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  1. #1

    Default Dehydrated meals stored in ziplocs vs vacuum sealed bags

    My group is thinking of buying Mountain House in the #10 cans for the cost savings. Can we put single servings in ziploc bags or is it important to seal it in vacuum seal bags? We worry about moisture with the ziplocs, but it sure would make the process easier. Can boiling water be added to vacuum seal bags like it can to ziplocs? The ziplocs would be easier to add the water to and reseal while we wait for it to "cook". Thanks for your time and wisdom~Journey
    There is a destiny that makes us brothers. None goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others, comes back into our own. Unknown

  2. #2
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    Default Vaccuum sealed bags

    Hi Journey,

    We used the Food-Saver vaccuum-bag system for our home-made dehydrated meals, and they worked WONDERFULLY. They kept the food from getting smushed and beaten to tiny crumbs while jostling around in the pack, you can pour boiling water right into the bag (not sure if you can do this with ziplocs for an extended period of time?)and you never have to worry about the food getting puncutred in the pack, or accidentally opening up and spilling all over everything, which was great, and the food stayed amazingly fresh...so fresh that we are still eating extra maildrop foods we packaged LAST November. By using the vaccum bags, we also found we could let food "warm" in a pot of hot water while we prepared other parts of our meals becuase the bags will hold up to boiling. The only drawback we found was that you do need to cut the bags to get into them, so you need some sort of knife or leatherman, which you will probably have anyway. Vaccuum bags certainly aren't a neccesity for maildrops, but they worked wondefully for us.

    Also, just to let you know, you might want to call Mtn. House; we spoke to someone at Mountain house about the 10# cans last year during our trail prep, and they sent us a form for whole-sales deals from them because we were doing the trail.

    Good luck!
    "It's a dangerous business, going out your door...if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to."-The Hobbit

  3. #3

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    This past weekend we hiked in snow and 28* weather to test gear and our alcohol stoves. I boiled water and added it to a large ziploc along with a Mountain house meal, zipped it up, mixed it and put it inside my jacket for 10 minutes. It worked great. My meal was cooked and I was warmed up. The large bag was difficult to eat out of, so next time I'll use a smaller bag. Journey
    There is a destiny that makes us brothers. None goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others, comes back into our own. Unknown

  4. #4
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    Default

    For my hike this year I am not buying food in advance to any great extent. However, for our hike in 2001 BA Turtle and I bought a lot of food up front in bulk like ramen and powdered soup mixes, etc. We broke them down into meal sized portions and placed them in freezer strength ziplocks and never had a moisture problem. I don't think you can go wrong either way, although I have never used the food-saver vacuum approach.
    There were times when we did not want to eat an entire meal and were happy that we had the flexibility to use what we wanted and then re-seal the baggie.
    If you decide to go the ziplock route I would suggest that you consider the "freezer strength" type though. They are worth the extra cost in terms of durability.
    The more I learn ...the more I realize I don't know.

  5. #5
    Registered User Lewis Clark's Avatar
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    FOr those of you that want to go the vacuum seal route, you can use these little boogers to reseal the bags:

    https://www.amazon.com/GTHUNDER-Seal...36932944&psc=1

  6. #6

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    I have used both vacuum-sealed bags and zip-top freezer bags for diverse trips of various durations and found that the best choice depends on the contents. Some freeze-dried foods have monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that can oxidize easily, that is to say go rancid. I try to choose my storage method based on the ingredients list.

  7. #7
    Registered User Knocky's Avatar
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    I have portioned out #10 cans of MH for years. I use vac seal bags, usually getting 8 per can. They reconstitute right in the bag with boiling water. I carry a little gem spring clip to seal the bag while 'cooking'.

  8. #8

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    Are you actually seeing any cost savings with the can? The last time I looked, it was the same price per ounce.

  9. #9

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    On Amazon, the #10 cans are less than half the price per ounce compared to the 2 serving bags and almost half price compared to buying a 6 pack of the bags.

  10. #10

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    Good to know. A few weeks back it was a fraction of a cent higher per ounce buying it in bulk.

  11. #11
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    The hard part with the cans is that most, if not all, meals come with some sort of powder that typically settles towards the bottom of the can.
    Somehow you have to deal with that when portioning things into smaller packaging.

