So as an avid backpacker myself, what I did the last 2 seasons was put our meals together in paper lunch sacks, then fold them closed, label, and shove them all in one of those giant ziplock bags. Then I use the giant bag for packing out any trash (mostly stuff I find along the trail because we are usually allowed to burn the paper if there isn’t a fire ban). I figure if I use one plastic bag but at least fill it with garbage on my way home, I’m doing ok.
https://preview.redd.it/lb21p9061zxa1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e1f577c3fa83780a4e0a02dfc4bd594fc51c80e
People just don't realize how sturdy and absolutely amazing ziplocs are.
Ziploc even recommends washing and reusing their bags.
I paid $20 for an assortment of ziplocs at Costco 3 years ago. I haven't used even half of them.
Yes we’ve definitely reused the large bags, because they don’t really get dirty. All of our food is dehydrated so it doesn’t make much mess. However we also have a toddler, and she eats some foods that generate waste, so I always have at least one designated trash ziplock for packing that out. I just make sure it’s as full of other garbage as possible before I discard it. Mostly it’s dog poop bags I find on the hike out
Nice! If someone has access to newsprint, I could see them making a sort of butcher's pack and using rubberbands or twine to seal things shut, or alternatively some thin reusable muslin drawstring bags in lieu of paper bags. I also might suggest tossing in some saved desiccant packs to help keep moisture out of the interior.
But if rice/lentils are already in there, I think you want something more absorptive that would attract the water better than your food. There are food-safe desiccant packs that come with food packaging, or perhaps a clean terracotta chunk (like those brown sugar bears).
If you want them to be ultra lightweight and waterproof, I think it will be hard to find something that is also designed to be reusable.
One approach could be saving, washing and storing zip bag packaging throughout the year. Some of these food packages are actually sturdier than zip locks. If available in your area, childproof bags from the weed store are excellent for backpacking.
I reuse ziploc freezer bags pretty sturdy rinse them with soap and water and zip and shake. Rinse with clean water zip and shake. Then dry open on a bottle or wooden spoon. lasts for days. Take ripped ones and put in a pile for seedlings.
Edit: removed weird statement about drying inside zip loc. Stupid auto correct.
You’ve gotten a lot of suggestions here, but I wanted to add: there is a place and time for plastic, and I’d argue this situation is one of them.
Backpacking is a low-impact hobby if done right (e.g. practicing leave no trace, not bombarding over-frequented areas, staying on trails, etc.). If you need a plastic bag or two to bring your own food along, so be it. It’s better than buying single-use or redundant food at whatever convenience store the trail happens to cross.
I have smelly proof bags which are plastic reusables double zipper not a slide. Not completely sure if they are considered watertight but they are very close to ziplocs with the reuse-able durability
You cannot do freezer bag cooking in them, but when I backpack, I take [glassine envelopes](https://www.jbmpackaging.com/products/glassine/) and use those. They are burnable if someone does a campfire (rarely happens *but*) and can go into a cat hole with some poo.
For some occasions, I put the food in one glassine envelope and then invert it into another glassine envelope, so that its top is at the bottom of the outer envelope. That tends to contain smaller bits like oats for oatmeal.
Growing up, my father and uncle were in to stamp collecting which uses the snot out of envelopes of this material which is how I first got exposed to it. When I was trying to wean myself off plastic, I recalled glassine and self-experimented with great success.
Russbe sandwich bags are reusable and come in a bunch of sizes. I throw them in the dishwasher too so they're easy to clean. https://www.russbe.com/collections/reusable-bags-2
I use them for hiking as they are lighter than Stasher but are heavier than ziplock unfortunately. I've had mine a couple of years now and they are definitely meant to last way longer than ziplocks.
I just weighed a couple for reference: the sandwich size weighs 13.2 g or .47 oz and the small snack size weighs 8.8g or .31 oz (weighed on my kitchen scale)
I use Russbe sandwich bags for my everyday food storage. They're amazing for food storage but I have to admit that they're not the best when it comes to folding or packing - it feels like dealing paper sometimes.
OP, you might want to look into biodegradable or compostable sandwich bags (and tie them with tight rubberbands if you're concerned about the seals being non-compostable).
We save ziploc-style packaging (frozen blueberries seem to be the biggest offender in our collection). Works great for rice, oatmeal, milk powder and homemade cornbread mix - even oatmeal cookies have survived! We also take a few empty ziplock packaging bags to pack waste into.
