There's a big difference between planning for long term storage and planning to ride out 1-4 weeks that a disaster may have things down/grocery stores empty. There's merit in both, but you're prepping for a certain event. My advice would be to start off with the easiest bit of long term prepping to start and then get into event specific.

First, go to Sam's Club or Costco. They sell rice in 50lb sacks. Buy two of those, then get 3 five gallon food grade buckets. Then get some mylar bags and O2 absorbers. Put the bag in the bucket, fill it with rice, toss an O2 absorber or two in, seal with an iron and a ruler (youtube this for a guide), and seal with a lid that has a water proof ring. That's 100 lbs of rice put up properly. 160,000 calories. It will neatly fit into the three buckets. Whether there's a hurricane next year or in ten, it will be there for you. Good for 30+ years.

That done, rather than get into MRE's or Mountain House ($$$) for hurricane prep, honestly... the best way to go is a well stocked pantry and a little creativity. Rice makes a great base for other things to flavor. Cans of soup, for example, run 180-400ish calories. Dump it over a 1-2 cups of cooked white rice though, and you boost it by 200-400 calories. And having soups and such is great, but you can also have things like refried beans, nacho cheese, baked beans, white potatoes, chick peas, chili with beans, etc. And to save money, don't buy those in normal sized cans. Go to a restaurant supply store or even Sams/Costco and get the #10 cans of the stuff. Then add in Velveeta cheese, crackers, noodles, peanut butter/jelly, canned vegetables/fruit, pasta/sauce, salsa, canned beans, canned fruit, seasonings, canned meat, oatmeal, etc. and think through creative ways to use them. Almost all of those are shelf stable for well over a year barring maybe the crackers. Also, they're all foods that you can use normally throughout the year, so once you have them just rotate and replace as needed.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Then, when you're looking at how much you need to set aside, plan out dinners only for the number of days you want to be prepped for. 14? Alright.

• So day 1 is spaghetti. Easy. Boil noodles, dump sauce, done. Want to make it a little more fancy? Heat the sauce up separately and add in some canned meat.
  
  
• Day 2 is a #10 can of Stew with rice. Cook the rice, heat the stew, serve. Depending on how much everyone eats this may cover lunch and dinner.
  
  
• Day 3 is Alfredo Chicken and Noodles. Boil the noodles, add jarred Alfredo sauce and canned chicken.
  
  
• Day 4, instant tacos! Taco shells or wraps, refried beans as a base, a bit of canned meat (like chicken), jarred queso or the #10 can of nacho cheese, jarred salsa.
  
  
• Day 5 you crack open that can of white potatoes and toast them up a bit in the skillet. Then slice and crisp up a couple of tinned hams.
  
  
• Day 6 is rice and soup for dinner. Everyone picks their favorite can and pours it over their rice.
  
  
• Day 7, Fried Rice and Spam! Yeah, it might not be restaurant quality fried rice, but crack open a can of veggies and a bottle of Soy and it'll taste fine. Want to kick it up a notch? Try adding some of this to it. It adds a really nice flavor. Toast up the Spam and enjoy.
  
  
• Day 8, Rice with Chili. Another easy meal that should stretch pretty far out of a #10 can.
  
  
• Beyond that, either repeat the previous days or continue getting creative.
  
  ---------------------------------
  
  So that's dinner knocked out which is what the primary planning and where the bulk daily calorie intake should be, and that would be the big meal of the day that you really want to plan out. Breakfast and lunch can be winged a bit.
  
  
• If you have bread, peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches are always good.
  
  
• Velveeta cheese on crackers, maybe with a bit of refried beans and a dab of salsa sounds tasty.
  
  
• Oatmeal for breakfast can be flavored a lot of different ways for variety and is another great place to use some canned fruit or pie filling.
  
  
• Rice Pudding is very doable over an outdoor fire with a can of condensed milk. It'd be a tasty breakfast as well.
  
  
• Baked Beans and fried Spam could be a decent lunch.
  
  
• Packs of instant mashed potatoes from Aldi are pretty good and just require hot water. You can make potato pancakes from them pretty easily.
  
  
• Supplement with snack packs, fresh fruit, baked potatoes, energy bars, etc. Whatever you have on hand.
  
  -------------------------------------
  
  Ideally, with a way to heat food, a calorie buffer like rice, a well stocked pantry, and a little bulk planning for the giant cans o' food, it shouldn't even need to feel like full on survivor mode. You won't have access to fresh meat after the first few days, sure, but you can easily make do with canned stuff for a good while.
  
  Hope that helps.

Hey everyone, I cringe when I see the cost vs contents of most first aid kits on the market. Too much unnecessary stuff and only the highest priced kits have clotting powder, which I’ve used on the trail for controlling bleeding with large abrasions and deep or tangential lacerations. I put together my suggestions, with an eye toward maximizing usefulness and minimizing per unit cost. IMO this is superior to most kits costing 2-3x more. Light enough for the discernible backpacker, but makes a great gift for family and friends to throw in the car pocket, the boat, ATV, or carry along to kids sporting events. Feel free to add, subtract or substitute to customize your own.

Ever-Ready First Aid Adhesives, assorted sizes, 280ct $6.95 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0179S0IAW
Self explanatory, enough for 2-3 of each size per DIY kit.

Vakly Stretch Gauze: 12 pk 4” x 4yds $7.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTQFPA6
1 pk per kit and 4 left over for the home medicine cabinet.

McKesson individually wrapped sterile gauze pads: 50ct $5.17 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C5P9J8
6 per kit, throw them in a ziploc baggie to protect against moisture.

Woundseal clotting powder: 20 pkts $28.06 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RUJXR6
Remember that compression alone, when done properly, effectively controls most bleeding. But when a member of your group is on aspirin or other blood thinners, or sustains a nasty cut that won’t stop bleeding, this stuff is awesome.

3M Duct tape: 1.88in x 30yds $3.89 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013B1XHE
Countless uses for the backpacker / camper, from tourniquet, fracture splinting, reinforcement of wound dressings, fashioning a moleskin barrier for blisters, not to mention tent, pack or sleeping bag repair. Grab a few extra straws from your local fast food joint, trim them to 2 inches, then roll up 4 to 6ft lengths of duct tape around the straw. The straw in the middle doubles as a pocket billows for fire starting.

Rensow white petroleum jelly 5gms, 144 pkts: $24.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KAGT85M
Lip balm, burn treatment, also apply to rashes, blisters and abrasions to keep gauze from adhering. Doubles as an excellent fire accelerant for bushcrafting. I squeeze some on a cotton ball to use with my tender for catching a spark.

Kirkland anti-diarrheal (loperamide) tablets: 400ct $9.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EXPY004
Put 12 per kit and keep the rest for that week-old lasagna that you should have thrown out.

Ibuprofen 200mg tabs: 2x500ct $3.93 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P1NJAJS
Put at least 40 per kit as this is likely to be the first supply used.

Diphenhydramine capsules 25mg, 100ct : $4.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00080CKDW
Useful for allergies, insect stings, contact dermatitis, and doubles as a sleep aid for those restless nights in the hammock. 12 per kit should do.

Triple antibiotic ointment 0.5oz 144 pkts: $12.18 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H2T9K3K
6 to 8 per kit should do, and keep the rest for replen.

