Ok, I just spent a while reading through previous posts regarding vacuum sealing. I'm at the verge of buying a Tilia FoodSaver, but if I could use it for Emergency Prep stuff, that would be tipping point for me to buy (the primary reason is to vacuum seal meats and such for the freezer).

I would like to know what everyone is actually vacuum sealing. I don't plan on sealing anything in my EDC, but more of the long term "non-access" stuff like in the BOB in the trunk.

Off hand what I was thinking of is:
- Cotton Balls, Paper Towels, tissues (toilet and facial)
- Clothes
- Matches/Candle
- Paracord
- Meds (tylenol, advil, aspirin, etc)
- Dried Pasta, nuts, trail mix
- Bandages, floss, sewing kit, etc

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

Family photos
ID/documents
Firearm to prevent rusting
computer media that has photos documenting your assets for insurance purposes.

This is stuff for a BOB vs a trunk bag.

Matches, absolutely, but the candle won't mind getting wet if it's got a waxed wick, which it should. The only reason I see to vaccume pack it would be against it melting.

And the paracord won't need it.

In all honesty, a lot of things don't need to be vaccume sealed. Get small, hardware-grade zipper bags. They are thicker and hold better than what you have in the kitchen. And gently squeeze the air out of them. If it's really important, use duct or electricians tape to mummify the inner bag (security vs speed of access) and slip it inside the second one.

Or go with hard case outside of the ziplock back, which is what I do with meds. For example 2 packs of 12 tylenol, 2 packs of 12 aspirin, 1 20 pack of immodium, a 12 pack of tums, and 4 tylenol sinus fit into an altoids tin, which in turn gets a wrap of electricans tape. If I was going to pack a second, say in a BOB, that would get duct tape. Some things, like matches, are better off in a rigid case, anyway.

That being said, vaccume sealers are a lot of fun if you have an inner evil genius. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> And they let you pack your own food pouches, which won't have the life of mountain house or something similiar, but they will save you a lot in the long run. And if it's something were you would only use part of it (like a pack of meds) vaccume and heat seal it as small as you can then slip it into a zipper bag and force the air out of that,so that you can reseal the items after you open the package.

I'm not trying to talk you out of one, they are great, but for somethings, there are better alternatives. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

All great points! I guess maybe I was trying to force a purchase decision!! :-)

I'm not sure about the legality of leaving a firearm in my vehicle all the time. I think CA has some stupid law against it (unless I had a CCW that is). I wonder if there would be any advantage of vacuum sealing the ammo...

Regarding the financial records, identification and such, I actually have it all scanned in and saved on a usb drive and encrypted with truecrypt. Maybe I can seal the usb key!! :-D Never thought of the photos.. I keep them backed up on DVDs... Film photos are another matter.. Maybe I should start scanning them in...

I like the idea of having a meds/pills dedicated tin. My wife has a super sensitive nose so the whole tin would be filled will claritin or alavert.. Me, I couldn't smell dog sh.t unless it hit me in the face!! ;-)

I read the recommendation from a previous post about vacuuming a ziplock bag in the sealed bag.. I thought it was a great idea for the nuts and trail mix (it allows you to bag the nuts after you break the seal)..

I think the biggest advantage is probably the clothes part..Fleece and such vacuum very well (at least I would assume so).. Ok, maybe I need to sleep on it.. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I also think that a big advantage is that you won't use your supplies and equipment unless you really need it because of vacuum-bagging.
Your stuff is going to be there when you need it.

I absolutely love my foodsaver. Aside from the rather mundane use for food, I vacuum seal a lot.

My first rule: seal nothing that you need to grab and use instantly. So I wouldn't seal a light or whistle.

Cotton balls - sure. But NOT if you've slathered them with vaseline. My sealer will suck that gunk into itself. So with my vaseline-cotton balls I make a tiny bag and just heat seal w/o the vacuum.

Matches - sure. I have packets of sealed matches with strikers strewn everywhere.

Medications -sure. No problem.
I have a very tiny FAK (little more than liquid bandaid and real bandaids, a bit of tape, moleskin, and a few other trinkets. This is sealed in a vacuum bag the size of a credit card and around 1/2" thick and always in my pocket if I'm in the field.

I take a roll of the 6" bagging material, seal one end and cut off about 18" of this stuff making a sturdy open-end bag to put water in if I have to. My PSK is inside the bag, rolled up and a ranger band around it. Yes.. more bulk than a Gerber breast milk bag. But I have rolls and rolls of the stuff around here. (By the way, you can't boil water IN the vacuum seal bags.... but you can put your rat or rabbit in the bag and the bag INTO boiling water to cook!)

But the neatest thing I do with the vacuum sealer has to do with clothing! In my car BOB and my major "shelter-in-place" locker, almost all clothing is vac bagged. For instance: a wool watch cap, heavy socks, and wool gloves will suck down to a brick hard, tiny package that will stow anywhere. A set of expedition weight duofold long underwear sucks down to a package little larger than a magazine. This is just so compact and convenient you folks have to try it. Space blankets... heat sheets...etc. Even stuff you don't need to remain waterproof: my rain suit sucks down into the smallest, tightest, easiest-to-pack flat bag you can imagine.

The only problem I've ever had was when I did this for all my clothes on a 2 wk back country trip. Getting my stuff (primarily clothing) back here after it was opened and expanded took a lot of stomping and stuffing!

I'm a pipe smoker. I vacuum and seal tobacco blends and they store and "age" this way. I seal a vacuum bag around my liter of Irish Whiskey before it goes into my luggage. When I take out the vacuum sealer my wife runs and the neighbors quake. ...I'm out of control. You'll love it!

i only vacuum my clothing (except mine winter clothing in the winter) in my kit.

One trick that is handy:
Make a seal at one side twice, with a inch space between the and cut a "v" through the outer seal. This way you can rip openen the package with you bare hands.
Not sure if it will work with all kinds of foil and vacuum machines, test before relying on it.