View Full Version : Trash compactor bags?
Cedar1974
06-25-2015, 10:37
I've noticed many hikers use a 20 gallon TRash compactor bag to line their packs to help keep things dry. I was wondering where you can get these things. I cant' find them in any store I've been in.
ChrisJackson
06-25-2015, 10:39
Usually a Publix or Kroger but I noticed a good deal at Home Depot: 30 18 gal bags for $9.97 (just 1 bag lasts me a long time).
The only place that I could find unscented ones was at Ace Hardware.
Super markets. I saw them at Walmart. A GOOGLE search turns up dozens of retailers.
Here is what you are looking for.
http://mybrands.com/getmetafile/20bddd53-2ca2-4fa4-b2f6-f7e7a49453cf/HEFTY-Trash-Compactor-Bags-Twist-Ties-5-bags-18-gal?maxSideSize=700
http://mybrands.com/Brands/Hefty/Hefty-Trash-Compactor-Bags-White-18-gallon-5-ct
Wayne
Be sure to get unscented bags. They are sometimes hard to find.
I've got a big box of them - PM me your address and I'll mail you one. :)
I still have the one I used to thru hike the PCT with - I think it would last the CDT too.
Wülfgang
06-25-2015, 11:09
Any Kroger store has them. They are scented though. I take one out and leave it outside for a few days to get the smell out. It's awful.
But they are tough and last multiple trips. Better option than a pack cover or dry bag.
Cedar1974
06-25-2015, 11:13
Any Kroger store has them. They are scented though. I take one out and leave it outside for a few days to get the smell out. It's awful.
But they are tough and last multiple trips. Better option than a pack cover or dry bag.
Here's the funny part, where I live, we don't have Kroger. This city is Kroger free thanks to the Delchamps family who were the main grocery store here for years, but the last heir to the Company sold off the stores sadly.
HooKooDooKu
06-25-2015, 12:49
The only place that I could find unscented ones was at Ace Hardware.
Ditto!
I had no problems finding trash compactor bags at WalMart... but the scent is infused in the material and impossible to wash away or air out. I tried. After washing multiple times and letting the bags air out on a cloths line for three days had no effect on the over-powering 'flowery' smell of the compactor bag.
But not all Ace Hardware stores carry trash compactor bags (much less Ace brand Trash Compactor bags). The 1st set of Ace Hardware store trash compactor bags I bought was the one box at my local Ace Hardware store that had them on clearance because they were not going to stock them anymore. So now, when ever I'm out of town, if I see an Ace Hardware store, I try to check on whether they carry the Ace Brand compactor bags or not. I would say that out of the 5 stores I've checked, only 1 carried them (the one in Townsend, TN).
Rain Man
06-25-2015, 14:15
Big box home improvement stores carry them too.
And yes, definitely look for the unscented ones.
soumodeler
06-25-2015, 14:16
Same problem here. Everywhere but Ace only sold the scented ones. I think I paid $5 for 5 at Ace.
Bluegrass
06-25-2015, 14:39
It looks like Amazon has them (although you might be able to find them cheaper locally): http://www.amazon.com/Hefty-Trash-Compactor-Bags-GAL/dp/B002BXRGQA/
Another Kevin
06-25-2015, 14:42
It might be mostly OK to use the peppermint ones. Around here, people use the peppermint-scented ones for garbage because it helps keep the raccoons out of people's trash cans.
I got unscented bags in Tehachapi when my cuben liner failed (tons of tiny little pinprick holes), as I discovered after a hail/rain storm in the Mojave of all places. I believe it was either at the Albertsons or the KMart. $5 for 10 bags. I used one and kept a spare, putting the rest in a hiker box. The one lasted me for the rest of my hike and was still OK but I threw it out before flying home. I still have the spare for my next hike. I think it could last for months. Very sturdy. Not as nice as a cuben dry bag but when it wears out I'm out 50 cents rather than $50.
chiefduffy
06-25-2015, 14:50
Ultrasack from Amazon.
Rex Clifton
06-25-2015, 17:41
If you have some extra $$ lying around forget the compactor bags and get a ZPacks cuben fiber pack liner. It fits my ULA Circuit like it was made for it (which it was) and has a roll top closure that is completely waterproof.
If you have some extra $$ lying around forget the compactor bags and get a ZPacks cuben fiber pack liner. It fits my ULA Circuit like it was made for it (which it was) and has a roll top closure that is completely waterproof.