Ziplock snack bags, 40ct (for storing meds): $2.73 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U9ZFFCY
Please clearly label each baggie using an indelible marker with name of med, adult dose and expiration date. Pediatric dose optional. Individual “gas station” packets are much more expensive but if routinely carried in vehicle this may be a consideration (law enforcement doesn’t like unlabeled pills floating around in baggies).

First Aid Bags (empty), Alazco, 8 bags $32.82 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182MQ4MU
Highly optional but nice for making your kit look pretty if you’re giving these away as gifts. I double wrap mine in gallon ziploc bags for moisture control.

A printable first aid primer: https://s3.amazonaws.com/yohsresourcelibrary/First+Aid+Quick+Guide.pdf
Certainly not a comprehensive guide, but has some key information like helpful reminders on how to properly perform CPR on kiddos and babies 👶.

Overly detailed, but what the hell. Gotta do something during the stoppages of the Olympic women's gold medal game:

tldr:The general idea is that you rehydrate your food with boiling water in a ziploc freezer bag.

We did about half our meals ahead, mailed by my sister-in-law. These were prepared using ingredients from a grocery store, from a chinatown grocery(optional, but added a lot of variety), from Amazon (cheaper, plus dehydrated refried beans are great), dehydrated veggies and instant lentils from HarmonyHouse.com, and bolstered by minimus.biz who sells individual condiment and salad dressing packets. Dinners were delicious and took shape with a general formula of adding all the dry stuff to the bag and then including a protein (Salami, Pepperoni, Tuna packet, chicken packet) in the box and 1.5 oz of oil per dinner in a 8 oz poland spring water bottle per box.

Dry stuff would usually be: Fast Hydrating Carb (Ramen, Couscous, Angel Hair Pasta, Instant Rice, Instant Mashed Potatoes)+flavor veggies (dried onion, dried garlic, dried mushrooms, tomato powder, etc.) nutrition veggies (dried spinach, broccoli, etc.)+spices/herbs+bullion or cheese powder (sometimes).

Based on the quantity of the carb plus some fudge extra for the dried veggies I'd write how much water.

I aimed for ~1,000 calories per dinner. Which is high compared to literally everyone else but I eat a ton while hiking and like dinner. It was never a problem. My wife went for ~600.

Include a few extra empty bags with each box because occasionally a sharp rice grain or noodle would poke a hole.

Once the boiled water is added to the bag it all goes into this for about 10 minutes, rotating/massaging once or twice, before eating: https://sectionhiker.com/diy-freezer-bag-cooking-cozy/

Eating is done with a long handled spoon.

Out water quantity expectation ended up being about 1/4 cup less than ideal, which we figured out pretty quickly.

Note that a freezer bag is a specific model line of Ziploc bags that is a thicker plastic. Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Quart-Freezer-Bags-54-Count/dp/B003GVGZTU Only use these. The thinner plastic of standard bags will get holes too easily.

Also note that if you do angel hair, which was my favorite carb option, you need one freezer bag for the pasta and a separate small baggie of the seasonings and veggies so that you can add water to the pasta, let it sit for 5 minutes, drain half-ish of the water, then add the seasoning baggie to the now cooked pasta baggie then wait another 8ish minutes. Erring on the side of more soupy.

That was the prepared in advance method, and those dinners were really good. I looked forward to them every day. The best days were when we were able to do a planned 5 day section in 4 days so I would have the extra dinner for lunch.

For the other half of the dinners, we would do in-town resupply at the places with decent options. It was nice to mix it up and avoid flavors I was a bit sick of from the boxes. We would do a toned down version of the above, normally doing e.g. pasta+pepperoni+sundried tomatoes in oil. rather than pasta+pepperoni+tomato powder+oregano/parsley/basil+dried onions/garlic in our home resupply boxes. Also, the preseasoned packaged options like Knors rice sides or Near East couscous worked well and are easy. After the first month, I started carrying a small spice kit of Sesame oil (calories+flavor), Montreal Steak Seasoning, and Italian Herb Seasoning. That helped my in-town meals to be a bit less bland.

Clean up is so easy. Your pot is not dirty because it was just water and the zip-loc becomes your trash bag. Lick spoon clean.

Now I am hungry.

Anything super perishable and that can be frozen, can be stored with dry ice. If you use a smaller cooler, and rarely open it, it will keep a good long time, frozen solid. We had frozen bacon in a cooler last year that stayed frozen until at least thursday with dry ice. No real special handling other than not opening that cooler.

Most things can just be stored in a cooler with ice. Maintain the ice, keep it stocked up, and you'll be fine. Do not let food items get wet, keep them in zip lock bags. Keeping your ice in large zip locks is a good idea too, as it can be used as potable water when it melts. Ice melt in a cooler is nasty stuff.

I don't see why you couldn't wash and dry quinoa. I have no experience there, but a good washing and some time in an oven should get it bone dry. Bag it and keep it cool.

Veggies will be fine. Try to wash them before hand, put into ziplocks and keep cool. Onions and tomatoes wouldn't need to be kept on ice, just kept out of the sun and kept cool. Put on ice if really needed. Cucumbers should be fine for the week in a cooler. Lettuce will be fine as well. Store unlike veggies in separate containers, as they ripen at different rates.

Really you should be fine, if you have good cooler management. Keep them off the ground and in the shade. You can wrap them in reflectix as well, this will add a bit of insulation to them. Make sure they close well, don't leave open or cracked. Keep frequently opened coolers (drinks, stuff like that) separate from storage coolers.

I really need to write up a blog post about this, but I have a super easy way to store hops vacuum sealed. This short of it is:

1. This guy for the little hand vacuum pump.
   
   
2. The FoodSaver regular mouth jar sealer attachment.
   
   
3. A set of quart mason jars.
   
   Put the hops in the jar, attach the lid and jar sealer, hold the hand pump over the sealer hole, and pump for about 15 seconds. The jar should now have an air-tight seal, just toss it in the freezer and enjoy fresh hops year 'round. 1 quart holds ~0.5 lbs of pellet hops.
   
   The benefit of this method is that you don't have to shell out ~$100+ for a FoodSaver + attachments. If you already have mason jars you'll only need the hand pump and attachment, which will run you ~$15.

When I was in Paris a few years ago, I remember that food and drinks could get pretty expensive. Sit-down restaurants cost at least $20 per dish and drinks were another $10. You can usually get pretty cheap meals from grab-and-go places, though. I'm sure this is the same for the other cities.

I recommend buying a travel book, like "Let's Go." I like this travel guide because it caters to younger people traveling on a budget. For every city, it lists cheap options for hostels, restaurants, and clubs/bars.

Make sure you're aware of the tipping policies for restaurants, and also know what is included with your meal. For example, I think tip is included in France and the tap water is free. The opposite is true in Germany, though.

I recommend getting a traveling backpack for your trip, instead of a suitcase. Backpacks are easier to transport, especially if you'll be getting on and off trains. REI has several good options. For me, a 40L pack was sufficient for a 2-week trip.

Since you'll be traveling for a couple weeks, I recommend getting some large Ziploc bags for your clothes. You can squeeze the air out of these bags and significantly compress the volume of your clothes. I used these for the first time this past summer, and they were great. They enabled me to bring a lot more clothes :)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003U6A3C6

My overall recommendation would be to try and not worry too much about money while you're in Europe. You're young and you'll work the rest of your life to make money :)

Okay, I'm going to try and keep it manageable.

If you live in an apartment, you need to tell the super if only because you risk them going into other places and reinfesting.

