For years, emergency food supply was synonymous with aluminum cans—#10 aluminum cans to be precise—and for good reason. Readily accessible, easy to use and very familiar, aluminum cans were, and still are, a great way to preserve food for a “rainy day.”
But technology advances and as it does, some older techniques make way for new and improved methods. Not that aluminum cans don’t have their place, but in today’s emergency food supply packaging, Mylar pouches are the way to go.
What is Mylar?
Mylar is a clear material with a shiny aluminum-like coating. It’s very similar to the shiny balloons you can buy at the supermarket for birthday parties. When used for food storage, these bags must be roughly 4.5mm thick for a reliable, tough pouch.
Why Mylar?
Mylar is an ideal replacement for aluminum cans because it protects against the Three Deadly Enemies of Food Storage—moisture, light and oxygen. When sealed properly, food inside the pouch is protected from the spoiling nature of these elements.
Aluminum cans can do this too, but in fact, there are several distinct advantages of Mylar pouches.
First, Mylar is extremely lightweight. Some food items, like beans or rice, can start to get pretty heavy when stored in bulk. The last thing you want to do is add a significant amount of weight in packaging to what may already be a very heavy item. With aluminum cans, the more you store, the bigger and heavier the can.
Second, Mylar is much more durable than aluminum. Because pouches can be heat sealed, the bond keeping the pouch closed is a lot less likely to be compromised than the seal on a can. Something as little as a dent can cause separation, letting in the Three Deadly Enemies. Mylar is pretty tough stuff too—very difficult to rip, resistant to puncture and doesn’t break down over time. If stored in a moist place, aluminum can start to rust. Over time that rust can eat right through the can, ruining your food.
Finally, Mylar is extremely versatile. Whether you want to store small serving sizes or larger bulk items, Mylar can fit the mold. And if you still want to give that aluminum can a job, you can store several pouches into it for added protection.
Food Supply Depot and Mylar
Why all this talk of Mylar? At SurvivalBased.com, our emergency food supply products, like Food Supply Depot, use Mylar pouches instead of aluminum cans. This allows them to offer compact, convenient and complete food storage solutions. For example, a one-week food supply fits perfectly into two lightweight, durable buckets—just grab and go in an emergency without breaking your back. And because they are individually packaged, you can pick and choose your meals without accidentally ruining the rest of your food.
Aluminum cans still have their place—but just like landline phones, they have their limitations. As with the cell phone, the smartest, most convenient, and most reliable solution is Mylar packaging.