That's what I had for a couple of years. Be sure to test it out as it gets older. Fill it up with water in a bath tub and observe whether it is truly water proof. Mine seemed fine to the naked eye but had a lot of pinholes in it. It was enough to allow some moisture inside in a very heavy rain/hail storm. It wasn't extremely serious (my bag stayed dry at the bottom of the Circuit) but disconcerting. That's when I switched to the compactor bags. I can replace them anytime they seem somewhat questionable at very low cost. I'm going to stick with compactor bags in the future.
I have a cuben pack liner that has pinholes in it too... I ended up using it as a food bag. :)
It's hard to beat a trash compactor bag.
Rocket Jones
06-25-2015, 18:39
Also, get the white ones. Easier to see inside than the black.
MuddyWaters
06-25-2015, 21:57
I use nylofume, cut down. I dont have much that has to stay dry. Weighs about 0.75 oz.
Whatever you use, check it daily or often by trapping air in it and sqeezing. Holes can be patched with duct tape.
WalkingStick75
06-25-2015, 22:03
They sell them on Amazon too.
Bird Dawg
06-25-2015, 22:15
I found mine in the appliance department of the local Sears store.
Yes...they're still in business.
Here's the funny part, where I live, we don't have Kroger. This city is Kroger free thanks to the Delchamps family who were the main grocery store here for years, but the last heir to the Company sold off the stores sadly.
Winn-Dixie? Piggly Wiggly? Jitney Jungle? A&P?
10-K has the best deal.
I had no idea that these bags lasted that long. I guess I should get a box.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Winn-Dixie? Piggly Wiggly? Jitney Jungle? A&P?
10-K has the best deal.
I had no idea that these bags lasted that long. I guess I should get a box.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Just FYI.... I'm down about $12 in postage and several bags thus far. :) Going forward, it would be nice if requests included, "and I'll Paypal you a buck or two to cover postage".. I have around 10 more.
Rain Man
06-26-2015, 09:07
Also, get the white ones. Easier to see inside than the black.
Amen. Amen. And, ... AMEN!!!
:)
hikernutcasey
06-26-2015, 11:24
What's the big deal with the scented ones? I use them and don't really mind the smell. I guess the unscented ones might be better but it's not like the scented ones smell like sewage. They also keep your pack from smelling like B.O. after a few days of having your nasty sweaty crap in there. To each their own I guess.
rocketsocks
06-26-2015, 11:32
What's the big deal with the scented ones? I use them and don't really mind the smell. I guess the unscented ones might be better but it's not like the scented ones smell like sewage. They also keep your pack from smelling like B.O. after a few days of having your nasty sweaty crap in there. To each their own I guess.
Mice love smell good stuff.
Any Kroger store has them. They are scented though. I take one out and leave it outside for a few days to get the smell out. It's awful.
But they are tough and last multiple trips. Better option than a pack cover or dry bag.
I've never found them at any of the Kroger stores in this area. Ended up ordering a box on Amazon.
BirdBrain
06-26-2015, 11:54
Mice love smell good stuff.
I know I am a broken record, but.... Those that concider scented anything for the trail are thinking in human terms. Yes nice smelling things mask the stench from abusing our noses. They are not fooling the animals. Odor proof containers are another lie. The molecules left on the outside of the container by your hands is enough for the animal to know what is inside. Such marketing takes advantage of people thinking like humans and not grasping the abilities of animals. Adding any nice smelling anything will not hide anything from any animal and will instead give said animals one more odor to be curious about.
In short, I agree with RS.
I wish a few trappers would comment here. It is vanity to attempt to mask any smell from an animal. My trapping clothes lived a shed outside. I wore rubber boots that aired outside for months and were never touched by anything outer than the rubber gloves that lived with my trapping gear in the shed. At times, that was still not enough to fool a wise fox. Some had to be caught with blind sets. If you think a smelly bag or not smelly bag protects what is inside, you are being duped.
Andrew Skurka seems to disagree and uses Opsaks in Grizzly country... so I think that the issue is at least a bit more complicated and might depend on the care one uses in food handling. Obviously if you smear peanut butter on the outside of an opsak it wont be too effective...
Just FYI.... I'm down about $12 in postage and several bags thus far. :) Going forward, it would be nice if requests included, "and I'll Paypal you a buck or two to cover postage".. I have around 10 more.