There are kits you can buy, though just be sure anything you buy also has a sprayer of some kind if it's mixed

If a kit doesn't have encasements you should order those on amazon.

That said, here are some steps:

Wash and machine dry everything you own, and put them in these or these. Don't be stingy on this, buy 2-3 of them. Make outfits for work and home and organize them bag by bag. Lets call this 25 dollars.

Do this with your linens, pillow cases, and pillows. If your bedsheets are not light colored and plain, then buy some light colored plain ones. White is good, a little off white is best as nymphs can appear white if they haven't eaten, eggs too. Wash your linens every 4 days or so.

Buy mattress encasements for your bed AND your box spring. Measure both to make sure you don't buy one that's too big, the snugger the fit the better. Do not go too cheap on this, look at the reviews. A good one will have not only a zipper but a folding flap to secure it. Lets call this 60 bucks. Once on, never remove the encasement without a PCO telling you to. Do not try to make your own, it never works out well. Important note, do NOT under any circumstance have any kind of bed skirt or blanket that's so large it touches the floor easily. You're going to want to make it so the bugs have to crawl up the legs so they die on the cimexa.

If you do not have an iron/steel bed frame, I recommend getting the cheapest one you can find.

Clean everything off the floor, make sure no furniture is touching any other furniture or the wall. If you can't do that, you need to lose some stuff. Believe me it's worth it.

Vacuum daily if you can, and immediately toss out whatever you vacuum up in whatever trash is outside. Do not keep it inside. I wouldn't recommend vacuuming less than every other day. Vacuum early in the morning if at all possible.

Buy interceptors. These babies are pricey unfortunately. but a 12 pack should be good for a bed and something else. That's about 40. Make sure whatever bed post you have will fit in them, they're not the widest.

Buy two cans of bedlam plus. Spray it along each joint and crevice in all the furniture after you've emptied it out. Do not use over the counter sprays, they're almost always things bed bugs are already resistant to.

Buy two bottles of Cimexa and a bellows. Apply the cimexa on the perimeter of every piece of furniture that is on the floor as well as along the wall of the room. Unscrew every outlet and switch cover and put it there as well. Don't go overboard, less is more. This will be about 40 total for the set. I recommend spraying the legs of your chairs. Make sure to cover your face while you're doing this. Cimexa will kill them if they crawl over it, however if it's clumped up in big piles they'll walk around it because they don't like it.

Do NOT switch where you sleep. They'll follow you and spread to other parts of where you live. You're live bait. It sucks, but having them come to where you're sleeping is the best way to kill them. You want them feeling safe and secure as they walk over the poisons and cimexa you've laid out.

You'll be living out of bags for a long long time, so get used to it. I recommend scheduling something you enjoy every week to keep your sanity and have something to look forward to.

Whatever you do, do NOT buy a bed bug bomb. It will scatter them and make them harder to clear.

Nothing goes on the bed unless it's sterile, and nothing leaves the bed without being washed and dried ASAP.

I wouldn't call myself a cook by any means. Give me a stove, pan, and I'll show you some burnt food ;) I got in to sous vide cooking to take the guess work out cooking. It was one of the best decisions I've made this year. I can cook steak to a perfect 134 degree medium rare steak through and through, it's amazing. Chicken also a favorite of mine too, it comes out so tender and juicy and it just falls apart on your fork.


If anyone's interested in a diy setup on the cheap just buy [ziploc vacuum pump kit]{http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370916055&sr=8-1&keywords=ziploc+vacuum+pump} for 5 bucks. Then get any old thermos ice chest, they work amazing at holding in heat. Just fill the thermos to the desired temp (140 med) water, then check it every 10 minutes or so and add hot water if needed. After 1 hour of cooking you'll have an amazingly tender perfectly cooked steak. Also it doesn't hurt to smoke while your waiting for it cook :)

google around there's a bunch of DIY guides and they'll list cooking time and temps.

Now, to follow up. If all you want to do is store your headphones, but don't have the original box (or feel that dealing with the box is a pain, which I think it is), you have some options but overall its a simple matter of storage rather than display with this stuff. I err on the side of caution and like to use water/air-tight containers and such for things that are expensive and don't like water. Because, you know, bad stuff happens. Flooding, roof leaks, smoke damage. It's one less thing to worry about.

Bags - Little or no protection against impact or crushing, but cheap and easily accessible.

• Ziploc 1 Gallon bags - Classic, cheap, available everywhere. I always go with the super-thick 1 gallon bags with the little plastic external zipper pull. They last for an eternity and are easy to open and close. Also, waterproof and transparent so you can see which pair is inside. If all you want is a bag, go this route ($2).
  
  
• SealLine Padded Storm Sack - This is the next step up from those Ziplocs. Padded, waterproof, and durable. I really like these, not just for headphone storage, but for storing any electronic or fragile devices. For headphones like Grado SR-series, buy the medium size. For stuff like Sennheiser HD-series or Audio Technica ATH-series, buy the large size ($15-$30).
  
  Rigid Containers - Much better protection, mediocre accessibility, sizing can be an issue, and the sky is the limit on price.
  
  
• Air-tight Oxo/Tupperware/etc Containers - That's just one example, but is very similar to what I have used in the past. If you're hitting your local store, bring your headphones with you to make sure the size is correct. If you're lucky, you can find the clamp-down lid product like the one I linked. Stacking versions are also available. Most of these are transparent, which is useful. Oxo makes polycarbonate ones that are crysal clear ($5-$15+).
  
  
• Pelican 1400-series Case - If you're talking long-term storage of several sets of expensive headphones, well, this is a good product to start with. The 1500 series is a little too shallow, in my opinion. Start with the 1600 and move up. Practically invincible exterior, waterproof, foam-filled. You really get what you pay for with Pelican products ($150+).

I bought a ton of hops and have no idea how I will ever get through them unless I make a ton of big IPAs. On hand, I have 1 pound of centennial, columbus, and belma. About 14 ounces of cascade. Maybe 2 ounces of citra, and 4 of simcoe. They take up a lot of room, but not THAT much room. In my side-by-side fridge, they take up maybe a shelf. The centennial are whole hops and are like 2x the size, so you have to take that into consideration.

For storing, they go in the freezer, vacuum sealed. I didn't want to buy a big vacuum sealer, so I bought one of these ziploc hand vacuum pumps as well as a jar vacuum pump valve thing and that way I can do a kind of quick ghetto vacuum seal on bigger hops bags and store the smaller amounts of things in vacuum sealed jars. It's not amazing or as great surely as a regular foodsaver type vacuum, but it's way smaller and cheap, even compared to the foodsaver version of the hand pump.

I might have a few ideas for you: First don't forget to take a can opener, a knife for chopping and slicing, and a cutting board to work with. you might also want to take a dish cloth that you can use while there and spices. Make a list of the spices you will need for the dishes you intend to cook and get travel spice containers to take with. it will cost a mint to buy those in an area you don't know.

