Mylar bags are an essential tool in long term food storage. Along with oxygen absorbers, a heat sealer, and canning jars, Mylar bags provide important protection for food that you wish to store for the future.
What size bag do you need? And what type of bag is best? Most of these decisions will be based on how much food you want to store. However, when it comes to the thickness of the bag, things get a little more complicated.
Mylar bags are available in thicknesses between 2 Mils and 7.5 Mils. A Mil is a measure of thickness that equates to 1-thousandth of an inch. To give you more of a visual, consider the fact that a human hair is about 0.0006 to 0.007 inches thick. So Mylar bags start at a width slightly thicker than a strand of human hair. The variances in Mils can seem really small, but make a difference in your food storage plans.
For the best protection, we suggest using bags between 5 and 7.5 Mils. Any thinner, and they may not provide adequate protection for your food. They will not be as impactful against things like moisture, UV light, or punctures. With 4 Mils or less, one can see light through the material, so bags of that thickness won’t hold up the “no light” rule. On the other hand, these thinner bags are more pliable and flexible, so they can be helpful for small amounts of food that you don’t plan to keep for very long.
Thicker bags of 5 Mils and above offer superior insulation and durability - this is best for long-term food storage. They provide powerful protection against light, humidity, gasses, etc. If you plan to store food for any longer than one year, these bags should be your go-to. 5 Mil bags are thick and sturdy, while 7+ Mil bags are more rigid. The thicker the Mylar, the stiffer - and more expensive - the bag will be.
The thickness of a Mylar bag does not affect the sealing process or how many times it can be reused. For example, a hair straightener can seal both thick or thin Mylar bags. Simply put, the thickness just impacts the protection offered against elements like light, moisture, and damage from puncture.
There are no hard and fast rules for which thickness works best for which foods. Some foods will do better in long term storage with thicker bags. For example, pasta like macaroni will likely be better off with bags of 6+ Mil thickness, so the sharp edges do not cause puncture, while flour, grains, beans, and spices should be just fine at 5 Mils. The key things to remember is that the best thickness for long term food storage is a minimum of 5 Mils.
Our Mylar bags are air tight, moisture proof, and light blocking. They come in bundles that provide everything you need to food prep, maintain your emergency food supply, and safely store dry goods. Our best selling bundles are a cost effective way to get Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and labels all in one place. You can shop Mylar bags along with other high quality products on our website.
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