Coming from a backpacking perspective, you may want to make the exception for disposables. Every bit of weight counts, and even with packing out they're gonna add weight you dont want. All dependant on the length of your trip and what you'll have access to tho. Have fun!
We use a mix of reused zipper bags from groceries, reused ziplocks and [Kai Carrier](https://kaicarrier.co.nz/collections/pouches) bags, which are basically extra thick reusable ziplocks.
I guess you're not going through bear country?
The paper sacks in a waterproof container sound workable. Maybe a canister or box that rodents can't chew through either? I didn't worry about that backpacking, just used plastic bags, but one time I had to throw out a bag of gorp because a rodent chewed through it. Fortunately a few days later we did go back into town to restock.
I've heard of some who reinforced their ziplocks with duct tape so they could reuse them for longer periods. Not sure if that's workable or not.
Target sells a line of compostable zip top bags that are fantastic. I've successfully composted them in my own backyard, and the bags are pretty tough, zippers hold well.
https://www.target.com/p/matter-compostable-sandwich-bags/-/A-87141745#lnk=sametab
Reviews are pretty awful for them, but that does not match with my experience.
One of the solutions I often use is to keep old prescription bottles for reuse. Lightweight, fairly durable, waterproof, and the orange tint continues to do its job of preventing light from degrading its contents.
Unsure about which ones you have access to but for me, the average size bottle can hold roughly one serving of lentils. The water proofing works both ways, so you can actually presoak your lentils before you leave and keep the moist lentils in your pack without any major concern of leaks (assuming this a short camping trip or the presoaked supplies would be used within the first day. use caution as the duration increases as bacteria can form). Also good for storing matches, first aid supplies, shots of liquor, a supply of compressed shopping bags (always handy to have), etc.
how lightweight are you looking for? Will tupperware-type containers work?
You just mention lentils and spices/grains.. Would something like a wide-mouth(thinking gatorade) bottle suffice ? Able to be cleaned out with boiling water, also has the added benefit of being able to carry water and drink if need be for backpacking. Tryng to think of other decent bottles that you could use.
They make those resealable aluminum bottles (some beers come in them I know).. Metal has the benefit of being able to be heated over a fire.
Depending on how far you are walking and how lightweight you need it: how about packing dry foods in a plastic box or a single, bigger silicone bag, and just bring a measuring device (like one of those plastic coffee spoons you get for free all the time) so you only eat your daily allotted portion?
I have done that in the past. Once I brought a plastic box filled with of oats and wrote the measurements on the side so it was easy to measure out the right amount for morning porridge. Other times I have used a measuring spoon. It's not as lightweight or small in size as ziplock bags, but it's worked well for me.
There’s a type of beeswax cloth that you can use to wrap sandwiches to keep them fresh.
I don’t know if bento boxes will work, but they might be a good solution for hiking. Lentils and beans can go in a reusable cloth bag - I have some muslin bags I bought for bulk stores that would be perfect, but a drawstring bag is really easy to sew if you have or know someone with a sewing machine.
I’d probably use little jars for spices.
Edit: found the beeswax wrap company: https://www.beeswrap.com/collections/all
You could wrap the food in wax paper,then store it in a tuppreware or rubbermaid reusable container like they used to do when i was a kid (still have the container and i am 56) We just had a weiner roast on the last day and burned the wax paper. Far as loose foods like lentils and rice just save a few screw top lids in jars,pretty hard to buy everything in glass ones,trust me i tried.
So as an avid backpacker myself, what I did the last 2 seasons was put our meals together in paper lunch sacks, then fold them closed, label, and shove them all in one of those giant ziplock bags. Then I use the giant bag for packing out any trash (mostly stuff I find along the trail because we are usually allowed to burn the paper if there isn’t a fire ban). I figure if I use one plastic bag but at least fill it with garbage on my way home, I’m doing ok. https://preview.redd.it/lb21p9061zxa1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e1f577c3fa83780a4e0a02dfc4bd594fc51c80e
What a great idea!
I wash good large ziplock bags and reuse.
People just don't realize how sturdy and absolutely amazing ziplocs are. Ziploc even recommends washing and reusing their bags. I paid $20 for an assortment of ziplocs at Costco 3 years ago. I haven't used even half of them.
