DIY "battle packs"

lazarus · Oct 11, 2019

Out of curiosity anyone make any? I keep eyeing up getting some PPU, PMC or someone else's battle packs. You know, the vinyl/thick plastic bags with ammo in it roughly the size to toss in a pack and stay shelf stable and moisture proof for the next 6 centuries.

I was thinking maybe the next time I buy some ammo, just getting a few extra boxes and vacuum sealing them this winter. Nice dry time of year so they'll be packaged with low humidity and vacuum sealing material is pretty moisture proof. Or would there be an issue vacuum sealing ammo? I was thinking go smaller. Like doing 4x30rnd or 6x20rnd boxes of .223/5.56 and 2x50rnd of 9mm. The kind of thing where I can leave one of each in my go bag and then when I stick in a couple loaded mags in it, I've got some reload ammo, but not a crazy amount. the 200rnd .223 battle packs seem to make some sense, but still a little large if you've already got some loaded mags with you. The 200rnd 9mm battle packs seem crazy large (unless your primary I a PCC).

Or should I just buy the darned premade battlepacks and call it a day (also I am cheap and the battlepacks are like 3-6 cents a round more expensive.

ironpony · Oct 11, 2019

I thought there was a company making custom packs as well??

onedash · Oct 11, 2019

Ammo cans are waterproof.

StantonCree · Oct 11, 2019

I do it.

Often times I’ll buy 1000 round lots of loose reman ammo. I usually break them up to range manageable 100 round packs. Seems to work well.

lazarus · Oct 11, 2019

onedash said:
Ammo cans are waterproof.

They also don’t fit in a pack real well...

lazarus · Oct 11, 2019

ironpony said:
I thought there was a company making custom packs as well??

There is and they are about 1.5x the cost of the ammo. Looking to go cheap...

Separately, I don’t need to pack all my ammo like this. Don’t need battle packs for a platoon. Looking to maybe 2-4 of 120rnd 5.56 packs, a couple of 100rnd 9mm, maybe a couple of 7.62x51 (maybe 80rnd) and possibly a couple of 30 or 40rnd 12ga packs.

Something my grand kids can find some day and go “man, grand dad was a nutter. Oh, but the ammo still shots perfect!”

rob · Oct 11, 2019

lazarus said:
Out of curiosity anyone make any? I keep eyeing up getting some PPU, PMC or someone else's battle packs. You know, the vinyl/thick plastic bags with ammo in it roughly the size to toss in a pack and stay shelf stable and moisture proof for the next 6 centuries.

I was thinking maybe the next time I buy some ammo, just getting a few extra boxes and vacuum sealing them this winter. Nice dry time of year so they'll be packaged with low humidity and vacuum sealing material is pretty moisture proof. Or would there be an issue vacuum sealing ammo? I was thinking go smaller. Like doing 4x30rnd or 6x20rnd boxes of .223/5.56 and 2x50rnd of 9mm. The kind of thing where I can leave one of each in my go bag and then when I stick in a couple loaded mags in it, I've got some reload ammo, but not a crazy amount. the 200rnd .223 battle packs seem to make some sense, but still a little large if you've already got some loaded mags with you. The 200rnd 9mm battle packs seem crazy large (unless your primary I a PCC).

Or should I just buy the darned premade battlepacks and call it a day (also I am cheap and the battlepacks are like 3-6 cents a round more expensive.

I've done a few. When I've bought a can of 556, I shoot some, but I usually toss 9 20rnd boxes in a seal-a-meal bag with a couple of desiccant packs and vacuum seal it. I like that amount because it will evenly fill 6 30 rnd mags, and it easily fits back into a can.

I also do the same kind of thing for almost everything in my bugout bag. Vacuum sealing compresses stuff a lot. It compresses toilet paper so much it's easy to keep a couple of rolls in the bag.

R

Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk

ironpony · Oct 11, 2019

Would an oxygen absorber help or remove O2 from a case or two eventually , or heck does that hurt a charge? Just curious.

Matlack · Oct 11, 2019

ironpony said:
Would an oxygen absorber help or remove O2 from a case or two eventually , or heck does that hurt a charge? Just curious.