Next June I could pick one up in person. :D :cool:
Just kidding. We will be in Boone again for my granddaughter's graduations: high school & 8th grade.
I must be getting old.
Wayne
hikernutcasey
06-26-2015, 13:33
I know I am a broken record, but.... Those that concider scented anything for the trail are thinking in human terms. Yes nice smelling things mask the stench from abusing our noses. They are not fooling the animals. Odor proof containers are another lie. The molecules left on the outside of the container by your hands is enough for the animal to know what is inside. Such marketing takes advantage of people thinking like humans and not grasping the abilities of animals. Adding any nice smelling anything will not hide anything from any animal and will instead give said animals one more odor to be curious about.I'm not trying to hide anything from an animal...I'm trying to keep myself from throwing up in my mouth a little bit when I open my clothes bag while inside my tent on the 5th night of a trip :)
BirdBrain
06-26-2015, 14:03
I'm not trying to hide anything from an animal...I'm trying to keep myself from throwing up in my mouth a little bit when I open my clothes bag while inside my tent on the 5th night of a trip :)
Got ya'. That makes sense. I embrace the funk. :)
BirdBrain
06-26-2015, 14:21
Andrew Skurka seems to disagree and uses Opsaks in Grizzly country... so I think that the issue is at least a bit more complicated and might depend on the care one uses in food handling. Obviously if you smear peanut butter on the outside of an opsak it wont be too effective...
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=75773
Not that it hasn't been posted a million times before.
HooKooDooKu
06-26-2015, 14:31
What's the big deal with the scented ones?
The ones I bought from WalMart had a smell so overwhelming that it physically irritated my sinuses.
I'm sure the level of 'scent' in compactor bags vary from company to company, and of course tolerance to the smells will vary from person to person.
Drybones
06-26-2015, 14:37
Got mine at Walmart, don't use it as a liner but as a pack cover.
Rex Clifton
06-27-2015, 09:07
Wow, I had no idea about pinholes in the ZPacks liner. Did you pack hard objects inside? With mine I just pack soft stuff.
I've also never been able to find compactor bags, except online. I never bothered because I've always found a simple trash bag from home works just fine. I usually have the Hefty Flex on hand. A new bag each trip works just fine for me, even on two or three week trips.
I've never had gear get wet while in the pack in over 33 years of backpacking using regular trash bags, so I guess my position is: If it ain't broke, don't bother fixing.
Wow, I had no idea about pinholes in the ZPacks liner. Did you pack hard objects inside? With mine I just pack soft stuff.
Yes, I have packed my Bearikade inside the liner in the past (JMT thru hike) so maybe that had an impact. I'm not really sure. And the liner did last two solid years and many miles so I'm not really saying anything bad about it, just that it is important to test it as it gets older. I think that's true of any cuben gear. For me the price of the liner isn't worth getting a new one but it certainly is a more elegant solution than a compactor bag if price isn't an issue.
After reading this thread, I filled my cuben pack liner with water and found many pinholes leaking water. I took a magic marker, circled the pinholes, and sealed them up with cuben repair tape.
Should be good for another year or so.
After reading this thread, I filled my cuben pack liner with water and found many pinholes leaking water. I took a magic marker, circled the pinholes, and sealed them up with cuben repair tape.
Should be good for another year or so.
Could always line your cuben pack liner with a NEW plastic trash bag. ;)
Could always line your cuben pack liner with a NEW plastic trash bag. ;)
I've used plastic trash bags - they don't hold up.
Son Driven
06-27-2015, 13:28
At night I placed my pack, food, and all inside the trash compacter bag. Then surrounded it with my smelly hiking cloths, placed it under my hammock. Nothing ever messed with it not even a mouse on my entire 2013 thru hike. Animals have an instinctive fear of humans. It is also a good ideal to place your bug netting on the very bottom of our pack outside of the compactor bag, to create space for water to drain out of the vent holes at the bottom of your pack.
saltysack
06-27-2015, 15:19
My z packs cuben food bag got a small wear thru spot from my cook kit being inside bag for a few trips...doesn't have good abrasion resistance...but it light![emoji16]. I've been using same compactor bag for about 3 years now....prob should retire it...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
MuddyWaters
06-27-2015, 19:51
Unless submerging pack, pinholes in a liner really arent much to worry about. Wont get enough, if any, thru pinholes to matter, unless in bottom and bottom of pack holds water.
