We’ve been looking for a vacuum packer to use with dry and freezer stores (and spare parts) for some time now. One night while flipping channels we were tempted by units being sold on both the Home Shopping Channel and via an infomercial. We ordered a Tillia basic model for $120.00, which included several rolls of vacuum bags.

We’ve now used our unit extensively, having vacuum-bagged all of the cereals and flour we’ll consume in the next nine months as we cruise aboard BEOWULF. With the exception of Grape Nuts, it has worked very well. We’ve also used it to package our freezer stores, and quite a bit of our spare parts inventory.

We also use the vacuum packer to store cool-weather clothes when we sail into the tropics. To read more about this, click here.

You can buy these units in the US in Costco/Price Club, where we’ve found the supplies to be less costly there than ordering direct from Tillia.