Peanut Butter & Co.- Make your own squeeze packs?

[Paul Mason]

I came across this recently at Walmart – 68 cents a pack in reg and dark choc.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Peanut-Butter-Co.-Dark-Chocolate-Dreams-Peanut-Butter-1.15-oz/20746458

Does anyone have a suggestion for what you can use for make your own squeeze packs for things like peanut butter? Something that holds 2 – 4oz and you either discard or clean and reuse. I'm thinking for shorter hikes not thru hiking.

I was thinking about those small gylcine bags used for nickle bags back in the day. But I don't know where to buy them and they weren't too durable.

I use a squeeze bottle for Gu – add a 20% water and nothing remains in the bottle. I don't that would work for peanut butter.

[Bob Gross]

The old school solution is a Gerry Tube, but I think other companies make them now.

This is a squeezable clear plastic tube with a cap on one end, and a refilling port on the other end. They hold maybe (?) 10-12 ounces?

The only problems that I remember are these: It takes a minute to clean them out very well since you can't get your whole hand into it. If you leave it out in sunlight for a very long time, the refilling port plastic clip will age and break. Coyotes just love to bite down on them.

We used to carry one with peanut butter, one with margarine, and one with instant coffee. The size makes sense if you have a small group of people. Otherwise, you are better off buying the disposable foil individual packs.

–B.G.–

[Dale Wambaugh]

Coughlans makes reloadable squeeze tubes. We load one with peanut butter and another with jam.

http://www.rei.com/product/696007/coghlans-squeeze-tubes-package-of-2

[Kevin Babione]

+1 on the Coghlan's squeeze tubes…Campmor also sells (for just $0.80) replacement clips for the squeeze tubes. I find that the clips break long before I wear a hole in the side of the tube where it's pinched at the end.

It adds a little weight, but my squeeze tubes go in a quart-sized ziploc of their own. If you are ever unfortunate enough to have one fail in your pack you'd do the same.

[Bob Gross]

"If you are ever unfortunate enough to have one fail in your pack you'd do the same."

Been there. Done that.

We used to wind some duct tape over the plastic clip to keep UV off, but the coyotes go right through that.

–B.G.–

[Paul Mason]

I've researched those. A bit too big for my needs.

Also, some have complained that with some foods, the tubes leak and the clip comes off.

[Paul Mason]

Fyi,
I found these.
http://www.amazon.com/100-Clear-Plastic-Ziplock-Bags/dp/B006ZREJMC/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1358893982&sr=8-12&keywords=2%22+x+4%22+2+mil+Ziplock+Bags

They might work – they come in larger sizes 3"x3" and thicker plastic.

[Dale Wambaugh]

"I've researched those. A bit too big for my needs.

Also, some have complained that with some foods, the tubes leak and the clip comes off."

I've only used them for PNB&J. I wouldn't use them with anything more liquid. Never had a clip issue, but don't over fill them. Some people can't keep their shoelaces tied either :)

As far as size, a pair of scissors will fine tune them to your needs.

You can get food prep squeeze bottles through a commercial restaurant supply and get fixed lids for them. I don't think there is anything much smaller than 8 oz.

http://www.etundra.com/Caps___Accessories-C43366.html

[Diane Pinkers]

If you have a Food Saver, take some of the continuous tube bags. Seal the end, then turn the bag sideways, and seal several channels. Then, load the peanut butter, and seal the tops. Need to make the channels wide enough for easy loading, probably only three or maybe four across. Haven't tried it myself, but a large pastry bag with a large bore tip, or load the peanut butter into a zip-loc bag and snip off one corner, then squeeze into the channels might make for the easiest loading technique.

Someone else on here made their own single-use sunscreen packs that way. Can't remember who, so can't credit with the idea.

[Gary Dunckel]

.

Pick your tube, container, or correct size Foodsaver bag if you want to go that route. If you look around, you can find various sizes of mylar juice containers. Starbucks sells 4.0 oz. Peter Rabbit fruit snacks, which are perfect. The caps are oversized, but I just snip off the silly parts with kitchen scissors.

Find a Monoject 412 irrigating syringe (ask your dentist for a few), and trim the tip with kitchen shears, a scalpel, or a sharp knife. Make the syringe opening as large as you can, but where it still fits into the opening of your container. Walgreen's has something similiar, for dispensing liquid baby medicines. They'll probably give them to you for free.

Warm up the expected amount of peanut butter in your microwave (only the creamy style will work for this technique, by the way).

Remove the plunger from the syringe. Use a Popsicle stick, or a very small butter knife, to fill the syringe. Squirt the peanut butter into the container, shake and tap it on the counter to get the peanut butter to settle to the bottom. This will be a somewhat arduous task, getting the air bubbles out and giving you room to add more peanut butter. I've used a chop stick to force the goo down into the container. You likely will need to rewarm the peanut butter by placing its container in some near-boiling water for a few minutes. Then shake and tamp some more. Eventually, you'll get all the air bubbles out, the container will be full, and you'll have a nice, light container of portable peanut butter.

I don't fully trust these fragile containers, so I place them in a secure pint size Ziplock for transport in my food bag.

It's a sort of messy affair, but you only have to do it once to supply yourself for a season's supply of peanut butter.

[Paul Mason]

Gary – thanks for that lesson – I like those kids fruit bags.

I've also found these

http://www.amazon.com/10-Pack-U-Fill-Snack-Pack-Refillable/dp/B00AMHSR0Q

http://www.littlegreenpouch.com/

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