Something like this might not be too bad

https://www.amazon.com/Pawaca-Portable-Stainless-Seasoning-Essential/dp/B07D9KZNF8/

and this could come in pretty handy even for the crock pot

https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Kitchen-Utensil-Organizer-Travel/dp/B01A1A5GAW/

and these would also be great! to take extra spices that you will only be using a little of like cinnamon etc.

https://www.amazon.com/Plymor-Heavy-Plastic-Reclosable-Zipper/dp/B0194CUOAK/

​

Now for some recipes

https://www.copymethat.com/r/4hlLTG0/campbells-creamy-chicken-and-wild-rice-r/

https://www.copymethat.com/r/JtEJCb9/chicken-taco-crock-pot-recipe/

https://www.copymethat.com/r/wxM21qf/creamy-beef-potato-stew-better-homes-gar/

https://www.copymethat.com/r/ChBtHB8/creamy-chicken-and-potatoes-good-houseke/

https://www.copymethat.com/r/MfpTwv2/slow-cooker-3-ingredient-italian-chicken/

you could probably add meat to this if need be

https://www.copymethat.com/r/Ey5bm9s/slow-cooker-enchilada-quinoa/

you can cook the noodles in the micro

https://www.copymethat.com/r/ghkH95K/royal-round-steak/

​

Here are a few microwave cooking recipe links.

https://greatist.com/health/surprising-healthy-microwave-recipes

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/recipes-you-can-make-in-a-microwave/

https://www.thekitchn.com/21-essential-recipes-to-make-in-your-microwave-228826

Good Luck! hope your trip is a success!

There are three or possibly four that I would suggest, Number one is the nomiku which is 300 dollars and a fairly well built machine from what I have read, Second is the sansaire this one is very well built albeit a bit plasticky for 200 dollars, the third and forth are the anova brand machines the retail for about 200 bucks with gen 1 being available on amazon and gen 2's shipping in october from kickstarter. I personally have a Gen 1 anova and it is absolutely amazing My friend has a nomiku and from what I have been able to tell it has the highest build quality out of all 3, The difference between the gen 1 and gen 2 from kickstarter is mainly smartphone control on the gen 2. The one downside to the anova is the clip which while amazing means you need to have at least a 7 inch tall pan / bucket. I personally use a heat safe 3 gallon bucket I got from home depot for my sous vide. Right now I dont have a vacuum pump and just use the ziplock water method for air removal which seems to work great as is , the one thing that I have to say if using zip locks is for the love of god use name brand ziplocks, the best by far are the dual zipper freezer ones which I have used to cook short ribs for 72 hours so what I would suggest If you have the budget get the anova + vacuum sealer if not ziplock's will work fine till you can afford it.

Edit: Also yes the diy 40 dollar ones work but are not quite as nice as the 3 I suggested although they work as a tide over, so yes If you can afford it get an actual machine due to the fact that the diy is like a test drive, and the
full ones are like owning a actual sports car.

If you have a crock pot you can buy a digital thermostat controller to use with it and turn it into a sous vide machine. Basically you fill up the crock pot with water, the device has a little probe you put in the water, and you plug the crock pot into this device, and the device into the wall. You set the temperature and it just switches the crock pot on and off based on the temperature you set. Since crock pots heat up from all directions the temperature stays pretty consistent throughout.

I also have used Ziploc vacuum pump bags with pretty good success. They do leak out some air over the long-term so they don't work as well for freezing things for a long time (still works pretty good though) but they work perfectly fine for sous vide in my experience. Less than $100 investment for the temperature controller, the hand pump and a bunch of extra bags.

You have an iPad Mini - that's pretty good. How is reading a full-size, 8x11.5" PDF on it? If you have to zoom and pan a lot, you may not like using ebooks on it. However, if it's perfectly legible, it's a great ebook device.

You save money (sometimes) and you save weight, and you'll always have your textbook with you. However, your textbook can run out of battery, and since it's a lab manual and you'll have it out during lab, your professor might not be so keen on you using an electronic device. I know I've had several who were tyrants about it.

EDIT: Also, if you're bringing it to lab, you should probably consider either investing in a waterproof case or getting yourself some poor man's cases. Lab can get pretty nasty sometimes.

For anyone looking for the most affordable vacuum sealing option, the Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit is a handheld pump selling for under $10 $5 on Amazon. Works great and the replacement bags are as cheap and easy to find on Amazon (quart is sandwich baggy sized, perfect for panties. gallon is great for shirts and large items).

Don't listen to the other person about "markets". There are bathbombs being sold for $17 dollars EACH with free shipping and the seller has 11k sales in less than 2 years.


Etsy isn't about being in a race to the bottom with other sellers. If you want to, make your items more than $10 and add on the shipping into the total OR just do the thing Etsy is promoting where the shipping is free after $35+ and price your items in a way that suits you. I promise you, having free shipping as a option (such as with a set minimum to meet) is tens times more enticing to buyers and benefits you a lot more (especially for lightweight items) than just selling one $6.50 + $4.50 shipping item. I have over 80k sales and make 12k a month out of ONE of my shops. I've never once let my competitors pricing influence how I "value" my work, and when I opened my shop I charged more than most people, and I've surpassed all of them in daily sales (30-60 orders a day) for over 2 years.

Okay, enough of my rant, as for shipping extremely lightweight items (with a focus on bath&beauty), these boxes are fairly popular, and you can find them on uline in larger amounts once you start selling regularly: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M5B91Q3/?coliid=I15B0YY5IERKN5&colid=3LI4KLG3587E8&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it with these bubbles https://www.amazon.com/Duck-Original-Cushioning-Perforated-1061835/dp/B0021L9M1Y/ They come in 12 inches, but you can cut it down so that each 'roll' is only 3 inches across (so it turns into 3" x 60', 4 rolls), that gives you a ton of bubbles to use. Use it to 'wrap' around your product - left to right, top to bottom, like an X sandwich. As for liquids use something like 3M No Residue Duct Tape around the caps to keep it from slipping open while it's being shipped (they have it on Amazon, but it's wayyy cheaper at home depot or lowes) squeeze the lid to make sure the tape is stuck good and then put then in plain generic ziploc bags, such as these https://www.amazon.com/Plymor-Heavy-Plastic-Reclosable-Zipper/dp/B0194CUNCO

They should be relatively safe being shipped this way. I used those boxes for (unrelated to beauty) another product I sell and they are extremely difficult to crush.

I donated the ones that had zero sentimental value. Then a friend got pregnant so I lent her the clothes I liked and wanted to save for a future child. Then the ones that I absolutely couldn't risk losing, I have packed at home in gallon Ziploc bags.

For us, space is more of an issue than money for new clothes, so the ratio probably went 75% donated, 20% lent out, and 5% saved for me to cry over when my boy goes off to college someday.

Ziploc also makes these super giant storage bags that I keep my maternity clothes in, if you wanted to save most or all of them, you could throw them in one and squish all the air out.

This article revolutionized my lunches for work.


The TL;DR version:

• Buy microwave steamer bags (like these).
  
• Select your favorite frozen veggies.
  
• Prepare your favorite protein.
  
• Make or buy your favorite sauces.
  
• On the weekend, just assemble these three ingredients together (one part protein, two parts veggies, sauce to taste) into individual bags and freeze.
  
  
  Then all you have to do is grab a bag each day and microwave it at lunchtime!
  
  
  My personal favorite is salsa chicken (salsa, chicken, green peppers, and onions). A few others that I've liked a lot have been Hawaiian pork (pork, pineapple, broccoli, teriyaki sauce), orange chicken (chicken, orange sauce, broccoli or mixed vegs), and smoked sausage with beans (smoked sausage, kidney beans, onions, and bbq sauce).
  
