Ziploc Vacuum Seal Bags- Fair

The Ziploc Vacuum Seal bags work some of the time, and they are a lot cheaper than an electric vacuum sealer. The bags are resealable, but they dont always hold the vacuum.

I have a vacuum sealing machine which I like a whole lot. But I was thinking that if the ziploc vacuum seal bags worked well that they would be better for backpacking food because they can be reclosed after they are opened without having a machine handy.

The first time you buy this you have to buy a combo pack that has the pump and a few bags. After that you can just get the refills, which come in quart and gallon sizes. I got the initial kit on sale for $8.00, and it came with a few bags- 3 or 4, I dont remember exactly. The refill bags are more expensive than regular ziplocs.

They are pretty easy to use. There is a small hand pump which you place over a special spot on the bag and use to pull the air out. You have to have a hard, flat surface on which to use the pump, and you cant fill the bag completely full because you have to be able to put that sealing spot on a stable surface. If you are putting something powdered or with loose granules in the bag it is better to put it in a separate bag first, because if you pull anything into the zipper closure so that it wont close tight then the bag wont seal either.

See the video for an example of how well these work.

I just checked two bags of nuts that I sealed a few days ago, both in new bags. One is still sealed and one is not.

The bags themselves are not the same kind of plastic as other ziploc bags. They are a stiffer and noisier plastic.

I will probably continue to use these for backpacking because you can reclose the bag on the trail. With the power vaccum bags you cant reclose them without the machine, and you have to get out a knife to open them. These solve both of those issues.

For home use, these would be less expensive than buying a power vacuum sealer, but given their success rate at really holding a tight seal, I dont think they are too great.