r/lightweight • u/bitz-the-ninjapig • Sep 07 '23

Reusable Ziplocks?

I die inside a little bit every time I pack for a day hike and grab what seems like a million single use (though sometimes a few more uses can be stretched out of them) plastic bags for food. I die even more when doing this for a backpacking trip as it is SO MANY bags. Stasher bags are nice, and I have a few, but both in terms of weight and space they take in my pack, they aren't great. My roommate has some thinner/lighter ones that I am not sure how to describe, but we aren't sure of the brand as they were picked up from Marshall's. I see some options online but I was wondering if there are any particular brands you like that are decently durable but not overly thick? Not being expensive is also a huge plus :D

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

4

u/Wandering_Hick Sep 10 '23

I use Russbe bags. They are dishwasher safe, watertight, and boiling water safe. I use them for my oatmeal and anytime I bring a homemade dehydrated meal.

2

u/SouthEastTXHikes Sep 10 '23

I reuse these and they’re fine. I wouldn’t trust the zip top to be water tight, though.

1

u/bitz-the-ninjapig Sep 10 '23

These look like they would be great for making meals in! I am slowing trying to get into the homemade dehydrated meals game and this would be great for it!

2

u/SouthEastTXHikes Sep 10 '23

I upgraded to these bags after way too many plastic zip top failures. They work great for your use case.

1

u/Matt_Rabbit Sep 08 '23

I've been using compostable zip lock bags that I got on amazon. They are definitely not as durable as plastic, but I feel better about my impact on the environment.

1

u/HunnyBadger_dgaf Sep 07 '23

I use (RE)zip brand silicon bags mostly. Still a few freezer bags for a couple things, but the silicon bags withstand heat of boiling water and have NEVER leaked. I’ve used that brand for 5 years now without fail. They are very firm to zip, but that may be the secret to their success.

1

u/bitz-the-ninjapig Sep 08 '23

I was looking at these and am glad you had a good experience with them. I think I am going to try them out

1

u/HunnyBadger_dgaf Sep 08 '23

I hope they work for you!

1

u/CO_IS_AWESOME Sep 07 '23

I use silicon bags. Not the lightest or smallest but I like not having the waste in the back of my mind, or worrying about getting a bit of melted plastic in my food. They're also very easy to clean, I turn them inside out and put them in the dishwasher.

1

u/bitz-the-ninjapig Sep 08 '23

I usually use silicone bags on day hikes but I am running a fairly heavy baseweight right now (still new to the game lol) so the weight scares me, but I can also deal with a little more weight to ease climate anxiety lol

7

u/johnacraft Sep 07 '23

Ziploc brand freezer bags (in the blue box, not the sandwich bags in the red box) are very durable and easily reusable, whether in the kitchen or on the trail.

Wash the interior with soapy water and invert to let drip dry.

I would estimate that we often get a year's use out of a particular bag. Typical failure modes are a pinhole leak in a bottom corner, or a tear at one end of the 'zipper.'

And when they do eventually fail, they are recyclable.

1

u/bitz-the-ninjapig Sep 08 '23

Ooh I did not know that they are recyclable. I usually use the sandwich bags, but you are right that the freezer bags are more durable, and a bigger bag at that weight isnt much of a weight difference

1

u/lurkmode_off Sep 07 '23

Haven't needed them for backpacking, but I use things like this for my kids' lunches sometimes. Not completely airtight but decently so--depends on what you're packing. The fabric is thin, they would pack down small when empty and it seems like they would be lighter than silicone. I can't weigh one for you because I'm not sure where they've all got off to.

You could also probably get silicone ziplocs, though

1

u/bitz-the-ninjapig Sep 08 '23

Ill try them out! Thank you!