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Hi Kurt,<BR>I love my vacuum sealer. The main reasons I like it include:<BR>- reduces bulk<BR>- lets me pack cheese, olive oil and other possible perishables<BR>- single serving sizes that fit MY choice of serving size<BR>- No clean up - I cut open the bag, add boiling water, roll the top down and clip while the food reconstitutes, eat out of the bag.<BR>- no critter attraction - no scent out of these bags and I've NEVER had critters nibble through. Also never had them rip in my pack.<BR> <BR>I have a FoodSaver brand and it's been great. At one point I got a FreshLock brand as a gift, I still have it but I never use it. The FreshLock bags are wimpy and have ripped in my pack. The FoodSaver bags are indestructable.<BR> <BR>What I hear from others who don't like this method is that a) they don't know how much they will want to eat, so single servings don't work; b) they don't make full meals like I do, instead just dry maybe part of their meal; c) the bags are not reusable ON TRAIL (they certainly can be reused, however it's impractical on a long distance hike to ship home used bags); d) it's more expensive than zip locks.<BR> <BR>Roberta<BR> <BR>-------<BR> <BR>I am contemplating buying a vacuum sealer (like <BR>the Rival Seal-a-Meal) to repackage dried meal <BR>components. I would appreciate anyone with <BR>experience in doing this to post tips, <BR>suggestions, etc. I have been using a non-vacuum <BR>sealer for many years to good effect, though the <BR>vacuum method looks superior on paper.<BR><BR>Thanks . . . Kurt<BR><BR>Kurt P. Herzog<BR>Grants Pass, Oregon <BR><BR><br /><hr />Need to know the score, the latest news, or you need your HotmailŪ-get your "fix". <a href='http://www.msnmobilefix.com/Default.aspx' target='_new'>Check it out.</a></body>
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