Cozies and such…new to freezer bag cooking

Some Hardware stores (like the OSH near my home) sell Reflectix by the foot. No need to buy the whole roll.

I have also used the padded mailers that some companies ship small goods in as material for a cozy. Cut to fit a quart-sized Ziplock and tape the edges with some packing tape.

Also, since Mountain House freeze-dried dinners come in lightly insulated foil envelopes that are designed to be employed as "one-time-use" cozies, why not simply reuse a washed out one as a super light and cheap cozy? A person could slip a quart-sized bag of food inside and use it repeatedly, then throw it away at the end of the hike.

Just a thought…

Michael

Michael,
That's a good deal for the Reflectix. I bought a roll and have a life time supply.

Your other comments are certainly worth looking in to.

But, regarding the Mountain House cozy – why "throw it away at the end of the hike"? If it's still in one piece, keep on using it all summer.

I have been re-using Mtn House pouches for a long time. I trim the corners (round off, to be precise) so they're not sharp when stuffing into my pack and they're great for FBC.

Weigh almost nil, too!

Well, I'm really slow in getting back on this :)

The bags that the Packit Gourmet meals are packaged in are safe for 'cooking' in. The old ones weren't but we've updated them so now all of the meals are packaged in the cook-in bags.

We've also added a section to the site under EZ Meal Planning called 'No-Cook Meals':

http://www.packitgourmet.com/NoCook-Meals-c75.html

All of the meals listed here have been tested as cook-in bag meals and include instructions on the package on how to do this sort of cooking. The link listed above will also let you sort the meals by if they need hot or cool water to rehydrate so you'll know if you need to break out a pot. We're still testing some of our meals to see if they'll work when cooked in the bag and we'll be adding them to the list as they're approved.

I can say the Curried Cranberry Couscous salad works perfect in the bags. I just dumped everything in, including the tomatoes/fruit and nuts. Put it in my cozy and ignored for 10 minutes. :-)

Yes, those bags work well – and the smaller two will fit in a cozy perfectly.

"Are your cozies as efficient in retaining heat as the reflectix ones? What kind of material do you use? How does the weight compare?"

— InsulBright is the name of the material you want to use to make a fabric cozy. You can buy it at any JoAnn fabric store for about 6.50 a yard normal price. We make ours with nylon ripstop and and the InsulBright material.

In comparison between the two, each one of them will hold the temp to within a couple of degrees of 160 after ten minutes. So either Reflectix or InsulBright material will work and both have the same efficiency.

The positive thing is that the fabric cozies last longer and are washable. The Reflectix is also washable if made with waterproof aluminum tape but you'll only get about a season out of them. On the other hand, a roll of Refelctix if very useful for other things. Like a wintertime sleeping pad for your dog ;)

Yes, Insul Bright is also breathable as well. This means it can be used in clothing as well. I have used it as a tent liner on the floor as well. Soft, warm and washable.

It is also made in the US as well. When I started producing my FBC cozies back in the day, Insul Bright caught my eye right away as the best insulator. Partly due to how thin/light it is. Bubble wrap works but is bulkier in the pack. For how much we go through of it, it is also a great price – keeping our production prices down – Insul Bright comes in rolls sold wholesale (around 40 yards or so per roll).

The irony is the louder the color, the more popular the cozy is…

That cozy is our all time top seller. You won’t lose it in a pile of leaves to say the least ;-)

I bought one of Sarah's quart freezer bag cozies a couple of years ago and used it daily for months on my PCT thru-hike last year and it's still in excellent shape. And needless to say perhaps, it was perfect for the job. Unless you have ready access to the right kind of material and are handy at sewing and are confident that you can get the proportions correct the first time, IMO the cost to purchase one of these is low enough that I'd just buy one from her.

And her new book when it comes out (I guess it's in final editing stage now?).

Brian, it is ;-)

I use my down hood for the cozy. Works well. I take care to keep food off of it, but with food inside the freezer bag there is little risk of a spill.

Sarah's book is great – I recommend it. I switched to freezer bag cooking a few years ago and find it much more convenient and fuel efficient. Oatmeal with nuts and dried fruit in the morning. Dried vegies, shredded jerky, dried soups, couscous or other grain, and flavorings – in just about any proportion at night.