Ditch Bag - Batteries in Zip-loc or Vacuum seal?

[riversandbar]

Getting the ditch bag ready to go and getting all the stuff together.

Was thinking about putting things like the GPS, VHF and batteries in a vacuum seal bags... however, I was thinking "IS THIS A GOOD IDEA?"

Should I use vacuum seal bags or should I use zip-lock baggies instead?

Do batteries need to breath? Will having them in vacuum bags cause issues?

[Azul]

I would put all the stuff you don't want to get wet into a small "dry bag." They really work and would also float if you accidentally dropped the bag. Water seems to find its way into zip-loc bags, which aren't even adequate for storing spices much less emergency equipment. Vacuum bags can't be resealed, especially when you are floating in the gulfstream on a cooler after your boat sinks and your expensive life raft doesn't inflate.

[colemj]

I put our batteries, gps, etc in Lock-n-Lock containers. The idea is that the containers themselves will be useful should we need the ditch bag.

Mark

[riversandbar]

Dry bags *Jim smacks his head* dang, didn't even think about that. I have a ton of the small ones that would work perfect. Plus they could be used for other things as well.

[Katiusha]

Test them first - some of the ones we bought leaked right from new... they were usually the cheaper ones.