  
  Not only does this method give me such a variety that I don't get bored with lunches anymore, but I've also found this to be a really fun way to experiment with new flavor combinations!
  
  
  (I don't mention carbs above because I don't eat carbs at lunch; they make me way too sleepy. I'd guess that they'd be fine being put in the bag with the other ingredients.)
  

We use this storage system we got in the children's section at Ikea. (I tried to find a picture of it but their website sucks). It is a combo of shelves and bins so it was great to grow with as we have reconfigured it multiple times.

For larger, awkwardly shaped toys - I really love these large and [x-large ziplock bags] (http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Double-Zipper-X-Large-4-Count/dp/B003U6A3EY). For example, I will put an entire race track set in one or my kids got this indoor golf set that had a massive number of pieces that were all really long. They take up less room than bins and I can just throw them on top of each other. I just them put them in their closets and they can grab them when they want.

I have little stashes of prebagged and presliced stuff that I bring in, usually protein/fat based snacks because they fill me up pretty quick. I live by Ziploc's tiny snack-size baggies, this size, and also the mini little square tupperware thingies, these. I always have a pile of those at home. Every morning I throw something into one or two of that size of container. I standardize it so the weight of whatever is in the container is always 1 oz - makes it easy to log. This week I got extra organized and brought in a whole pile of baggies of snacks on Monday (there are little baggies of 1 oz almonds all over my desk right now) but usually I'm not that organized, but I've finally gotten so that I remember to bring a few pre-bagged, pre-weighed snacks each day. I don't always eat them (if I don't, I bring 'em home and add them to my dinner) but they're there if I really need a pickmeup in the afternoon.

I tend to rotate among these 3 snacks:

• 1/2 a tart apple, thin sliced, in one baggie, plus 1 oz sharp cheddar cheese, also thin sliced, in another baggie. Apples rank pretty high for satiety and the fat of the cheese tends to fill me up too. This always looks like a tiny snack but is so satisfying that I usually don't finish all the cheese and take some home.
  
  
• 1 oz almonds or other nuts; sometimes trail mix, always in 1 oz portions. Nuts are also very satiating for me and it doesn't take much to satisfy the snacking urge.
  
  
• 2 dill pickle spears! In a little baggie. Just 6 cal each. :)

This is what I use: http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Double-Zipper-Large-5-Count/dp/B003U6A3C6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1394397934&sr=8-5&keywords=ziplock

Maybe that's not the exact size but you should be able to size it accordingly. Assuming you have a normal sized fridge it should fit (with the brisket) in one of the vegetable drawers.

Alternatively, you must have a large cooler no? Either throw it in a ziplock and the cooler (or just the cooler but it may stain the plastic) and put it in your porch. If you want to be hard core you could even throw in a frozen milk jug full of water to make sure it stays cold.

My corned beef always comes out too salty so consider soaking it a while prior to smoking it. Good eats! Happy st patty's day!

I absolutely hate the shitty bags all games come with. I open every game box and immediately throw them in the recycling bin. I applaud them when they at least make it easy for me by surrounding them all in one bag.

The seal on them is usually shit. The components push through too easily, they offer no component protection or protection from components. The sizes are all over the place, typically you get a handful of same size bags for a varying number of components, and usually not able to split them up in a way that will make sense.

The answer is 4 mil Plymor baggies. Best fucking things ever. They're thick, sturdy, clear, and seal well. Every game I have now has them in the 3 sizes I bought. It's nice and consistent and you don't have to worry about having enough. You have hundreds.

The 3 sizes I found that work well for 99% of games I have (if memory serves I think my TI4 tiles are in 2 Ziplock quart bags) are:

3"x4" Great for little bits, dice, cubes, wheat, tiles, currency, even a few whole ass regular sized cards cards (great for separating replaced cards (Xia, Vast) or games with very few cards). Buy a million of these.

4"x6" Great for "player packs" (all bits, tiles, dice, meeple for 1 player), large sets of tiles, or lots of cards. MiniUSA/Euro size stack up in them (Gloomhaven, TI4 = only 2 bags each for all the cards, sleeved).

5"x8" Great for large tiles and component heavy player pieces (TI4). Or for laying out cards in side by side stacks (even Euro/"MTG" size) so you can still close the fucking box (looking at you, Agricola, AFfO) and not have cards fly everywhere. Buy quite a few of these. 100 bags will last forever.

*edit* had my 5x8 description in the wrong place.

That costs $700 though. I was joking a bit about the sous vide, but you could get one and a clear plastic tub for $80 or less. Here are some ziplock bags that will work.

I haven't used any of the products I linked, just an example. But $42 for a 1kw sous vide is pretty amazing. If it isn't powerful enough for the tub just start with hot water and add some from a kettle if needed.

Speaking of your link (ha!), get a container of wet wipes and some spray deodorant for your self and the clothing bag. If you have a place where they could hang and dry it would be ideal, since otherwise you'll have to put on damp clothing for the ride home. If you have a bike cage at work, perhaps hanging them off a hanger from your wheel or handlebars.

Otherwise, if you have no choice but to place them in a sealed bag, Fred Meyers has enormous ziploc bags in their home storage department. You probably want L or XL, XXL can fit a King sized duvet; I think FM only carries L and XXL. BTW, they're also good for an inner just-in-case liner for any electronics you're carrying; I carry one on me when I'm on vacation in order to save anything that can't get wet in case I'm stuck outdoors in a monsoon.

Edit: This is what you're looking for. They're not exaggerating in the box art, they really are that big.

Don't underestimate your freezer so you can buy the ingredients you want. It took me years to embrace this while cooking for 2. Need heavy cream for a recipe but feel like it's wasteful? Go ahead and buy it, you can freeze the leftover as ice cubes and put them in a bag when frozen. Flash freezing items like that (or cut up bell pepper for example) is helpful. Also, try to vacuum seal your bags using a straw or [something like this] (http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG) to get the most freezer life out of items.

Absolutely. We decided to save counter space and go with one of these. Fits in a drawer! We just buy the "off brand" zipper storage bags that have a "port" for a hand pump. Great buy for us!

http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377408035&sr=8-1&keywords=ziploc+hand+pump+vacuum

this with the gallon sized bags. they loose their seal after about 30 minutes so you have to make modifications.

1. as soon as you are done pumping out air, put tape over the vacuum port.
   
2. during cooking, i think it leaks some air in with the normal opening. i think you can mitigate this by putting some oil on the track. its a tip i recently heard but havent tried.
   
   pulling the air out and then taping over the vacuum port with clear packing tape lets them keep a pretty good hold.

Personally, if it's within the budget, I'd rather put the money into an inexpensive vacuum sealer. I had a Ziploc brand manual vacuum pump:

Ziploc vacuum kit

The pump worked nicely, but the bags would gradually leak and lose their vacuum, leading to freezer burn.

I got a $40 vacuum sealer (Crenova VS-1) when I got my Anova, and I've been very happy with it. And (2) 50-foot rolls of 11" vacuum bag material for $18 on Amazon has made it pretty affordable to use. Almost certainly cheaper per-bag than the Ziploc vacuum bags, and it works better. Reliable seals, and no leaks.

1: You can do quite a bit with a microwave than just heat water and reheat leftovers. I'm a huge fan of the microwave rice cookers, and steamer bags.

However, if you really want to do some non-microwave cooking, look into an induction hotplate, rather than a regular one. Much safer for small environments, since it only heats up the pan, and not the burner.