The pinholes were enough to let water into my Circuit. It was a really heavy downpour that lasted for quite some time.
I am begining to mourn the eventual loss of my CF pack liner. Please tell me you once smuggled a porcupine across state lines inside your pack.
MuddyWaters
06-27-2015, 20:12
Ive had holes in plastic liner in circuit right in middle, where the Al stay is. I learned to check it frequently, and patch with duct tape.
Tipi Walter
06-27-2015, 20:33
We must be Weekend Shut Ins but 48 posts on pack liners? This is starting to get gear-obsessed like BPL.com.
We must be Weekend Shut Ins but 48 posts on pack liners? This is starting to get gear-obsessed like BPL.com.
Actually with yours it 49. No, I make 50.
I have used both Nyloflume bags and compactor bags. I actually lean toward the Nyloflume just because they are clear. I have had both completely submerged during less than ideal stream crossing and both have 100% protected all my critical gear. It is situations like this where pin holes do become an issue. I would not use Cuben for this application in spite of make many items from cuben over the years. I would consider this a wear item.
royalusa
06-28-2015, 08:24
I actually lean toward the Nyloflume just because they are clear. Where does one buy Nylofume bags?
BirdBrain
06-28-2015, 09:59
We must be Weekend Shut Ins but 48 posts on pack liners? This is starting to get gear-obsessed like BPL.com.
52 posts. 1 for each week of the year.
I am not shut in. Just ending a 2 week fishing trip. However, that will not stop me from adding to the obsession.
I do not use trash compactor bags. I advocate them to those asking so as to advise on the side of safety. I use huge cheap 2-mil bags that come on a roll. I do not recall the brand.
I do not worry about pinholes. I do not believe mine have any. The bags are replaced often. I use a bag as a final layer of protection. The first layer of protection is my Packa. If pinholes are allowing water in, I would rethink my pack cover strategy. A wet pack is a heavy pack. Your pack must be saturated and/or have standing water in the bottom of it to allow for water to come in through pinholes.
I do not fully trust any pack cover as a stand alone water protection system. My Packa does great, but rain is not the only hazard. A trash bag offers short term protection in the event of a fall in a wet area. Think fording
I seek bags with no smell. Any bag will not allow your stench to air out from your clothing. I wash and hang my clothes often. Quite frankly, the stinkiest clothes are on my body. I often leave an extra pair of socks in the mesh pocket on the back of my pack. They are the biggest offenders. If you have a bunch of stinky clothing items in your pack, you are likely carrying too much clothing. I have no desire to have my stuff smell like the bag. Unscented for me and change bag often.
I prefer a huge trash bag liner. I want it to be easy to make the elephant trunk at the top and have it long enough to tuck.
This was to be 52. Likely 60 by now. :D
Where does one buy Nylofume bags?
you our can fund them on the net. every now and again someone buys a big batch on BPL and distributes them.
Here is one of many threads from BPL.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=47427
Im sure Tipi has chimed in on this one. :)
Cedar1974
06-28-2015, 16:40
Mice love smell good stuff.
Actually, mice hate the smell of mint, which is why they make the Mint sented bags, to drive off rodents and racoons.
rocketsocks
06-28-2015, 16:56
Actually, mice hate the smell of mint, which is why they make the Mint sented bags, to drive off rodents and racoons.
I my hood they seem to be immune, perhaps they didn't get the memo.
BirdBrain
06-28-2015, 17:06
Actually, mice hate the smell of mint, which is why they make the Mint sented bags, to drive off rodents and racoons.
Those buying mint smelling anything to deter raccoons, have never trapped raccoons. Many that trap raccoons use mint as an ingredient in their lures. I did.
rocketsocks
06-28-2015, 17:15
Those buying mint smelling anything to deter raccoons, have never trapped raccoons. Many that trap raccoons use mint as an ingredient in their lures. I did.I was mostly beavers, and the castorum gland smells just like anise....not to be confused with anus, that smells like butt you know what I mean.
Riocielo
06-28-2015, 17:16
We used to shop at Delchamps all the time! I miss Delchamps and Gayfers.
I was mostly beavers, and the castorum gland smells just like anise....not to be confused with anus, that smells like butt you know what I mean.
You are on a roll today.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.