... cant squish them into cool shapes.

Have not seen the ones from walmart - do they have stiff edges like the smaller sandwich bags? Thats what I am tryn to avoid.

Hey Edison - river1 was wondering if you were bringing the kitty litter to the NY trip.

Exped Downmat stuff sacks have a valve in the bottom.

Hey Edison - river1 was wondering if you were bringing the kitty litter to the NY trip.


Hahaha.... wow thats a first, Edison....:-? ... you know his real name was Wrongway Edison..... named after yours truly :D

Yea kitty litter will be in the truck bed.....

The Kayak bags I have looked at all have those hard corners.... cant squish them into cool shapes.

Have not seen the ones from walmart - do they have stiff edges like the smaller sandwich bags? Thats what I am tryn to avoid.

Can't answer. Sorry.

we have several of the walmart "compression/storage bags (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5245001)", unfortunately they are in the 15L size (est.) so they would be too big for what you need. they hold the vacuum well for short periods of time, but do not like to be rolled/folded or bunched.. you end up getting large, bulky pancakes in the end..
I have also used the storage bags without the valve (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2626229), they are just big ziplocks with an extended lip sealed at opposite ends acting as a one way valve, they hold their vacuum much better yet succumb to the same limitations of the previous ones. They also are stiffer and more brittle than the first ones - virtually every one of them either ripped or cracked at one point (we used them a total of 3 times... not worth the $$ price)

I have found that using the OR compression bags with 65-70% compression is the best size/"formabilitiy" combo.

I'm going to have to try your suggestion though, give it a shot on your NY trip and let us know if it holds the vacuum!