Eliminating Cardboard

[Harriet]

To reduce the risk of roaches (a/k/a palmetto bugs), I have had reasonably good success in eliminating cardboard from our boat, including the boxes that surround crackers, pudding mix, pasta, etc. But what do you do with zip-lock type baggies if you toss the boxes they come in? So far I have tried putting rubber bands around each size group, but I'm not thrilled with it.

Does anyone out there have a better way of storing baggies outside the box?

[sv_makai]

We have gone to the vacuum sealer. the bags are actually compress and then we store them in a large rubbermaid containers. We have found that the bags are reusable and the food safe bug and mold free until we are ready to use them.

In the case of pudding and some other daily use foods like flour, we purchased several of the vacuum canisters. this way they can be opened and resealed wuickly and easily for daily use.

[Pblais]

Having backpacked with years of eliminating cardboard and all other packaging due to it's bulk it's not hard to make it work. Cardboard really adds nothing except bulk. A strong freezer style baggie will be stronger than any cardboard box. They take a lot of punishment.

Vaccum bags sound even better as they are totally water tight too. You might try a system of plastic crates and boxes to group the bags in. You might also look at making dividers for lockers that organize the space easier for loose bags. Hefty makes a resealable 2 1/2 gallon bag with a plastic slider you could put small baggies inside.

I would go with premeasured portions if you can too. The resealable vaccum canisters also sound good for daily access backed up with refills from sealed plastic bags.

I would also suggest Sanford "Sharpie" permanent markers to label everything too. They write on baggies better than anything. Color codes and all sorts of ideas come to mind as well. A map of all the storage onboard to help you find things seems like a good idea too.

If you take two full paper grocery bags and throw out all the packaging you end up with about 3/4 of a bag of food.

[Bill Shuman]

I understand that when provisioning in the tropics you want to eliminate the cardboard because of bugs. If you are provisioning in the US, for example, do you still want to eliminate cardboard? Is it that the bugs come onboard with the cardboard or that they take up residence in it? I have several cardboard items now (in Annapolis, MD) and it's not a problem. Should I get rid of them before I go south? Thanks.

[Catamount]

Harriet is specifically asking about how to store a collection of empty zip-loc baggies, if not in the cardboard box in which they came. My response would be why not store all the other empties in one of the bags? Use them to store themselves, as it were!

[sck5]

In the past I have used tupperware and that works too. Just put the ziplocs in a tupperware and then they are organized and also have another airtight container around them.

[rtbates]

Originally Posted by Harriet

To reduce the risk of roaches (a/k/a palmetto bugs), I have had reasonably good success in eliminating cardboard from our boat, including the boxes that surround crackers, pudding mix, pasta, etc. But what do you do with zip-lock type baggies if you toss the boxes they come in? So far I have tried putting rubber bands around each size group, but I'm not thrilled with it.

Does anyone out there have a better way of storing baggies outside the box?

put them in a zip lock. All our zip lock bags are stored in zip lock bags.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Bill Shuman

I understand that when provisioning in the tropics you want to eliminate the cardboard because of bugs. If you are provisioning in the US, for example, do you still want to eliminate cardboard? Is it that the bugs come onboard with the cardboard or that they take up residence in it? I have several cardboard items now (in Annapolis, MD) and it's not a problem. Should I get rid of them before I go south? Thanks.

Banish all cardboard & unnecessary paper from the boat (juvenile roaches live in the baffles & eat the glue). Unpack boxed & paper bagged items on the dock, & transfer to plastic or glass containers before bringing aboard.

Originally Posted by Catamount

... why not store all the other empties in one of the bags? Use them to store themselves, as it were!

Originally Posted by rtbates

put them in a zip lock. All our zip lock bags are stored in zip lock bags.

Indeed.

[blgklr]

I agree to store the bags in a bag or a plastic container. Also peanut butter containers (plastic) are wide mouthed and come in 2 or 3 sizes. Good for elbow pasta, rice,flour etc. Some bugs can penetrate baggies. Put the baggy with product in it in another container. Actually I put jam jars (glass) inside peanut butter container (plastic) so if it does end up being thrown across cabin it is protected and contained. Most of us have peanut butter as a staple so it doesn't take long to collect some containers.

[sck5]

briefly microwave things like flour or pasta and it will kill the bugs

[Kirok]

Originally Posted by sck5

briefly microwave things like flour or pasta and it will kill the bugs

...and still maintains the delicious crunch. Yum!

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by Bill Shuman

I understand that when provisioning in the tropics you want to eliminate the cardboard because of bugs. If you are provisioning in the US, for example, do you still want to eliminate cardboard? Is it that the bugs come onboard with the cardboard or that they take up residence in it? I have several cardboard items now (in Annapolis, MD) and it's not a problem. Should I get rid of them before I go south? Thanks.

Short answer. Yes. The cardboard already has bug eggs when you bring it home from the store.

You don't want to know how I learned this.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by Minggat

The cardboard already has bug eggs when you bring it home from the store.

Same reason it's easy to pick out the yachties at the grocery store - they're the ones insisting "plastic, not paper".

[sarafina]

not only are bugs an issue.. paper stuff just is not happy on the boat. Random unneeded paper is just something that's gonna get damp and mildew and be a mess to clean up... we strip it all off.

[Curmudgeon]

When I started cruising, the one thing I did not anticipate is the garbage. Even if you stomp everything flat, you wind up with one or two plastic bags full at the end of a voyage. I do not dump anything into the water.

I'm seriously considering one of those Hinckley-style solid fuel heaters to replace my propane heater. I can burn the cardboard and other packaging.