At last resort, if your campus has a chemistry department, you can always try sweet talking your way into some after-hours time to use the bunsen burners...

I did this on my last trip and it worked better than anything else I've tried in the past. These little pill bags were surprisingly strong and sealed well, and they took up almost no space. Absolutely recommend.

Yes! You can often get them for free from hotels and airlines if you ask. Quality varies a lot, especially toothbrushes. They sometimes have a nice container, though, so you can always add your own stuff or replace the stuff that's sub-par.

Mine started out as a first aid kit that I added some toiletries to, but it's the same idea.

Also excellent sundries to keep handy at work : earplugs, nail clippers, buttons, thread, needle, thimble, $20, lens wipe cloth, Snickers bar, cheap-ass phone. If you have meds, keep some extras in some little pill baggies.

I would recommend getting a few of these 5 Gallon Water Coolers which you can fill up for pretty cheap at any local supermarket before getting out to the playa. When you buy ice for your food/drink cooler have these 10 gallon ziploc bags ready to pour the ice into. Once it melts and your ready to buy more you can pour that 10 gallon ziplock bag into one of these and bam! ice cold water, also reducing the amount of water you need to carry in - which means WAY less plastic water jugs.

For $5 you can get a hand pump and some special bags made by Zip-lock. I use these all the time, but note that the bags are slightly more expensive than standard ones (there's a small one-way valve on them). But result is less air in the bag so less floating, and never really need a powered vacuum though it is still nice for giant cooks like pork shoulder.

The general consensus here is that low temperature chicken (e.g. 140F) is the best thing ever. I don't love it. The texture is weird to me. I preferred the texture of 150F, but that might just be me.

For the steaks, they still need a good amount of salt to really shine, and unless your pan/grill is ripping hot and/or your steaks are thick (i.e. over 1"), searing can begin to overcook the meat.

One of my favorite things to make are Modernist Cuisine's 36 hr Pork Belly Skewers.

Also, I just use normal ziplock+ freezer bags and have not had any problems.

I'll reiterate that it sounds like the version on Pandemic you've received from your Amazon purchase is a counterfeit because I have had the same experience as others in this thread have already described: all of the various version of Pandemic that we have purchased included small ziploc bags for the components and did not included one-use bags.

Here is a link to an amazon listing for the small baggies that come standard in Pandemic games and other board games. These baggies would also be good in other games where extra baggies would help with organization

3x4in baggies

2x3in baggies

I keep a running list of current WIP's with notes to myself so I don't forget things as I switch between them. This helps when I can't decide which one to work on, I can kind of choose the "easiest" one based on my notes.

I limit myself when I have too many WIPs, and I don't start any new projects until I finish at least one WIP, which gives you the inspiration to get going!

As for organization, I keep everything for a project in large ziploc bags.

Hope this helps!

I plan on storing my seeds for years. Here's how I do it:

1. Drill a 3/4" hole in the lid of a 2 or 4 oz. baby food jar, using a Forstner bit. Tape over the hole with micropore tape on both sides. Fill the jar half-way with Damprid (calcium chloride). Silica gel only gets RH down to 40%, whereas CaCl2 lowers it to <25%. Stuff the rest of the jar with cotton and screw the lid on. I stick the baby food jar to the bottom of a pint- or quart-sized wide-mouth mason jar using these from Wallyworld.
   
   
2. Put the seeds in small ziploc baggies or breeder's packs inside the mason jar. Make sure they're slightly open and not airtight.
   
   
3. Put some oxygen absorber packets in there.
   
   
4. Put the lid on and vacuum seal the jar with one of these and a vacuum pump. You can use a Food Saver pump if you have one but I went with a cheaper option. I squirt some silicone in a ring around the lip for a better seal to the jar sealer.
   
   
5. Screw the jar ring on and store the mason jar in the fridge.
   
   This method takes care of the 3 things that lower seed viability--humidity, oxidation (with the oxygen absorbers and vacuum seal), and temperature. I also plan on saving herb for the long haul like this, but with 62% Boveda packs instead of the CaCl2.

Those ones towgws recommeded palms botanicals uses for example, they are nice .The ones I'm think of are like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Plymor-Pack-Zipper-Reclosable-Plastic/dp/B0040001NC/ref=sr_1_7_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1499931061&sr=8-7&keywords=small%2Bplastic%2Bbags&th=1

Think it's the same as socal and maybe motarks at least the 100g I've seen, and these are 3 x 4 and also I have a smaller dimension one. Very cheap and portable.

Also 2 x 3, note 100 are $6.49 and 200 are $7.49 so I selected 200 lmao.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0194CUOAK/ref=twister_B0195E8QJI?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

Ohhhh damn these are socal's I think!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VVQQO9I/ref=twister_B0195E99QC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

yup, someone referred me to these and I use them every time I travel.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001XOIY0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

have never had an issue - I travel with a few Xanax for flights, other perscriptions and nothing


edit: this is my Dopp kit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EOF23CK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 a bunch of them fit perfectly on one of the shallow side zips

I Just moved from NH to CA like last month the drive is awesome because its basically the same highway the whole time. I just drove packed all my clothes in zip loc big bags don't even fuck with a suit case just lay these bad boys down somewhere. I drove so I had to leave a lot behind. If you drive get AAA the discount in hotels will pay for your membership.

The 3gal ones look like they would be good. Might be a bit big for most laptops, but if you get the behemoth ones then you wouldn't be SOL on bags. Better to have a bag that's to big than to small IMO.

I would freeze them. And quickly, peaches go from perfect to icky before you will realize it. See if you can find one of these freezer storage kits, should be at a grocery or Target/Walmart. Take a look at this guide for freezing methods. This is an easy way to make them last so you can pull them out later for muffins, pancakes, smoothies, chutney, etc.

These are what you want: Ziploc XL HD Big Bag (4 Bags) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CAOG198/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tZ7nxb8RQ3C6H

And I don't want anything for the Nuvan strips. We only used like 3 of them but I hung on to the rest in case they were ever needed by us or someone we know. You can have them, I just ask that you come pick them up from me while I'm at work as I don't have a lot of free time. I work from 12-6p Sun/Mon/Tues

My husband is the same and buying something like this was totally worth it: Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit, 3-Quart Bags, 1-Pump https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_XP3yCbM2GC72V.

Unfortunately Ziploc doesn't really make the bags anymore but the pump works with any vacuum bag that has that hole/port (I know we use FoodSaver brand). Keeps the cheese mold free for much, much longer and isn't too expensive.

FoodSaver Wide-Mouth Jar Sealer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005TN7H/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_WIx-yb44GTHDE



 Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit, 3-Quart Bags, 1-Pump https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_iLx-yb422N6MD

You want to get the wide mouth jar sealer so you can get the greens out of the jar. I think I got  vacuum pump thing at Walmart and it was just the pump bc I didn't spend that much on it, but it's still one of the cheaper ones on Amazon and it's rly good quality.

If you're looking for something cheaper than a hard shell case like a pelican, we've got a ton of different Smell Proof Bags options you can choose from. And they are Amazon prime-able. However, you'll save 20% if you buy directly from our website if you know the secret password.

The potassium is what you don't want to overdo, and you might get too much with a large batch as the powders will settle out differently.

I bought little ziploc-type bags (called Pill Bags) designed to hold daily medications or vitamins. They even have a place to write on.

