Secret Weapon - Not what you think it is!

It’s a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Model# V3820

My Secret Weapon is not what you think it is! It’s a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Model# V3820. Yes, I know you think that’s a bit strange, but read on.

There are many schools of thought about what the perfect survival tools is. Some people advocate fire starters, and some advocate for water purifiers. Axes, guns, paracord, and the ubiquitous Leatherman tool are also on that list.

But in some respects, I think my FoodSaver is one of the most critical pre-survival tools that money can buy.

Disclaimer: I use the phrase FoodSaver as the generic name for any vacuum sealer on the market, no different than how I use the phrase Kleenex as the generic name for facial tissue. I do not have affiliation rights to any named products in any of my posts.

So, having the ability to vacuum seal things into a waterproof, air-tight, flexible material is a huge plus. Packing stuff into a vacuum-sealed bag reduces the space that it takes up by up to 50% with almost zero weight increase. Vacuum packing seals the dry from the liquids and stops the liquids from getting into the dry stuff. It preserves food and increases shelf life. Trust me, life takes a serious turn to WTF when your only roll of toilet paper gets wet from the river crossing that you had to do.

You can use it to vacuum seal foods when preparing a food cache or putting emergency bars into a BOB or GOTO bag. You can waterproof socks and toilet paper. You can seal and protect paper maps. You can reduce the size of fire starter tinder and guarantee it to be waterproof. Works wonderfully for spices and things like tea bags, bouillon cubes, etc.

If you can’t afford to buy one, then you can use a straw, inserted into the corner of a Ziplock bag to suck the air out as best as you can to help reduce the air trapped into your package. Not as good as the vacuum sealer, but better than nothing.