Zip Locs, Etc.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Hi everyone,

What have you guys found to be the best clear plastic bags for putting swag and log books in? I have previuosly preferred the 1 gal zipper "Zip Loc" for my small ammo cans ,but lately I have noticed the zippers seem to break easily. No problem with the pint and quart size which we use for log books. We were thinking that the zippers can't take too much opening and closing. Are we better off with the kind of bags that you press the edges and forget the z zippers? I know the topic is kinda of lame but please help. Thanks.

[Captain Chaoss]

Actually, not a bad topic at all. Its a great idea to seal things in bags, especially if you live here in the "rain forest" of PA. We've had horrible wet summers for the last 2 years, and the last 3 winters have seen tons of snow. Its almost a given that the cache will get opened in some sort of precipitation, so a nice water proof, see-through bag is great.

 

I've found that the freezer variety of bags hold up the best, since they are thicker for surviving the freezer. As far as the zippers, the plastic tab ones are convenient, but to my impression, not worth it. They do seem to "malfunction" sooner, but I've never really done conclusive testing.

 

Wonder if I could get a government grant to run experiments ?

[+bthomas]

Ziplock observations (for both regular and micro):

 

1. Observed failure modes (in order): Micro bags tear at top corner at the zip track; medium bags are punctured by pen; larger bags w/ slider, slider comes off.

 

1a. Zip track will crimp or foul. Sliders skip at some point. Realistically, slider bags are designed for what 10 unsealings?

 

2. Best to use the heaviest thickness (mil) possible. Freezer grade is good. Thin bags fail by the second rain, and end up trapping moisture and mold. Have we all signed a moldy wet log before?

 

3. Ammo cans don't really need ziplocks; only for organization. In a full ammo can, 1 outta 10 times the bag gets nicked when the lid is hinged shut.

 

4. The pen does not need to go in the zip bag... it will only puncture it at some point. Placing it with the logbook may force it into an awkward position that prevents good container sealing. We all can figure out that the pen is not swag.

[+strikeforce1]

Three words,

 

ZipLock freezer bags.

 

Their heaver, and last lots longer.

SF1

[+briansnat]

I've stopped using Ziploc bags for my ammo can caches (other than a small one for the logbook). The ammo cans are watertight and the only one that I ever had leak was because a Ziploc got caught in the seal.

 

For other containers I like to use either freezer Ziplocs, or I use smaller, 4 mil bags for my decon box hides.

 

I've noticed that the bags with the plastic zipper device tend to stop zipping after a while.

Edited March 7, 2005 by briansnat

[+Joe Smith]

I've noticed that the bags with the plastic zipper device tend to stop zipping after a while.

I finally got the time to clean out the jeep. I decided o use some cheap "slider" bags in the kitchen. After filling 3 of them with spare parts like bulbs, fuses, screws, and the like. not a single one lasted opening and closing five times.

 

 

 

Joe Smith

[+Jamie Z]

Like others said, the freezer bags are the most durable.

 

Also, ammo cans only use the bags for organization, as the can itself is more waterproof than any plastic bag could hope to be.

 

I have found that the zippers on Hefty-brand storage bags works better than Ziploc bags. Ziploc might be fine for the fridge, but Hefty's zippers are larger and less prone to open under pressure.

 

Jamie

[+StarBrand]

Three words,

 

ZipLock freezer bags.

 

Their heaver, and last lots longer.

SF1

Amen - ZipLoc FREEZER bags work best - I use the 1 quart size most often.

[+Sagefox]

Humm... two topics at once with the same subject. In the other one I added: R.E.I. has some very good quality zip bags. Much heavier and better than the common bags. I use them for log books and they held up well even when a couple of my caches got flooded.

 

I second bthomas' comment that pens and pencils don't need to be in the zip lock.

[+Alan2]

If there's enough room in the container, I leave an empty freezer zip lock or double up on a bag. Splitting the swag among bags also leaves "backup".

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I think we will lose the zipper types and go with the zip loc freezer. By the way, I know that ammo cans are water proof but using a baggie inside helps keep things organized and give a little added protection. As to the points of pens and pencils poking a hole in the baggie, we use a pencil that has an eraser on one end and a lead tip that comes apart and is reversed and pushed into the plastic eraser end. As a backup to the pencil, we use a retractable ball point. No problems with holes in the baggie. Thanks.

Edited March 9, 2005 by Konnarock Kid & Marge

[+sbell111]

...As to the points of pens and pencils poking a hole in the baggie, we use a pencil that has an eraser on one end and a lead tip that comes apart and is reversed and pushed into the plastic eraser end. As a backup to the pencil, we use a retractable ball point. No problems with holes in the baggie. Thanks.

Trust me on this one thing. If you put the pencil or pen in the baggie, people will skewer the baggie with it. They will not reverse the lead tip on the pencil, nor will they retract the ballpoint of the pen.

[+clearpath]

Trust me on this one thing.  If you put the pencil or pen in the baggie, people will skewer the baggie with it.  They will not reverse the lead tip on the pencil, nor will they retract the ballpoint of the pen.

Agreed ... I wonder if a ziploc with a few pencil holes is better than no ziploc at all?

[+Xangxa]

On my last trip to Wal-Mart I saw that the Ziploc brand has a new and improved freezer bag. So now there is a freezer version with even thicker sides. I bough a box of the quart size. I've been using one for a week and have used the zipper a dozen times so far with no failure, so hopefully the zipper design is improved as well.

[jdoe]

4. The pen does not need to go in the zip bag... it will only puncture it at some point. Placing it with the logbook may force it into an awkward position that prevents good container sealing. We all can figure out that the pen is not swag.

YES! I totally agree! I know it is nice and convient to put the pen in with the logbook, but I agree on many occasions bags tend to get holes from the pen.

[+Xangxa]

On my last trip to Wal-Mart I saw that the Ziploc brand has a new and improved freezer bag. So now there is a freezer version with even thicker sides. I bough a box of the quart size. I've been using one for a week and have used the zipper a dozen times so far with no failure, so hopefully the zipper design is improved as well.

Sorry, I double-checked and the brand is HEFTY.

[HARVEY-ETC]

I use Ziploc Freezer bags in my ammo can as well. The only reason I use them is because I keep a lot of BookCrossing books in my cache (GCMVQQ - Biblio Files) and my hope is that even thought the ammo can is pretty well sealed, that the baggies will keep the books from getting musty and stuff.

 

My $0.02