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    Just had been out on a desert trip, and got some experience with homemade dried food in Ziplocks.
    I'm using original Ziplock brand, which is the best quality I found so far. Anything from the second market could fail (and it did fail on occassion).
    The plastic can stand boiling water no problem.
    The filled-up bag is pretty flimsy to the touch and I would not trust it enough to, say, put it into the sleeping bag or under the jacket as a warmer.
    Easiest way to eat out of the bag is, to rest it inside a flat bowl (which luckily is standard equipment of the Bedouins we are hiking with).
    Usually we re-use the empty Ziplock as a thrash container.

    We also have vacuum sealed homemade dried food, and we leave the bag a bit too big for its contents, then it works exactly as a the Ziploc does (minus the easy way to re-seal it).

  13. #13

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    I carry my alcohol stove inside the SnowPeak 600 which is inside of a Ziploc screw top quart container.The container serves as a coozy for the freezer bag and as a holder to eat from the bag with the long handled spoon.
    Any trash goes in the empty freezer bag and then into a gallon ziploc bag and gets hung with the food at night.

  14. #14

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    I buy the cans from Honeyville and then break them down into vacuum seal bags for long term storage. I buy oxygen absorbers and put a couple in every bag. Once I open a vacuum sealed it gets moved to ziplock. That said I have dehydrated food stored in ziplocks for a couple of years with no apparent degradation.

  15. #15

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    This weekend I will have a "mixed bag" of Knorr's spanish rice and a some refried beans.I take one bag of each and split the weight on a scale to make two freezer bags of rice and beans that take the required 2 cups of hot water.

    While I wait the 20 minutes or so for it to "cook" I use that time to make and drink some hot chocolate and snack on an appetizer.It's like going to a fine restaurant on the cheap!And I can check out of my "hotel" whenever I want the next morning and it's FREE!(unless you consider the pain and suffering it takes to get there....)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Journey View Post
    My group is thinking of buying Mountain House in the #10 cans for the cost savings. Can we put single servings in ziploc bags or is it important to seal it in vacuum seal bags? We worry about moisture with the ziplocs, but it sure would make the process easier. Can boiling water be added to vacuum seal bags like it can to ziplocs? The ziplocs would be easier to add the water to and reseal while we wait for it to "cook". Thanks for your time and wisdom~Journey
    I buy #10 cans and, before a trip, portion out what I need into quart-size Ziplock bags. The can is closed and put in the refrigerator. It has been as long as 3 months before I got around to eating the bagged meals a time or two (I just put the bag n the refrigerator in the interem, just like the can). So, for anything approaching normal use you're fine with #10 cans and Ziplocks. The main culprits (according to Mountain House) are oxygen and direct light, and storing them in the fridge combats both.

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Journey View Post
    My group is thinking of buying Mountain House in the #10 cans for the cost savings. Can we put single servings in ziploc bags or is it important to seal it in vacuum seal bags? We worry about moisture with the ziplocs, but it sure would make the process easier. Can boiling water be added to vacuum seal bags like it can to ziplocs? The ziplocs would be easier to add the water to and reseal while we wait for it to "cook". Thanks for your time and wisdom~Journey
    Yes
    No, doesnt need to be vacuum sealed
    Yes, can add boiling water to freezer bag

    MH bags are bulky. I always put a them into ziplocks
    Sharp hard pasta corners can make hole, good idea to have a couple spare
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 12-01-2018 at 07:22.

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    One reason why I tend to vacuum seal rather than Ziplocks is, that vacuum keeps all the smells inside, while Ziplocks let some vapors leak out.
    Not a technical problem at all, but a storage box full of Ziplocks spreads a tasty smell, while vacuum bags are almost smell-free (at least to humans - don't ask rodents)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Leo L. View Post
    One reason why I tend to vacuum seal rather than Ziplocks is, that vacuum keeps all the smells inside, while Ziplocks let some vapors leak out.
    Not a technical problem at all, but a storage box full of Ziplocks spreads a tasty smell, while vacuum bags are almost smell-free (at least to humans - don't ask rodents)
    Smells less than garbage ziplock

  20. #20
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    For the past months, I've been storing the homemade dehydrated food in a box in my (home-)office, just to see which storage conditions this stuff could endure.
    None went bad over this period of time, but the office smelled like an Italian kitchen. My by this smell greatly enhanced appetite led to additional 2 kilos body weight. Or so I guess.
    Nothing technical, just personal preference for vacuum seal since then.

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