# Using and sealing "free" mylar bags.



## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

I saw this video and thought it was clever.

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For those on dial up, the guy in the video is re-usng a mylar bag that contained a small amount of dog food. It has been washed out and he is sealing other items in it. He is using his wife's hair straightener to seal the bag. Mylar bags are being used more and more to contain foods that used to either be in cans or jars. The bags can be reused in this manner.

You could use a vacuum sealer to seal the bags, or you could use an iron over a flat piece of wood.


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## stickinthemud (Sep 10, 2003)

Will aluminized mylar provide EMP protection? I know that the contents have to be insulated from the Faraday cage itself. At the moment my backup radios are packed in a steel ballot box on top of clothing. The ballot slot is covered with a silvery (mylar?) ex-potato chip bag and two cans of Spam. Is that enough protection?
DDs found this post intriguing.


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## demeter (Jul 15, 2010)

Would mylar blankets qualify for making bags?

Demeter


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

stickinthemud, I don't know. 

Demeter, You would have to make one and see if it is air tight. You could do that by blowing it up like a balloon, submerging it in water and watching to see if it leaks.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

Thanks for this tip. I never thought about doing that. I buy coffee beans in mylar bags and have been throwing them away. It's a DUH moment for me.

See what you can learn in your old years? And they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. lol


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

Hubby understands EMP issues better than I do. I just showed him an empty mylar potato chip bag. I asked him if we were to seal electronics in there, would it be protected in an EMP?

He scratched his head and thought about it, and said that he thought so, but would feel better if it was then sealed in a second mylar bag or placed into a metal can with a metal lid.

Some used mylar bags are thicker than others. The chip bags are about as thin as they get.

We also sometimes buy individual margaritas that come from the grocery store in very thick mylar bags, and are put into the freezer to freeze. Went you want to drink them, knead the bag to soften it up, open and pour into a glass. Daly's is one brand. I think Parrot Bay is another. They are quite good.

So I have begun to rinse these bags out thoroughly after use and set them upside down to dry out completely. I don't know what I will store in them yet, but will have them handy when I figure it out.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

What is the oldest mylar bag you've ever reused? I am getting ready to ratate some for that was in mylar maybe 5 years. will they be reusable.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

Squashnut, Look at the bag. If it still looks good and is airtight, I would reuse it. If it looks degraded, I'd get a new one.


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## Diggin-it (Apr 4, 2012)

stickinthemud said:


> Will aluminized mylar provide EMP protection? I know that the contents have to be insulated from the Faraday cage itself. At the moment my backup radios are packed in a steel ballot box on top of clothing. The ballot slot is covered with a silvery (mylar?) ex-potato chip bag and two cans of Spam. Is that enough protection?
> DDs found this post intriguing.


Only a properly built or purchased Faraday cage will protect the electronics inside...only thing mylar would/could provide is moisture protection.

If we are hit with an EMP its game over anyways. You must understand exactly what an EMP does, our Power Grid, and all the Nuclear plants around the country. Unless it is a small localized EMP, the U.S. will make the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear disaster look like an insignificant little radiation release.


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## demeter (Jul 15, 2010)

Thank you, Common Tator.

Demeter


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## Tinga (Jul 24, 2011)

Also for smaller things, Capri-Sun packages will seal. Made of the same stuff and great for bulk drink mixes/sauces and stuff.


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