To use Mylar or not to use Mylar that is the question...

[ComancheSniper]

I read all these threads on mylar bags in 5 gallon buckets.

I just purchased 10 Gamma lids fro my food grade 5 gallon buckets now I am going to put different kinds of food in there.
My question andit may be silly but I'll ask it anyway is this:

If my 5 gallon food grade bucket is airtight with the gamma lid, and I put an Oxygen absorber in there, why do i need the Mylar?

Seems redundant to me but I may be missing something here.

[Allamakee County]

1. Mylar keeps the food from touching the plastic of the bucket. May not matter to you.
2. Mylar collapses close against the food, getting rid of a lot of the air already. The O2 absorber takes care of a lot more of it. So you end up with a lot less air (O2) exposure.

[Allamakee County]

I don't use it on my 3- to 6-month stuff. Just the longer storage stuff.

[ComancheSniper]

Can I just make the bags out of some emergency blankets for a 10th the cost of the prefab bags?

[Allamakee County]

Originally Posted by ComancheSniper

Can I just make the bags out of some emergency blankets for a 10th the cost of the prefab bags?

What's the gauge on the blankets?

[ComancheSniper]

Don't know that. Pretty thin I imagine. i have seen the heavier mylar used in electronics shipments but the emergency blankets are not that thick.

[ComancheSniper]

What will happen if I let my food (lets say pinto beans) touch the plastic. It is dry and devoid of O2 because of the absorbers. Why is this not enough for Really long term storage.

Not to beat a dead horse but I just don't know why.

[tedennis]

I look at it as cheap insurance. If the seal on the bucket fails, you are in big trouble. Cheap insurance. Just ordered 20 more bags for 5 gallon buckets. 2.00 a piece is very reasonable considering your life may be at stake

[ComancheSniper]

Originally Posted by tedennis

I look at it as cheap insurance. If the seal on the bucket fails, you are in big trouble. Cheap insurance. Just ordered 20 more bags for 5 gallon buckets. 2.00 a piece is very reasonable considering your life may be at stake

There is a good point. How do you seal your bags?

[Allamakee County]

Originally Posted by ComancheSniper

There is a good point. How do you seal your bags?

I use my daughter's hair straightener. Don't tell.

[Allamakee County]

Originally Posted by tedennis

I look at it as cheap insurance. If the seal on the bucket fails, you are in big trouble. Cheap insurance. Just ordered 20 more bags for 5 gallon buckets. 2.00 a piece is very reasonable considering your life may be at stake

That's true. Although not having Mylar is not the end of the world (LOL) - in the 1980s, preppers did not have Mylar, and some of THAT stuff is still good to eat.

[TxHills]

Yah, lot's of people use a hair iron. I used my daughter's last time I made buckets....But I started out using an iron. Some pics below, making smaller bags...but same process on larger ones too.. By using mylar in buckets, you also won't have the sides of the bucket "collapse," or the sides sorta cave in a bit.
A link to an album of mine...

http://www.survivalistboards.com/album.php?albumid=1024

Here's a decent link about mylar in buckets...

http://www.frontiersurvival.net/cat-...tructions.html

[hungry hunter]

One quick question: is it ok to use non-food grade buckets w/ mylar bags?

[lildrestl3]

Mylar has a cpl layers.. 1 is like a glue that seals the bag... Blanket prob. won't have that Layer

[ComancheSniper]

OK, just ordered 20 mylar 5 gallon bucket model bags.

Thank you all for your input.

[blocked]

I thought about using my wife's hair straightener, but then thought better of that idea...

I hit goodwill and found one for $2. Now I have my own hair straightener... er, I mean, bag sealer. :-)

[stephpd]

Originally Posted by ComancheSniper

I read all these threads on mylar bags in 5 gallon buckets.

I just purchased 10 Gamma lids fro my food grade 5 gallon buckets now I am going to put different kinds of food in there.
My question andit may be silly but I'll ask it anyway is this:

If my 5 gallon food grade bucket is airtight with the gamma lid, and I put an Oxygen absorber in there, why do i need the Mylar?

Seems redundant to me but I may be missing something here.

What makes you think buckets are air tight? From everything I've read they aren't. Even if you get a good seal on the lid the plastic has a high permeability for air and moisture. (it will leak through the plastic itself.)
http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/it...ISOBOX=1&REC=1
http://www.lyondellbasell.com/techli...%20Barrier.pdf


What makes Mylar bags useful is the low permeability to air and moisture. And the blankets, balloons or other mylar type materials aren't quite the same.
http://www.sorbentsystems.com/mylar.html

Most of the mylar bags for 5 gallon buckets are 4.5 mils and have very low numbers for permeability;
http://sorbentsystems.com/specs/pakvf4.html

WATERVAPOR TRANSMISSION RATE (FED 101)
(routinely measured at .0003 -we certify to .005 maximum)
< 0.005 gr./100in.2 24 hrs.
(.0003 measured)

O2 TRANSMISSION RATE (MOCON)
0.001/cc/m2 /24 hrs.
(0.0006 measured)

Much better then even the 1 gallon bags witch are only 2.5 mils;
http://sorbentsystems.com/specs/pakvf25.html

WATERVAPOR TRANSMISSION RATE (FED 101)

0.05 gr./100in.² 24 hrs.

O2 TRANSMISSION RATE (MOCON) 0.02/cc/m²/24 hrs.


But both of these are far superior to even vacuum bags;
http://www.sorbentsystems.com/barrie...roperties1.htm
http://www.vacmesh.com/specs_chamber_bags.html

[FogofWar]

Anybody know how thick of a bag the hair straighteners or the irons will seal? I was thinking about getting the 7 or more likely the 7.5 mil pail liner bags from Sorbent Systems. Think they would seal those bags?

[hogan646]

Originally Posted by hungry hunter

One quick question: is it ok to use non-food grade buckets w/ mylar bags?

Food grade buckets are preferred, it think for the main reason being for other uses post SHTF. That now empty bucket may now be used for water gathering or foraging for food. It is cheap insurance to pay to have a safe container post SHTF. Just my two cents.

[stephpd]

Originally Posted by hungry hunter

One quick question: is it ok to use non-food grade buckets w/ mylar bags?

Yeah, it's ok.(not a big OK) The buckets are more for keeping out rodents and for easier handling. Back before the Mylar bags I'd say it would be mandatory, but not so much with them.

Granted they shouldn't be used for storing foods or carrying water without some sort of food grade liner.

For me, I bought the cheapest 'Homer' buckets for the food, since getting food grade ones was much more expensive if bought, or very time consuming ($) to find 'free' ones. That and I really wanted to put up a huge amount of food for the least cost.

I do have some, maybe 10, food grade buckets for water and such. As far as when picking food from my fruit trees and veggie garden I tend to use almost anything because it doesn't stay in them long and the food gets washed anyway. I may use some old. previously food grade buckets (they do get kinda dirty over the years), wicker baskets or something from the kitchen, like Tupperware or any old bowl.

Water, for me, only goes in certain food grade buckets that don't get used for anything else.