Dry goods storage.
 

Hi Folks what do any of you store your dry goods in such as tea coffee sugar etc. I have previously used glass jars, tupperware and tins. All good but bulky items and sometimes (ie glass heavy). My last attempt at using zip seal domestic food bags resulted in an unholy mess when the bags punctured or the zips failed.

Requirements are strong, waterproof, lightweight, flexible and not extortionately expensive. Apart from solid containers what is everyone else using?

Thanks in advance,

GM

PS i did do a search before posting this.

Various sizes of tupperware; some can fit inside others, but I have used relatively small ones and filled them so that no space is wasted (although I might be carrying more sugar and coffee than strictly is necessary).

You've used glass storage jars on a bike trip? :eek3: I can see why you're looking for alternatives. :rofl:

My old staple of 35mm film containers are getting a bit thin on the ground these days but I still have 10 or 15 that I use for dry stuff (salt, sugar (I don't use much), herbs / spices/ tea bags / coffee etc). They all then get stored inside a tupperware type box for double protection. The amount in a film container is usually ok for a long weekend / a week at a pinch but for longer trips I either use small plastic boxes (Poundland), buy locally or change my diet.

Plastic bags are ok if you then store them inside a tupperware type box - and then pad the interior so nothing can move around. Unless you're using thick plastic it's very easy to tear or puncture plastic bags when you're using them.

Zip lock for seal inside cheap, thin tupperware for protection of bag and seal. Wouldn't personally use glass containers on a bike trip.

Not so much glass storage jars but glass jars certainly. When you buy coffee at a supermarket it sometimes comes in a glass jar as does other stuff. The tupperware is nice but bulky. Squashy bags are far better to get into small spaces but they do not seem to be very strong and in, my experience at least, the zips go or the bags burst or split.

Small Ortleib dry bags seemed an expensive and way over the top solution, hence the question. Looking on Amazon very few of the reviews for "heavy duty" zip lock (generic name as in Hoover) seem to be very good for the purpose I want to use them for. Great if you want to keep paint brushes dry in a shed or some rice dry in a kitchen cupboard but not so good if you are throwing a motorbike around in a rainstorm? :(

I guess I could just use several zip lock bags inside one and another to alleviate the risk of bursting but I was sure one on here would have a cheap and cheerful foolproof way around this.:D

If you need a little like salt then I use nalgene bottles that can go into the pot. If you need more like rice, then I usually just use roll closure dry bags.

yIKEs! Yea, glass can't be a good choice. :thumbdown:

Yes, you've found it! get better bags, pack them better!

Not all Zip-Loc plastic bags are created equal. Good quality, heavy duty ones are tough, seal will not open unless very rough handled.

I've used them for years with good luck, even carry spare nut/bolt/washer misc kit in two of them doubled up, secured with rubber bands. (about 1/2 kg. of parts)

Yes, with metal bits in them, they do wear out after a few long off road runs, but the HD ones generally last years.

For Tea, Coffee, Sugar, dry goods and such, the HD bags last a long time. Of course how you pack them in you pannier is important. I put my various zip-loc bags together in a small stuff sack. Works fine, no zips failing, no messes. Since the zip-loc bags are clear, easy to see contents.

I don't know what plastic bags you've got in UK, we have lots of choices. (Our land fills are full of them ... they'll be around another 100,000 years! doh)

just brought some spice containers from the range about 3 in x 2 1/2 with 4 different spices in each for a quid

The plastic bags do have that problem with more frequent failure than plastic bottles. The bags do mean you tend to squeeze them into tight spaces .. maybe that is why they fail? The fact that they take less space as time goes on due to the use of the product is a bit deceptive.. the next time you resupply the volume goes back up and you might run out of space. The bottles maintain a constant volume and so are less tempting to over pack with other things while that product is reduced in quantity.

You can get 'square' plastic bottles ... I like the 'square' ones - they fit better in my spaces. They do have rounded corners .. and large caps.
Try your local bushwalking/trekking store ..or a science supply place ...

E.G. GRADUATED SQUARE BOTTLES WIDE NECK series "600" | Kartell Labware

For dry or powdered goods ( salt, pepper, herbs, milk, coffee, nuts bolts etc) I use the branded ZipLoc bags. These are thicker grade than their supermarket equivalent and have a double seal.

I also expel all the air and fold or roll the flat bags into a t-shirt or similar for added protection.

I just use zip lock freezer bags and double bag anything messy like sugar or rice, they all go into a 8lt dry bag and that's it

Systema make lots of different sized and shaped tupperwaresque boxes with clip down lids and rubber seals which are very good. But as someone has already said, boxes are quite bulky and they stay bulky even when empty, which a bag doesnt

A suitable size of Nutella, Marmite jar, etc, washed out as these are secure, with a screw top and made from plastic.