Best Bags for FBC?

[petemanteau]

I'm hoping to get some of your opinions on what bags are best for FBC. Maybe it's unfounded, but I'm hesitant to use freezer bags due to their not being intended for near boiling temps. I've been using 5-mil zip-seal mylar bags, but they fail too frequently, don't pack well, and aren't the lightest. Those of you who don't use freezer bags for FBC, what type of bags do you use? I'm trying to strike the right balance of strength/weight/packability/potential re-useability/not giving me cancer.

I've thought about zip-top sous vide bags like these Sous Vide Supreme bags. I've also looked at the Ziploc Zip'n Steam bags. Have any of you used these or something similar?

I've considered using a separate prep jar or the like, but currently I'd like to stick with cooking individual meals in their storage bags.

Edit for wrong product name

[Gary Dunckel]

I use the Mountain House ProPak bags, which I save, wash, and repurpose for FBC. The spaghetti and lasagna ones don't clean up well though, with the tomato sauce staining the inside of the bag. They insulate pretty well without a cozy, and they are (apparently) food safe. They are a bit heavier than a Ziploc freezer bag though. I rinse them out as best I can after use in the field, and then place them in their dedicated trash freezer bag to pack out. I get 3-4 uses out of them before the zipper gets funky.

[Philip Tschersich]

Packitgourmet.com has some good supplies: Link

[petemanteau]

Thanks for the idea, Gary. I've never bought any Mountain House meals and prefer to prepare my own meals. So, using them isn't really an option for me. If anyone knew of a supplier that sold the bags (without the food in them), I'd consider it. I saw a post on here that listed a supplier, but you had to order in high quantities at upwards of $200 for the smallest box.

[Lori P]

I pour the meal into a cup or mug to rehydrate it. Not because freezer bags don't work – they don't break down even after I use them a couple times for rehydration- but because it's easier to clean and re-use the bags that way.

[petemanteau]

Thanks, Philip. I've seen those, but haven't bought any yet. Glad to know you think they're good. I was weighing them against the sous vide bags I'd found in terms of packability.

[petemanteau]

Thanks, Lori. I've considered the idea, but right now it's not for me. I just don't want to deal with bringing another piece of gear if a good bag solution can be found, and I don't want to (read: I'm too lazy to) have to clean anything out. If I change my mind about that, then I'd probably just cook in the pot that I use to boil the water in the first place instead of bringing an additional piece of gear.

[Lori P]

I clean them out when I get home and re-use them next trip. Rinsing the cup with a little water is the only washing I am willing to do on any trip.

[Valerie E]

I've used both the Packit Gourmet clear bags and regular Ziploc brand freezer bags for FBC in the field.

Both work very well. I slip them into a cozy to keep the food hottest.

Pros/Cons:

Packit Gourmet are stiffer, more expensive but hardier, must be ordered on line, and come in 3 sizes (of which the largest is only 6 cups, so if you're cooking for 3-4 people, they may be a bit small, depending on what type of food).

Ziploc are very pliable, very cheap, available everywhere, and come in a vast array of sizes/formats, but are not quite as sturdy.

Honestly, you can't really go too far wrong either way.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Ziploc is by far my favorite.

[Jonathan Chin]

I take Nathan Myhrvold's word for it when he says Ziplock (polyethylene) bags are safe:
http://modernistcuisine.com/2013/03/is-it-safe-cook-plastic/

Also, America's Test Kitchen agrees with Sarah:
http://youtu.be/n1Oj8oMFqUY

So I use these, at only 8 cents a piece:

[petemanteau]

Jonathan, thanks for the insight and the links. The "are freezer bags safe for high temps" topic hasn't been easy for me to find reliable material on. Perhaps that means that they're ok, since if they definitely weren't, I'd imagine that info would be out there.

In the meantime, I ordered some Packit bags and sous-vide bags to test out. They're both pricey, which is a major drawback, but if they're strong enough, I hope to get multiple uses out of them. I'll go ahead and throw some of the double zip ziploc freezer bags in the mix. They're certainly significantly cheaper.

I love the ATK test video! I wish they had done some component of their test with heat, though, such as microwaving or sous-vide cooking.

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