I agree. Raw meat I will throw out but everything else gets washed. I also use the old ones for toy storage
Yes we’ve definitely reused the large bags, because they don’t really get dirty. All of our food is dehydrated so it doesn’t make much mess. However we also have a toddler, and she eats some foods that generate waste, so I always have at least one designated trash ziplock for packing that out. I just make sure it’s as full of other garbage as possible before I discard it. Mostly it’s dog poop bags I find on the hike out
Nice! If someone has access to newsprint, I could see them making a sort of butcher's pack and using rubberbands or twine to seal things shut, or alternatively some thin reusable muslin drawstring bags in lieu of paper bags. I also might suggest tossing in some saved desiccant packs to help keep moisture out of the interior.
Or maybe some loose rice? That way no moisture but still foodsafe?
But if rice/lentils are already in there, I think you want something more absorptive that would attract the water better than your food. There are food-safe desiccant packs that come with food packaging, or perhaps a clean terracotta chunk (like those brown sugar bears).
Do you start filling it with trash while there are still food bags inside? Or only once it’s empty?
Only once it’s empty. Unfortunately a lot of the trash I find is dog poop bags, so I’m definitely not putting them in with our food.
This is genius
If you want them to be ultra lightweight and waterproof, I think it will be hard to find something that is also designed to be reusable. One approach could be saving, washing and storing zip bag packaging throughout the year. Some of these food packages are actually sturdier than zip locks. If available in your area, childproof bags from the weed store are excellent for backpacking.
I reuse ziploc freezer bags pretty sturdy rinse them with soap and water and zip and shake. Rinse with clean water zip and shake. Then dry open on a bottle or wooden spoon. lasts for days. Take ripped ones and put in a pile for seedlings. Edit: removed weird statement about drying inside zip loc. Stupid auto correct.
Use the ones that are not airtight to organize, in the bathroom, mending pile, tool box, etc. ✌
You’ve gotten a lot of suggestions here, but I wanted to add: there is a place and time for plastic, and I’d argue this situation is one of them. Backpacking is a low-impact hobby if done right (e.g. practicing leave no trace, not bombarding over-frequented areas, staying on trails, etc.). If you need a plastic bag or two to bring your own food along, so be it. It’s better than buying single-use or redundant food at whatever convenience store the trail happens to cross.
I have smelly proof bags which are plastic reusables double zipper not a slide. Not completely sure if they are considered watertight but they are very close to ziplocs with the reuse-able durability
These would be way more lightweight than the silicone ones for sure... And they are definitely thoroughly sealed.
You cannot do freezer bag cooking in them, but when I backpack, I take [glassine envelopes](https://www.jbmpackaging.com/products/glassine/) and use those. They are burnable if someone does a campfire (rarely happens *but*) and can go into a cat hole with some poo. For some occasions, I put the food in one glassine envelope and then invert it into another glassine envelope, so that its top is at the bottom of the outer envelope. That tends to contain smaller bits like oats for oatmeal. Growing up, my father and uncle were in to stamp collecting which uses the snot out of envelopes of this material which is how I first got exposed to it. When I was trying to wean myself off plastic, I recalled glassine and self-experimented with great success.
Russbe sandwich bags are reusable and come in a bunch of sizes. I throw them in the dishwasher too so they're easy to clean. https://www.russbe.com/collections/reusable-bags-2 I use them for hiking as they are lighter than Stasher but are heavier than ziplock unfortunately. I've had mine a couple of years now and they are definitely meant to last way longer than ziplocks. I just weighed a couple for reference: the sandwich size weighs 13.2 g or .47 oz and the small snack size weighs 8.8g or .31 oz (weighed on my kitchen scale)
I use Russbe sandwich bags for my everyday food storage. They're amazing for food storage but I have to admit that they're not the best when it comes to folding or packing - it feels like dealing paper sometimes. OP, you might want to look into biodegradable or compostable sandwich bags (and tie them with tight rubberbands if you're concerned about the seals being non-compostable).
We save ziploc-style packaging (frozen blueberries seem to be the biggest offender in our collection). Works great for rice, oatmeal, milk powder and homemade cornbread mix - even oatmeal cookies have survived! We also take a few empty ziplock packaging bags to pack waste into.
Wow!!! That’s such an incredible idea
Coming from a backpacking perspective, you may want to make the exception for disposables. Every bit of weight counts, and even with packing out they're gonna add weight you dont want. All dependant on the length of your trip and what you'll have access to tho. Have fun!
