Gamma Seal Lids and Mylar Bags...do you need both?

[Spamity Calamity]

Ok Im confused. I bought 20 pounds of Rice, 20 pounds of Pinto Beans and some flour. Its a meager start but we all need to start somewhere right. I went down to Home Depot and bought their Orange Homer buckets. They were on sale for 2 dollars and some change. I did not buy lids because I thought you were supposed to get the Gamma Seal Lids. But after some reading the bucket is really just to protect the mylar. So whats the point of spending seven dollars on a Gamma Seal Lid? Or is it the case where you either use mylar or a gamma seal lid?

[Beetle]

I believe the idea is for easy access after you have opened the Mylar bag. You can just open a lid instead of resealing if you are using it again. Try and get free buckets w/ lids from bakery's to save money, they work the exact same....

[Beetle]

Check out this guy's video he does a great job explaining it...   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW7_cTn6YpE&feature=related

[Spamity Calamity]

Ah I see now. I know when I was typing out the question I was asking a dumb noob question. Oh well. I watched all three parts and I think its odd that guy never mentions freezing your grain which seems like a simple thing to do to prevent bugs. He mentions buying your food in the winter after a few frosts but never just throwing it in the freezer for a couple days. Also, I dont know about using grain that was intended for animals such as in that video. I would prefer storing food intended for human consumption. But all in all I understand how it works much better now thank you.

[Beetle]

I put my rice in a bag and just keep it in the freezer...

[CT9A]

I use both, vacuum sealed bags inside of a gamma lid sealed bucket.  Maybe redundant, but so be it.

[19kilo]

I put my rice in a bag and just keep it in the freezer...

I do that for about a week then I move it buckets.  I keep about 120 lbs at home.   It seems like alot but I eat quite a bit of it.  I do the same with my wheat and flour to.

[Zombie Axe]

I use the mylar bags inside of food grade buckets along with o2 absorbers. Cheap insurance IMHO. I don't use the gamma seals on all buckets, just the newly opened ones of each type...

[Zombie Axe]

Meant to add this in my origional post. I don't mylar bag the stuff I am using before a year, just the longer term stuff.

[Spamity Calamity]

Meant to add this in my origional post. I don't mylar bag the stuff I am using before a year, just the longer term stuff.

Ahhhh that puts things into perspective. Great. Well Ive ordered six 5 gallon mylar bags and enough oxygen absorbers to provide 1500ccs per bag. This will be my first goal is to have six five gallon buckets of pinto beans, rice, flour, and pasta. I know I will feel much better knowing I have atleast a little bit of food on hand.

[Spamity Calamity]

Next question. You guys that freeze everything do you freeze EVERYTHING? Not just rice and beans but also the flour, pasta, quaker oats etc? I ask because I was packing stuff into the deep freezer to freeze before I sealed it and I didnt know if I was supposed to freeze everything including the bags of flour and macaroni.

[19kilo]

I freeze everything but the pasta.  Unless someone here tells me that they have had some issue with pasta bugs I just do the flour rice and beans. 

[tash]

I freeze everything but the pasta.  Unless someone here tells me that they have had some issue with pasta bugs I just do the flour rice and beans. 

that's always been my thoughts and understanding. I've not heard of anything pasta related.

Also, I'd buy 2 or 3 gamma lids. Once you need to get into your food daily a gamma lid would be really useful. Once that bucket's done but the gamma lid on the next bucket.

[Spamity Calamity]

I freeze everything but the pasta.  Unless someone here tells me that they have had some issue with pasta bugs I just do the flour rice and beans. 

that's always been my thoughts and understanding. I've not heard of anything pasta related.

Also, I'd buy 2 or 3 gamma lids. Once you need to get into your food daily a gamma lid would be really useful. Once that bucket's done but the gamma lid on the next bucket.

Sounds good Ill prolly do that.

[Lowdown3]

www.bucketpacking.com

www.howtopackfood.com

Two good resources from folks that have been packing and storing food for over 20 years.

[Spamity Calamity]

www.bucketpacking.com

www.howtopackfood.com

Two good resources from folks that have been packing and storing food for over 20 years.

Thx for the linkies. The video has already been linked to ealrier in the thread and I watched that guys instructions. I have a few issues with that video which I posted earlier but all in all it was useful for getting the overall idea.

also update!!! I have successfully stored 60 pounds of beans, 60 pounds of rice, and 50 pounds of flour in mylar and home depot orange buckets with O2 absorbers! I used a hair straigtener to seal the bags which works awesome for the task. It feels good to set a goal and reach it and the peace of mind has actually made me feel a little calmer and more in control of my life if that sounds weird Im sorry. I ordered enough materials to pack another 6 buckets and this time Im thinking, macaroni, powdered milk, potato flakes, oatmeal and what else?

PS sorry I would like to show off my handiwork but we have no digital camera right now

[Heavy G]

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[Morning Sunshine]

I have gamma seals for every type of bucket I have: sugar, each type of grain, each type of bean, etc.  I have 2-3 buckets of each, so I only need one per type.  This is about 20 different types of stuff being stored (hey - I do not want to get bored of black beans and rice, okay?)  Unfortunately, gamma seals only come in 6 colors.  soooo.......
I have mixed them up.  All my beans/legumes have a blue ring, and the screw one/off lid part is different - black for black beans, white for white, yellow for lentils, red for kidney, orange of pinto, etc.  All of my flours have black bases, my whole grains have red or yellow bases and my rices have orange bases.  That way I can see at a glance which bucket I want to open instead of twisting the bucket this way and that trying to read the label on the side.
I keep my "open" buckets in one room of the house with the rest of my food storage items (used often "pantry" items) and the sealed buckets in another room where it is cooler (and more storage space!).

My mylar bag stored food will probably not be opened for rotation until I have rotated everything else a few times.

[Spamity Calamity]

I have gamma seals for every type of bucket I have: sugar, each type of grain, each type of bean, etc.  I have 2-3 buckets of each, so I only need one per type.  This is about 20 different types of stuff being stored (hey - I do not want to get bored of black beans and rice, okay?)  Unfortunately, gamma seals only come in 6 colors.  soooo.......
I have mixed them up.  All my beans/legumes have a blue ring, and the screw one/off lid part is different - black for black beans, white for white, yellow for lentils, red for kidney, orange of pinto, etc.  All of my flours have black bases, my whole grains have red or yellow bases and my rices have orange bases.  That way I can see at a glance which bucket I want to open instead of twisting the bucket this way and that trying to read the label on the side.
I keep my "open" buckets in one room of the house with the rest of my food storage items (used often "pantry" items) and the sealed buckets in another room where it is cooler (and more storage space!).

My mylar bag stored food will probably not be opened for rotation until I have rotated everything else a few times.

Nice! Now thats a great way to make your own labeling system.

[ozzy88m]

 Does anyone know where can i find some gamma seal lids at a cheap price, my locale home depot and lowes don't carry them.

[Spamity Calamity]

Does anyone know where can i find some gamma seal lids at a cheap price, my locale home depot and lowes don't carry them.

There was a sale on them at sportsmans guide a while ago they were five and some change a piece. Might wanna check there.

[archer]

Does anyone know where can i find some gamma seal lids at a cheap price, my locale home depot and lowes don't carry them.

beprepared.com and sportsmansguide.com are the only places that I know that have decent prices.