I'd be worried about what its touching in the pack because it will probably corrode.

DutchV · Oct 11, 2019

I would do it. I just read an article about ammo getting wet. Wish I could find it now. Anyway, dry is better, and a few hundred rounds won't take forever to wrap up.

onedash · Oct 11, 2019

ironpony said:
Would an oxygen absorber help or remove O2 from a case or two eventually , or heck does that hurt a charge? Just curious.

Modern ammunition doesn't need any oxygen to fire.

erwos · Oct 11, 2019

One time, I got industrious and vaccuum-sealed a bunch of 223. As you can imagine, the tips poked holes right in the bag with any real movement. BUT, I've been thinking about how I could 3D print something that could go on the tips to prevent that, and maybe also make it easier to flat pack them. Really should just be a rectangular cube with a bunch of cones punched into it in regular intervals - not a very complex model, just needs some thought into the core measurements. Also wouldn't need a whole lot of infill. I don't know that I have time right now, but if there's interest, I could return to that.

DutchV · Oct 11, 2019

erwos said:
One time, I got industrious and vaccuum-sealed a bunch of 223. As you can imagine, the tips poked holes right in the bag with any real movement. BUT, I've been thinking about how I could 3D print something that could go on the tips to prevent that, and maybe also make it easier to flat pack them. Really should just be a rectangular cube with a bunch of cones punched into it in regular intervals - not a very complex model, just needs some thought into the core measurements. Also wouldn't need a whole lot of infill. I don't know that I have time right now, but if there's interest, I could return to that.

You could make a heat seal pouch without the vaccuum step. Just keeping moisture out should be enough.

Speed3 · Oct 11, 2019

erwos said:
One time, I got industrious and vaccuum-sealed a bunch of 223. As you can imagine, the tips poked holes right in the bag with any real movement.

Why not vacuum seal a few loaded pmags with dust covers?

campns · Oct 11, 2019

erwos said:
One time, I got industrious and vaccuum-sealed a bunch of 223. As you can imagine, the tips poked holes right in the bag with any real movement. BUT, I've been thinking about how I could 3D print something that could go on the tips to prevent that, and maybe also make it easier to flat pack them. Really should just be a rectangular cube with a bunch of cones punched into it in regular intervals - not a very complex model, just needs some thought into the core measurements. Also wouldn't need a whole lot of infill. I don't know that I have time right now, but if there's interest, I could return to that.

why not have the tips pointed in, and/or place 2 cardboard protectors over the shoulder while you vacuum it out.?

Speed3 · Oct 11, 2019

campns said:
why not have the tips pointed in, and/or place 2 cardboard protectors over the shoulder while you vacuum it out.?

Card board, paper towels, old rags...all should work.

GuitarmanNick · Oct 11, 2019

Load a couple of bandoleers with a charging spoon and 210 rounds of green tipped 5.56 on stripper clips in cardboard sleeves and stick them in a .30 cal can with some desiccant packs. If the SHTF, your ammo will be dry and ready to put into magazines.
Loaded 30 round mags store well in cans, too.

steves1911 · Oct 11, 2019

I bag up my reloads in 100rd batches and vacuum seal them then place them in ammo cans.

303_enfield · Oct 11, 2019

Got sent down South a day after Katrina hit. One of the houses, what was left , in Boloxi-Gulfport had a trophy room. The water pressure popped the safes. Bunch of muddy junk in the corner an then under the mud you would find a seal a meal .500 nitro or a .375 H&H rifle. Gulfport PD was like that's nothing, he got the good stuff out. Well, except for the sport cars washed off the lifts in his shop.

Vacuum sealers work, seal the ammo in the box, strippers, chargers or magazines. With the better food savers you can over ride the vacuum so pointy things don't poke through. Have a rifle that won't get shot in 50 years? Oil her up an seal her safe an dry.

adit · Oct 11, 2019

I buy my bulk bag rolls from these guys on ebay. Can't beat the price for the quality.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/TWO-GIANT-...Food-Storage-Bags-Huge-Food-Save/291787902784

DIY "battle packs"

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