How to recycle your freeze-dried bag?
It is always preferable to travel with a light backpack during an expedition or a long journey. Whether on foot, by bike, in a van, or on a boat, it is important to save as much space as possible and avoid clutter. We often think about what food to bring but not necessarily about how the empty packages can be useful in other situations once we've finished eating.
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On the occasion of World Recycling Day, which has taken place every March 18 since 2018, find in this article all the tips and ideas from the Lyo team to reuse your bags once your meals are finished. With climate change, it is increasingly important to be mindful of what we consume and to try to reuse our belongings as much as possible. This is the purpose of World Recycling Day: to raise awareness about recycling issues and encourage the implementation of the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. This highlights more responsible consumption with better habits, reducing waste and reusing items for more effective recycling.
Moreover, when going on an expedition for a certain time, we may sometimes lack items we didn’t think of bringing: a hot water bottle, containers for water, trash bags, or even cold packs for treating injuries, for example, are items we don’t always think about or can’t afford to bring with us. In short, by the end of this article, you will know how to lighten your bag while gaining practicality and doing something good for the planet. Interesting, isn't it?
Use it as a hot water bottle by filling it with hot water
Whether you decide to explore the world in summer or winter, it is always better to have a hot water bottle in case the weather turns bad or just for the cold-natured among us. If you don’t have the space to bring something useful to keep you warm, it's no longer a problem!
Today, almost all brands of freeze-dried meals offer resealable bags. We still advise you to be careful when opening one for your meal, so as not to tear off the resealable strip, leaving you without a way to reseal your bag later. If you manage this step, creating your hot water bottle is simple: heat some water once your bag is empty, pour it into your bag, and voilà, it's done!
Furthermore, if you want more tips on how to stay warm at night while camping, we have a complete article on this topic that might interest you: How to Stay Warm at Night While Camping?
An emergency container to store water
During a trip in the middle of nowhere, it is crucial to always have enough water (drinkable or not) in quantity with you to be ready for any problems and possible situations. Unfortunately, this resource can quickly deplete during your various outings depending on what you plan to do. Once empty, freeze-dried bags can help you store it easily.
Be careful, it can be risky to carry this bag with you if you plan to engage in physical activities that can make you move around a lot, as water can leak through the resealable strip and wet the rest of your belongings. Nevertheless, it is a good idea for emergency use or to have more water nearby when camping and wanting enough within reach. Just make sure to clean your bags well to avoid giving your water a taste.
Use it as a water bowl for your dog
Yes, let’s not forget our pets. Depending on your various trips, a bowl for your dog can take up space. Just like for us, you can very well use freeze-dried bags to hydrate your pet! This is a great way to save space while being very practical.
Use it as a container for your meals after cleaning it
If you are short on plates or bowls during your expeditions, you just need freeze-dried or sterilized bags nearby. Cut 5 or 6 cm above the base of your bag to reuse it as a dish after washing it well. Besides saving you, saving space, and avoiding breakage, it will also save you money as you won’t need to buy extra items!
Use it as a trash bag
Some of you probably already know this trick, but a little reminder never hurts. You can reuse your freeze-dried and sterilized bags as a resealable trash bag if you can’t dispose of your waste around you but still want to avoid bad smells. This will also allow you to gather everything that needs to be thrown away in one place, making your life easier!
Use it as a waste bag
Sixth tip, and not the least: use your bags as a waste bag. If you have ever traveled in bad weather or found yourself in such cold places that you didn’t even want to leave your tent at night to relieve yourself, then this idea should be very useful to you. No more need to motivate yourself to leave your shelter or tent, your empty freeze-dried bag could become your best friend in those conditions.
Use it as a cold pack to treat injuries
If you are traveling in cold countries and surrounded by snow, don’t hesitate to use your bag as a cold pack to treat injuries. Although it is always important to have a first aid kit when going on an expedition, you may sometimes lack a few items that can be very useful, and a cold pack is one of them! And nothing could be simpler to use it: just fill your bag with snow and cover the injured area.
Use it to replace your tent pegs when the ground is too soft or hard
If you can’t get your tent pegs to hold in the snow or in a place where the ground is too soft or, conversely, too hard, know that freeze-dried bags can totally replace your pegs. By adding snow or soil to them, you just need to make a small hole under the zip in your bag, attach it to a tent string, and bury it so you are no longer bothered.
In conclusion
Who would have thought that an empty freeze-dried bag could be so useful on your trips? This list is not exhaustive, but it should help you gain practicality and space when preparing your belongings for travel.
