Long-Term Food Storage: Mylar Bags, Oxygen Absorbers and What to Buy
Long-term food storage at home means packing dry food in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, then heat sealing them. The foil blocks light and moisture, and the absorber removes the oxygen left inside. It works only for dry food at about 10% moisture or less. Choose by bag thickness, sizes and absorber capacity.
Long-term food storage at home is dry food, a mylar bag, an oxygen absorber and a heat seal. The foil bag blocks light and moisture, and the absorber takes out the oxygen left inside. This page explains how it works, when it is the wrong tool and which kits in our US catalog are worth a look.
What is long-term food storage?
It is packing shelf-stable dry food so it keeps its quality for years, not months. The enemies are oxygen, moisture, light, heat and pests. Mylar bags (a laminate of plastic and aluminum foil) deal with light and moisture. Oxygen absorbers deal with the air trapped inside.
The method suits white rice, dry beans, oats, pasta, wheat, freeze-dried food and well-dried fruit or vegetables. Kits sold for this job usually bundle bags, absorbers and labels.
How do mylar bags and oxygen absorbers work together?
The bag stops new oxygen getting in; the absorber removes the oxygen already there. Air is about 21% oxygen. An absorber is a small packet of iron powder that reacts with that oxygen and binds it, so the food sits in mostly nitrogen.
The size of an absorber is given in cc, the milliliters of oxygen it can take up. To size it, estimate the air left in the bag and multiply by 0.21, then add a margin. Our oxygen absorber calculator does the math, and the guide how many oxygen absorbers do I need explains it with a table.
Absorbers start working as soon as you open their pack. Use what you need within 15-30 minutes and reseal the rest in an airtight jar or bag.
When should you not use mylar and absorbers?
Never use them for moist food. Mylar with absorbers is only for dry food, at about 10% moisture or less.
Foods with a lot of oil, such as nuts, also keep for a shorter time, because fats go stale even without much oxygen. For fridge and freezer storage, a vacuum sealer is the better tool.
What types of storage products are there?
Three: bag-and-absorber kits, bags only, and absorbers only.
| Type | What you get | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit | Mylar bags, absorbers, often labels | A first batch without extra shopping | Absorber count or size may not match every bag |
| Bags only | Mylar bags in one or more sizes | Topping up, thick specialty bags | You must buy absorbers separately |
| Absorbers only | Packs of absorbers of one size | Refilling kits and larger bags | They start working once the pack is opened |
How do I choose in 5 points?
Check food safety claims, thickness, sizes, absorber capacity and the closure.
- Food grade. Look for a food-grade claim on the listing. All five products compared below state it.
- Thickness. Bags of 5-7 mil or more are usual for long-term storage. One mil is a thousandth of an inch, about 25 microns. Compare in thick mylar bags.
- Sizes. Gallon bags suit bulk staples; quart and smaller bags suit portions you open often.
- Absorber capacity. A 1-gallon bag usually needs about 300-500 cc, more for light foods. See oxygen absorbers.
- Zip and labels. A zip top does not replace the heat seal, but it helps once you open a bag. Labels save guesswork later.
How do the main products compare?
These five cover a large mixed kit, a thick gallon kit, a 120-bag kit, thick quart bags and a pack of absorbers. Every figure comes from the Amazon listing; an empty cell means the manufacturer does not publish it there.
| Model | Type | Bags | Sizes | Thickness (mil) | Absorbers | Absorber (cc) | Food grade | Zip seal | DryFoodLab score | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bags + absorbers | 100 | 26×35, 18×26, 11×16 cm | 11.8 | 55 | 400 | Yes | Yes | 9 | Most homes | ||
| Bags + absorbers | 30 | 25×36 cm | 14.8 | 30 | 400 | Yes | Yes | 9 | Thick gallon bags | ||
| Bags + absorbers | 120 | 25×36, 19×29, 15×23, 11×16 cm | 8 | 120 | 300 | Yes | Yes | 9 | One absorber per bag | ||
| Mylar bags | 60 | 18×25 cm (10 cm gusset) | 16 | — | — | Yes | Yes | 7 | Thickest bags | ||
| Oxygen absorbers | — | — | — | 100 | 400 | Yes | — | 6 | Refill absorbers |
(affiliate link) · Data from the Amazon listing; offers may change.
Two details stand out. The FoodVault bags are the thickest here at 16 mil, but they come without absorbers. The SYMYNELEC kit has 100 bags and only 55 absorbers, so you will need refills to fill every bag.
Where should I go next?
Pick the page that matches what you need:
- Rankings: the best mylar bags and oxygen absorbers, mylar bag kits, thick mylar bags and oxygen absorbers.
- Review: SYMYNELEC mylar kit review.
- Guides: long-term food storage step by step and how many oxygen absorbers do I need.
- Tool: oxygen absorber calculator.
Making your own dry food to store? See how to freeze-dry at home or how to dehydrate fruit. If you would rather buy it ready-made, start with freeze-dried food.
All about long-term food storage
Rankings and picks
- The 6 Best Mylar Bags and Oxygen Absorbers of 2026The 6 best mylar bag kits and oxygen absorbers of 2026 compared on thickness, sizes, absorber cc, food-grade claims and labels, with sizing math.
- The 5 Best Mylar Bag Kits With Oxygen Absorbers of 2026Five mylar bag kits with oxygen absorbers compared on bag sizes, thickness, absorbers per bag, labels and food-grade claims, so you can buy one box and start.
- The 6 Best Oxygen Absorbers for Food Storage in 2026Six oxygen absorber packs and mylar kits compared on cc size, count per bag and packing, with a built-in calculator to size absorbers for your bags.
- The 6 Best Thick Mylar Bags for Food Storage of 2026Six thick mylar bags from 9 to 16 mil compared on thickness, sizes, zip tops and absorbers, plus how listings measure mil and when thickness matters.
Reviews
Guides and calculators
- How Many Oxygen Absorbers Do I Need? The 21% Rule and a Size ChartHow many oxygen absorbers you need per mylar bag, jar or bucket: the 21% rule with worked examples, a chart by bag size and food type, and a calculator.
- Long-Term Food Storage: How to Pack Mylar Bags Step by StepHow to store food long term with mylar bags and oxygen absorbers: which foods work, heat sealing with a sealer or iron, labeling, buckets and mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to store food long term at home?
For dry foods such as rice, beans, oats or freeze-dried meals, use mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, heat seal them and keep them somewhere cool, dry and dark. A food-grade bucket adds protection from pests and punctures.
Can I store any food in mylar bags?
No. Mylar with oxygen absorbers is only for dry food, at about 10% moisture or less. Moist food sealed without oxygen is a botulism risk.
How many oxygen absorbers do I need per bag?
Roughly the air left in the bag in milliliters times 0.21, plus a margin. A common reference is 300-500 cc per 1-gallon bag, more for light foods that leave lots of air.
What mil thickness should mylar bags be?
Bags of 5-7 mil or more are the usual choice for long-term storage. The four bag products compared on this page list 8 mil or more at their thickest size.
Are vacuum sealer bags enough for long-term storage?
They remove air but are clear plastic, so they do not block light the way foil does. For dry food kept for years, mylar with an oxygen absorber is the usual choice; vacuum bags suit the fridge and freezer.