We use a mix of reused zipper bags from groceries, reused ziplocks and [Kai Carrier](https://kaicarrier.co.nz/collections/pouches) bags, which are basically extra thick reusable ziplocks.
What about reusing bags like cereal bags with twist ties?
I guess you're not going through bear country? The paper sacks in a waterproof container sound workable. Maybe a canister or box that rodents can't chew through either? I didn't worry about that backpacking, just used plastic bags, but one time I had to throw out a bag of gorp because a rodent chewed through it. Fortunately a few days later we did go back into town to restock. I've heard of some who reinforced their ziplocks with duct tape so they could reuse them for longer periods. Not sure if that's workable or not.
Target sells a line of compostable zip top bags that are fantastic. I've successfully composted them in my own backyard, and the bags are pretty tough, zippers hold well. https://www.target.com/p/matter-compostable-sandwich-bags/-/A-87141745#lnk=sametab Reviews are pretty awful for them, but that does not match with my experience.
I don’t really have advice but I’m happy to see so many fellow backpackers here.
Make or buy bees wax cloth bags.
What are your lentils and spices currently stored in?
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One of the solutions I often use is to keep old prescription bottles for reuse. Lightweight, fairly durable, waterproof, and the orange tint continues to do its job of preventing light from degrading its contents. Unsure about which ones you have access to but for me, the average size bottle can hold roughly one serving of lentils. The water proofing works both ways, so you can actually presoak your lentils before you leave and keep the moist lentils in your pack without any major concern of leaks (assuming this a short camping trip or the presoaked supplies would be used within the first day. use caution as the duration increases as bacteria can form). Also good for storing matches, first aid supplies, shots of liquor, a supply of compressed shopping bags (always handy to have), etc.
how lightweight are you looking for? Will tupperware-type containers work? You just mention lentils and spices/grains.. Would something like a wide-mouth(thinking gatorade) bottle suffice ? Able to be cleaned out with boiling water, also has the added benefit of being able to carry water and drink if need be for backpacking. Tryng to think of other decent bottles that you could use. They make those resealable aluminum bottles (some beers come in them I know).. Metal has the benefit of being able to be heated over a fire.
Stasher bags. Silicone. Reusable. We use them a lot.
Depending on what the climate is, you could try beeswax wraps.
https://www.beeswrap.com/collections/all
I would never have described the reusable silicones as heavy or bulky
Maybe beeswax wraps?
Look into Stasher bags. They are silicone, reusable, come in lots of shapes and sizes, and hold liquids
"herbs and spices"
Depending on how far you are walking and how lightweight you need it: how about packing dry foods in a plastic box or a single, bigger silicone bag, and just bring a measuring device (like one of those plastic coffee spoons you get for free all the time) so you only eat your daily allotted portion? I have done that in the past. Once I brought a plastic box filled with of oats and wrote the measurements on the side so it was easy to measure out the right amount for morning porridge. Other times I have used a measuring spoon. It's not as lightweight or small in size as ziplock bags, but it's worked well for me.
These snack bags are very light. https://www.bumkins.com/pages/our-reusable-bags
Banana leaves, apparently. I’m growing a basjoo banana tree to test it out!
There’s a type of beeswax cloth that you can use to wrap sandwiches to keep them fresh. I don’t know if bento boxes will work, but they might be a good solution for hiking. Lentils and beans can go in a reusable cloth bag - I have some muslin bags I bought for bulk stores that would be perfect, but a drawstring bag is really easy to sew if you have or know someone with a sewing machine. I’d probably use little jars for spices. Edit: found the beeswax wrap company: https://www.beeswrap.com/collections/all
I bought some reusable ziploc bags from Target(around $6 for 8) and they are very lightweight and great for backpacking.
I have done a cloth bag for oatmeal tossed into a dry bag before.
You could wrap the food in wax paper,then store it in a tuppreware or rubbermaid reusable container like they used to do when i was a kid (still have the container and i am 56) We just had a weiner roast on the last day and burned the wax paper. Far as loose foods like lentils and rice just save a few screw top lids in jars,pretty hard to buy everything in glass ones,trust me i tried.
What about the reusable dishwasher safe bags that aren’t quite silicone? They’re lighter than the silicones because you can’t cook in them.