Storage for metal and other valuables with corrosion preventive bags and Mylar bags.

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willnotgoquietly

Marksman
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I was talking to a friend of mine and he had not heard of the newer corrosion preventive bags and using Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers.
I thought I would share this in case a new prepper had not heard of these.

Corrosion preventive bags are supposed to be the thing to use to store metal parts. They give off a chemical that bonds with the metal to prevent corrosion.
http://www.cheaperthandirt.net/product/BAG-196
http://www.norustbags.net/spec.html

Mylar Bags and Oxygen Absorbers are much better then a rubber sealed box or plain plastic bag. You seal a Mylar bag with a clothes iron. Unlike a plastic bag, a Mylar bag does not breath. I had a metal part in a Mylar bag with a few oxy absorbers outside in a bucket full of water for a few months. When I pulled it out it was perfect, not a drop of water or corrosion on my part.

I also make a small Mylar bag to store my Zippo lighters. I put a Zippo in my backpack for emergencies, but as you know in a week or two the lighter fluid will dry out of the Zippo. Stored in the Mylar bag, the Zippo does not dry out. I've tested the Zippo at 6 months and it was still full of fluid. The Mylar bag will not allow the lighter fluid to vent like a regular plastic bag.

Oxygen Absorbers are very interesting also. In a Mylar bag they remove the free oxygen from the air. Without oxygen we cannot have many of the bad things that happen to valuables. Rust is a chemical reaction between the metal and oxygen. No free oxygen, then no rust. The oxygen absorber is really a fast rusting product. Think steel wool, moisture and salt in a package. The oxygen in a sealed Mylar bag gets converted/trapped as rust inside the oxygen absorber packet and can no longer interact with whatever else is in the bag. About an hour after sealing the bag with the oxygen absorber(s), the air in the bag will have very little oxygen. No bugs can live, mold cannot grow etc. Do a test. Place a raw metal part in a Mylar bag with a few oxygen absorbers. Seal all but a small end of the Mylar bag. Squeeze out as much air as you can, then finish sealing the bag. Throw your bag out in the back yard for a few months, or whatever you feel would be your storage situation. Put another piece of the same metal beside your test bag. If after a few months your metal part is not rusted, then your plan is golden.

If I have to store something valuable, it will go into one of these corrosion preventive storage bags unsealed, and that bag will go into a Mylar bag. Last, the Mylar bag goes into a plastic box or something else that will protect the Mylar bag from mechanical damage.

Keep prepping.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5595283_seal-mylar-bag-iron.html
http://www.amazon.com/50-Gallon-Oxy...TF8&qid=1359051944&sr=8-4&keywords=mylar+bags
http://www.amazon.com/10-OxyFree-Ab...TF8&qid=1359051944&sr=8-1&keywords=mylar+bags
http://survivalacres.com/information/oxygen_absorbers-info.htm

I hope this helps someone looking for a way to store things that might be outside, underground or in other harsh environments.
 

OKC9-12LEDR1

Sharpshooter
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Here is a local OKC source for Mylar, they also stock a heavier 7 mil bag that is not advertised on the site. Basically
the same cost, that would be my personal recommendation for storing your valuables in.

http://www.bestchoicepreps.com/category/BAGMYLAR.html

Wilnot gave good details on storing in Mylar, one thing to add. Once you remove the oxygen with the O2 absorber,
the primary gas that is left in the bag is nitrogen. In a commercially made storage product, they pull a vacuum and
suck out the air and inject nitrogen. You end up with the same results, just takes a couple days for the O2 absorber
to work. BTW, hand warmers are basically the same thing, but they are not cheaper than food grade absorbers.

I would also wrap any sharp objects in some protective layer before placing in the bag. This process will pull the bag
very tightly around what's inside if done properly.
 

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