Years ago, I picked up a heat sealer and a selection of mylar bags in various sizes. One of the ideal uses I found for them was to create small, environmentally-impervious first aid kits that could be slipped into a pack, pocket, or pouch unobtrusively. It worked quite well. So well, in fact, that I loaned out the heat sealer and a supply of bags to someone and…never got it back. I’d remind them periodically about it and they’d ignore me. So…lesson learned. It occurs to me that since I have these new small bags to test out I need to put together another few of those small FAKs to put in them. So..since I’m apparently never getting my other heat sealer back, or being compensated for it, I’ll have to order a new one. So..this arrived today. I still had a stash of bags from my last experiments, so I’m good there although if I need more the go-to guys seem to be Sorbent Systems.
Absolutely you cold do something similar with the vacuum sealer but the bags used for that are, in my opinion, not as durable and rugged as the Mylar. However, if you’re not worried about having difficulty opening a layered package, you could achieve great results by vacuum sealing the contents to reduce space, and then sealing the vacuum sealed package in a mylar pouch for protection. Suspenders and a belt…but if you only have one hand you’re gonna have a heck of a time one-handing your way though all that packaging. Gotta weigh the pros and cons, I suspect.
Anyway, to thats my project for the next couple days – put together a few decent small FAKs and seal them up for carry in the new bags. Nothing fancy, but certainly something more comprehensive than just some bandaids and bactine.
If you use one of the letter openers that has a small steel blade at the base of a slot, you could find an easy way to secure it to the outside of the bag for a quick and safe way to zip that plastic open even with 1 hand.
What holds the bag while Im using the opener?
The infamous MRE “rock or something”
Or your teeth, or a foot, or tuck it under an arm, or your buddy who is there and doesn’t have a knife, or even your hand that isn’t using the cutter.
I’ve had the 12″ version of that for a while, been working like a charm. I’d love to see what you do with it. I haven’t done any fancy kits with mine yet, done a few using vacuum bags but they are all expected to be used in 2-3 years.
Mylar might be more durable and rugged but it also has some serious downsides for this application, including being unable to see the contents. I prefer a combination of ziplock freezer bags and vacuum sealer bags.
Even if you want to seal things, you want some way to protect the unused contents after opening it, so including an empty ziplock in the package might be a good idea.
If double bagging, I also like to put a tiny penlight or cyalume stick and a 99 cent thin plastic poncho inside the outer bag with the sealed IFAK, just in case I end up needing to open the kit in the rain or in the dark. Also a couple of wet wipes or gloves, to clean my hands before I open the IFAK.
The main place where mylar really excels is in protecting grains, beans, and seeds for very long term storage. it not only blocks out light, it also reduces oxygen transfer through the plastic far longer than regular vacuum sealer bags. But it doesn’t vacuum seal quite as well as regular bags so it’s worth using an oxygen absorber packet inside the mylar bag just to be sure.
THe mylar bags I use are the resealable type.
I take it you find this purpose built doo-dad works much better than just using a clothes iron and long, flat piece of metal to do the same task…
That is correct.
re opening a bag, I thought everyone carried a pocketknife.
Barring that, there always seems to be something sharp laying around. I mean, what did you cut yourself with in the first place? 😉
There is a small number of people that I will loan anything to. In the event anyone betrays my trust in them with my stuff, they are removed from the list of people I will loan stuff to. Then I make a voodoo doll in their image and stick needles in the crotch area all throughout the day at random intervals.
Just a helpful hint here. I’ve loaned out way too many things that I’ve never gotten back. Stopped doing that. However…. we could all take a page from the military’s handbook.
When loaning things out, have the recipient sign a hand receipt showing exactly what was borrowed, the cost of it, the date loaned out, and the expected date of return.
You’d be surprised how careful people get. 🙂
I am of the thought that if one needs to get into the bag, they will find a way. I also agree that a pocket knife or a blade of some sort is usually close at hand but, what about those that don’t carry one? Maybe a notch or slit cut in the edge (if that extra material exists alobg the edges of the bag) would make it a bit easier to open even one handed. I do like the suggestion of a empty zip lock style bag inside to reseal the unused contents. All that said, Commander, what do pack in your FAKs? Is it a set list of items for the bags and another setup to where you maybe headed out to at the time?
I really hate doing lists of anything because, ALWAYS, someone chimes in with “But what about….” and “But you need….”. I could literally package an entire hospital into a bag and someone would chime in with “You forgot….”. So, I don’t do lists like that…or, if I do, I give a partial list so that there remains the possibility that what I did not mention is one of the things the critic would have pointed out. Its amazingly irritating and annoying.
I can imagine. Thanks.
Commander, I totally get why you get annoyed if people are snotty about their comments, but lists are really useful for those with less experience in a specific area. I, for one, really appreciate lists and others chiming in with suggestions.
Smaller, personal FAK ideas are exactly what I need right now, so I’d appreciate anyone passing their lists.
Sure I know some basics I’ve included but getting the “small but useful” size is difficult for me.
Bandaids
Antibiotics ointment
Burn Jel (one you advocated)
Benadryl (Topical and tablets)
Aspirin (for potential heart attacks)
Tylenol
Ibuprofen
Alcohol wipes
Medical Gloves
Lighter/firestarting kit
Light source
Say a 4” x 8” kit or smaller
Ideas welcome, especially those who have actually used theirs.
Commander you’ve put out lists before and I very much appreciate them. I’m currently using slider ziplock freezer bags inside my larger first aid kit, but I think the idea of vacuum sealing kits is also a great idea. Especially for car kits or as extra in a pack.
So here’s an up-vote for lists!
“what did you cut yourself with in the first place?”
–bullet fragments? Tree branch? Chainsaw? Windshield?
buy a 10 pack of inexpensive trauma shears and tape one to the outside of each bag? Makes it a bit more unwieldy, but might be worth it.
Or make your own notch? Use a paper hole punch on the edge to create a half round hole, and snip a tiny little cut to start the tear? The vac bags I use all have a wide heat sealed edge where there is plenty of room to try something like that without compromising the seal of the bag.
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I have several things in my bugout bag that are vacuum-sealed; the FAK, a change of clothes, strike-anywhere matches, a small radio, batteries removed, and the like. The sealer will make the change of clothes take up MUCH less space, and the clothes don’t look that bad when you release them, if that’s important to you. Just be aware, folks; vacuum-sealing means that if the bag is breached, whatever’s outside will be sucked inside, so open in a dry location. Other than that, vacuum-sealing is a GREAT idea!
get you a couple extra of the elements, they sometimes don’t last long…have used those in a jail to seal property in semi heavy plastic…
Came w/ extras.
I don’t loan anything to anybody. After not getting my stuff back for over 50 years I finally figured it out. And besides, I’d rather people think that I’m an asshole and be mad than for me to think that they are an asshole and be mad. That puts the burden on them and I can get along without being mad.—ken
Local hardware store sold me a handful of retractable razor knives for a couple of bucks each.
We use the same one at work to seal a hundred or so feed samples per day. Be sure to follow the instructions. Hold down for a couple extra seconds after light goes off for cooling. Prevents tearing the occasional seal.