The Pill Bag 100 Count Pill Bag Size 3" X 2" 3 Mil https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001XOIY0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fPgHDbDZDNQEA

I prep several at a time, then cut off the corner so I can funnel it into my bottle. I personally put the full recipe, modified to 1/4 teaspoon potassium chloride, in 1 liter of water and then sip it, with as much plain water / seltzer as I want. (Higher potassium gives me tingles in my hands, but that's just me)

I do like the idea of a pill box as well, as mentioned by another user!

For bags, these work really well: https://www.amazon.com/Smell-Proof-Bags-Interplanetary-Development/dp/B01IE8LV5M

I usually stick with a mason jar though, just make sure the seal isn't worn or too old. You can buy new seals on Amazon for them

To add to what others have said, not sure if you can find these [ziploc steam bags] (https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Steam-Cooking-Bags-Medium/dp/B003UEKBKC/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487089898&sr=8-1&keywords=ziploc+steam+bags) but they've been a saving grace when I travel. There's a cooking time chart on the bag for proteins/veggies that you can steam up. I've done fish with different herbs and lemon juice plus potatoes and veggies just fine with these. You can also get those little individual microwave Minute rice bowls too.

I wanted a sous vide setup but I wanted to keep it as close to $100 as possible. My "kit" arrived from Amazon last night:

• http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017HX16FA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
  
• http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UEMFUG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01
  
• http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J5IPF5I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
  
  It worked like it was supposed to, and turned a cheap steak into something decent:
  
  https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7rA1_fCC5zDR3ZVNUhVdlo3dEU&usp=sharing
  
  The controls were not the most intuitive, but it doesn't matter enough to pay a premium.
  

Seems like a good idea. Width and height are right, but what about depth? If I stack my battery and phone, it easily doubles the depth. I could buy one for a tablet, but is that going to be deep enough? I might just go for this instead. http://amzn.com/B003UEMFUG I know a quart bag is JUST enough to hold my Nexus 4 in its wallet case and external battery. But you are right about the swiping. An unvacuumed bag makes it very hard to glyph hack.

Here is one thing I just tried that might save some space (and cleaning). I fermented directly in the kettle rather than in a fermenter.

http://imgur.com/8DnVA9V

I wrapped the kettle in a garbage bag, and then did this trick to get an airlock on top.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWeRIFwsEpk

Unfortunately, the garbage bag ripped a tiny bit, so it wasn't airtight. I'll bottle today, but after 13 days in the "kettle", the sample was tasty. The recipe is a single hopped Cascade American Pale Ale. It tasted pretty juicy, no stale/cardboard kind of flavors that you'd suspect from oxidation.

Next time I'll try to use this as the airtight bag, hopefully it won't rip.

http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Double-Zipper-Jumbo-Bags/dp/B003U6FMOK

You're welcome :-)

My Foodsaver vac sealer was $80ish at Walmart a couple years ago... I've definitely gotten my money's worth out of it, BUT had I known about this I totally would have gotten it instead. If you do decide to go with the table-top model, I highly recommend Foodsaver over Ziploc (returned 2 faulty Ziploc ones before biting the bullet and spending a bit more on the Foodsaver), BUT use the Ziploc sealing material (the Foodsaver material is hard to cut).

It sounds like you've made the right decision, I thought I'd make a couple of suggestions.

While a bit pricey, I highly recommend getting a bug oven so worth it. Generally marketed for bedbugs, they kill all bugs and the peace of mind is tremendous. Buy a bunch of jumbo Ziploc bags you place your clothes, books, bedding, whatever, in the bags then into the bug oven. After when removing your stuff you'll see the dead critters and even dead critter eggs. Pesticide free and it works. I've used it when I saw a spider on my full length silk curtains, I wouldn't have been able to sleep otherwise, after I pulled the curtains out there were 3 dead spiders and countless fried spider eggs, I was so freaked out but also thrilled at the same time! You have no idea!

You may also want to look into these strips if you're ok with going a pesticide route. These have no odor and no obvious chemical outgassing but make no mistake, they are a pesticide. These are use in food silos so they're not scary chemicals but if you chose to use them I would do it when you're out of town, hang them around the apartment and in your car and if possible then open windows and sleep elsewhere for a night after you take them away. You may want to see your Dr for a rx of permethrin cream just to have at home so you're not left scratching in the middle of the night, these critters are resilient and you may end up reinfected somehow.

All of these things may seem extreme and maybe they are. I'd rather spend the money and know I have a game plan that provides peace of mind. I have 4 college age sons, they bring friends home, go camping, sleep at random girls houses and dorm rooms, the bug over is big enough that I can toss their suitcase or overnight bag, backpack and pillows in and we all sleep better knowing I won't have to fire bomb. Cause you know. Spiders.

Somebody pointed out a cheap/nice solution to me that seems to keep my hops fresh.

1. Ziploc Vacuum Pump
   
2. Ball 8oz. canning jar
   
3. Jar Sealer
   
   Put hops 4oz. of hops in jar, put inner canning lid on, suck out all the air with the pump, then put the outer lid on and store in freezer.
   
   You could always get a vacuum sealer instead, but I like the low tech approach. If any one piece breaks I am out $10 at the most. Nothing has broken in 2 years of use.

Just pretend like the meat is your tablet or smartphone. Having a dedicated device for bath time reading reduces bag waste, saving you money and helping the environment.

http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Steam-Cooking-Medium-10-Count/dp/B003UEKBKC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348516130&sr=8-1&keywords=steamer+bags

Freeze...your veggies? You mean freeze your own instead of buying them? I would think so, but that's more a food-prep question than a fitness question, not my specialty.

I like to take any bulk meat and break it down into meal sized portions, then freeze each portion separately. For example if I buy 8 pounds of ground beef, I'll use 1lb right away and then break the rest of it up into 7 1lb portions and freeze each separately. If I buy a pack of 12 chicken breasts, I prepare one right away, and wrap the other 11 individually. That way you never have to defrost then refreeze the meat, which is really damaging to the meat.

When freezing meat, the best method is to wrap it in freezer paper then place it inside a plastic bag. Make sure to always write the contents and the date you froze them on the bag. That way you won't end up with a pound of hamburger hiding in your fridge for five years.

Codename Duchess

Thanks for the contest!

Item in my add on list

Are these big enough :)
http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Double-Zipper-XX-Large-3-Count/dp/B003U6FMOK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374221026&sr=8-1&keywords=xxl+ziploc+storage+bags

made it from 2 xxl ziploc big bags (or as they say on the front, 'grand sacs')

[amazon link] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003U6FMOK)

You can buy a separate vacuum sealer gizmo (an extra $100 or so, plus bags). This can also be used to improve food preservation and storage.

But Kenji on serious eats has described a method involving dipping a ziploc in water before sealing it shut, so the water pushes the air out, and then eventually said to just use the new product ziploc put out. That's hardly more than the cost of a regular ziploc bag.

One of these+ some beaten eggs and a handful of spinach. when I first made it, it came out like a brick. Microwaved it for 3 solid minutes

So here's the pro strat on making it less brick like: microwave for 1:30. then 45 sec. then 25-30 sec intervals after that depending on how runny the eggs are.

Freezer Bags. Like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Ziploc-Freezer-Bag-Gallon-Size-28/dp/B003UEGZNE?sa-no-redirect=1

I like this size.

