Packaging a gallon bag of freeze-dried food costs about $0.72 at Blue Alpine’s own prices — $0.56 for a 7 mil mylar bag and $0.16 for a 300cc oxygen absorber. That is the cost that never stops, and it is the one that decides whether the food lasts 25 years or 18 months.
The line items
| Item | Pack price | Per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, 50 | $35.99 | $0.72 per sealed bag |
| Oxygen absorbers, 300cc, 50 | $7.99 | $0.16 each |
| Impulse heat sealer, 12 in | $78.40 | One-off |
| Vacuum pump oil + filter kit | ~$46 | Per change interval |
Per batch, not per bag
A Blue Alpine Medium taking 10 lb of fresh food yields roughly 1.5 to 2.5 lb finished, which fills something like eight to twelve gallon bags depending on the food’s density. Freeze-dried strawberries are almost all air; freeze-dried mince is dense. So packaging per batch lands between $5.75 and $8.65.
| Cost line | Per 20-hour batch |
|---|---|
| Electricity at $0.28/kWh | $6.05 |
| Packaging, 10 bags with absorbers | $7.20 |
| Pump oil amortised | ~$1.50 |
| Total consumables | ~$14.75 |
Where people try to save, and should not
- Skipping the absorber. Sixteen cents. Without it the bag is airtight but full of oxygen, and the food oxidises over months instead of decades. This wastes the $6 of electricity you just spent.
- Thinner mylar. 3.5 mil is cheaper and punctures. If the bag fails at year three, everything in it is lost.
- Undersized absorbers. A 100cc absorber in a gallon bag is the same as no absorber. Size to the bag, and round up.
- Bulk absorbers in one strip. Absorbers start working the moment they meet air. A 500-count strip you open once and use over six months is 490 flat absorbers that look identical to fresh ones.
Where you genuinely can save
Buy bags and absorbers together in matched packs so you cannot under-size, and buy the largest sealer you will realistically use rather than replacing a small one. A 12-inch impulse sealer at $78.40 crosses a gallon bag in one pass; a narrow one needs two, and the overlap between passes is exactly where seals fail.
Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, 50
Bags and matched absorbers in one pack, so the sizing decision is already made for you. Verified 6 September 2026.