That's when you have to use a vacuum seal bag. The vacuum bags are thicker, usually between 3 and 5 mm and the plastic withstands a higher temperature than zip locks. I've had bags fail on me a few times now and I can't tell you how much it sucks. Sous vide cooking isn't instant gratification so it doubly sucks when I bag rips after waiting hours. I'll use zip locks when I'm making boneless chicken breast or burger patty's that cook in 1 hour but for anything that cooks over night or is an expensive cut of meat I use a vacuum bag. For someone starting out and you don't want to drop 80 bucks on vacuum sealer you can look into one of these 5 dollar zip loc kit. It uses a hand pump and special high grade bags. It's cheap to get started but the bags can get expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419735910&sr=8-1&keywords=ziploc+vacuum+sealer+pump

Ziploc makes large zip top bags for clothes/blanket storage - that’s what I used for my sons blanket.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003U6A3EY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Highly recommend getting them through amazon subscribe and save, it is usually a hit or miss at the grocery store. Think I pay around $8 for a 3 pack.

I'm using this kind of hand pump + ziploc bag

https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1475021418&sr=8-1&keywords=ziploc+sous+vide+hand+pump

These are basically ziploc freezer bags, which can handle extreme temps. My understanding is normal ziploc bags cannot handle the higher temps for cooking.

Looking at the clamp sealer, I think those are just pricier, less flexible with cooking methods, and not needed since sous vide cooking doesn't reall require a perfect air tight seal.

Don't worry, ZipLock's got OP covered

Try the Zip Lock Big Bags?

Personally, I wouldn't store your mattress or anything upholstered that you can't seal off like that... I've heard that it's best to avoid, for example, upholstered furniture for sale on Craigslist that is pictured in or says that it has been in a store unit because the risk of bedbugs is high.

Not a damn thing new with this...

http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG

Oh and if you don't want the manual pump, just get the battery operated one...

http://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-00590-Handi-Vac-Vacuum-Sealing-Starter/dp/B000XY8PDW

My local grocery store carries them next to the regular Ziploc bags. Otherwise you can get them from Amazon.

Just buy a big ziploc bag and toss it in there.

I use this for sous-vide. The bags are reusable.

Maybe 2 gallon (https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Storage-Bags-Gallon-Count/dp/B00HXCNQWW/) or 3 gallon (https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Double-Zipper-Large-5-Count/dp/B003U6A3C6)?

10 gallon bags

20 gallon bags

22 gallon bags

I use this combo to make vacuum sealed jars.

https://www.target.com/p/ball-12ct-wide-mouth-pint-jars/-/A-50624128

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-T03-0023-01-Wide-Mouth-Jar-Sealer/dp/B00005TN7H/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1498677791&sr=8-12&keywords=wide+mouth

https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1498677774&sr=8-1&keywords=ziploc+pump

when i moved from Hawaii back to Tennessee i put all of my larger set in These fully assembled then put them in plastic storage bins. every thing made it across the pacific and most of North America in (mostly)one piece

If you're on a really tight budget, I bought this from Walmart and it hasnt let me down yet.
http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG

Ziploc XL HD Big Bag (4 Bags) Packaging may vary https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CAOG198/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yq2NBb8DZR2DD

i have a separate DATSURA gym bag i carry my gear in
I also bring a long a Large ZIPLOC Bag for wet gear.

I also sell waterproof 360 cases here’s the https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U9ZFFCY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PQQTAbKH626K0

https://www.amazon.com/Pill-Bag-100-Count-Size/dp/B0001XOIY0

Amazon?

This. But, if you need to go with a cheaper route to start, you could try one of the hand-pump sealers.

These: Wide Mouth Mason Jars
This: FoodSaver Wide-Mouth Jar Sealer
This: Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit

Ziploc Big Bag Double Zipper, X-Large, 4-Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003U6A3EY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lnM3DbXJ9EDRC

Target used to have them and possibly still do.

giant zip loc bag and ductape the edges, check if your local target/walmart has them

same if you go plastic storage bin route, you should ductape the seams

https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Double-Zipper-Jumbo-Bags/dp/B003U6FMOK

Maybe you should just start buying larger ziploc bags. https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Double-Zipper-X-Large-4-Count/dp/B003U6A3EY

Get

I use these. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003U6A3EY?pc_redir=1410840103&robot_redir=1

Zipper pouch from here (I have a medium), and zip locks from here.

I've been on the same search but they seem to go in sizes from just a bit too small to 'I can hold five rolls'.

I ended up getting these large bags
And a few of these reusable desiccant blocks

You can also buy sous vide vacuum bags that use a pump to withdraw the air. Just stop when the gravy gets to the top. Here's one

I'd get a couple of these and store the clothes you don't currently fit into out of the way for now. I think you're right that having them take up space in your closet and seeing them knowing you can't wear them right now is a downer and really affects the whole 'joy' concept of konmari. However, I think you have a very valid reason to keep those items.

These Zip-loc vacuum bags are another way to get air tight storage without the large initial investment of the Foodsaver. The bags can leak though, if too much product is stored in them or if they get a pinhole leak somewhere. I'm using these until I can justify buying a foodsaver myself :)

Here is a crazy idea. Not sure if it would work, but why not try it out. Perhaps the local walmart would have them too.

Ziploc makes vacuum seal bags with hand pumps! They're what I use. They're great.

http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415290541&sr=8-1&keywords=ziploc+vacuum+kit

I find they do lose the seal, but very slowly and has only been a problem with storage of food, not sous vide.

Travel Compression Tool. No batteries needed.

There's always opportunity in failure! Might be time to update processes so a similar issue doesn't recur. You could invest in some large plastic storage bags when you bring items in. Adding such a control may reduce your liability from certain risks like bugs, water, or other accidents.

I use these: Ziploc Double Zipper Heavy Duty Quart Freezer Bags ://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002GJO6R6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_VOkCybZTQ62SS

Been using 10-12 bags a week for a couple of years and haven't had a single rip / tear / leak of any sort.

I wrapped mine in shirts and socks and put that all inside one of these. I had one bottle leak a bit so had to wash a shirt at my destination.

Also for the hops, if you aren't going to buy a food saver, these are cheap enough that they are worth it. It will really be better to purge the air from the hops bags. Probably the grains too, so you don't get that weird ice crystal shit going on, and end up with soggy defrosted gross grains.

https://smile.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG

Check out Eagle Creek.

Alternatively, put your shirts in a large Ziploc bag with a piece of cardboard and some air. The cardboard keeps the shape while the air prevents the contents from getting crushed.

Alternatively, you can get a case of 100 shirt boxes for $44.

I use the zip lock freezer ones that you can suck the air out of. But you have to fold and rubber band it so the zipper and the hole you suck the air out of doesn't have a chance to leak.

So it's take a ounce or so of hop pellets put them in the zip lock bag. Seal. Pump the air out. Fold towards the bottom of the bag to seal off the zip. Fold over again to seal off the hole. Then fold the loose bag from the side and then rubber band the bag to keep the folds. This works pretty well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003UEMFUG/ref=mp_s_a_1_8_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1473725657&sr=8-8&keywords=ziploc+vacuum+bags+quart

Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit, 3-Quart Bags, 1-Pump https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UEMFUG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tVGIBb65QDBXC

There's a ton of them, I searched vacuum storage hand pump.

I'm not finding the ones I used to see that took the wine saver style valve, but maybe they were shitty and bad products got weeded out.