I was out in the world doing Stuff and, somehow, tore my pants. Not just tore them, but I mean a gaping hole from the base of the crotch all the way up to the beltline, running parallel to the fly. In short, if it wasnt for the fact I was wearing a very long t-shirt, I would have been running around with Commander Seven-and-a-half snorkeling for air like an asthmatic elephant. To compound matters, there was no place nearby to purchase another pair of pants.
So..I dealt with it. But then I kept having a nagging thought in the back of my head….don’t I have an extra pair of pants in the vehicle? So, I checked the laminated card in the glove box that details all the gear I keep in the truckbox and…yes….a vacuum-sealed pair of jeans was, in fact, part of the loadout. Dug through the backpack, found them, retired the destroyed pair, and got back to business.
Preparedness for the win!
As an aside, I apparently keep, individually vacuum sealed: jeans, t-shirt, heavy shirt, boxer briefs, long underwear, and socks. Essentially, one complete change of clothes suitable for any season. Theres also a winter coat, gloves, scarf, hat, etc in there. The vacuum sealing helps keep the space requirements down.
Moral of the story: A spare change of clothes is a good idea because you never know when you might accidentally wind up ruining whatever it is you’re wearing.
And I pat myself on the back for my tremendous foresight.
I remember growing up I was always told never to leave cloth items sealed up too tightly because they need to “breathe” or something. To the point that we would actually open up boxes with wool blankets and stuff in them and hang them out to “breathe” every few months before they got ruined by being too tightly sealed up or something.
Anyone know if there was ever any truth to this? I would guess that if clothing can be vacuum sealed for long periods of time, it might have been just another old wives’ tale…
Actually, there is a gram of truth in most ole wife’s tales.
Unlike today where clothing is nearly disposable, clothing was expensive and thus limited. The Sunday Suit comes to mind. School clothes and play clothes and so on.
DRY Items not sealed in plastic (like everything made in Asia and shipped over here in months long trips) stored in boxes and closets gets moisture and bugs in it.
Mold, bugs and general decay is why the ole wives used to get them out into the Sunshine to air out.
So, it is a good idea even today to have an outside clothesline as so to hang clothing out for freshen them. Clothing like everything else is going to get far more expensive as this inflation-hyperinflation rolls on.
Got extra socks and underwear?
Not to mention nice to be able to change clothing into a very different appearance.
A set of thrift store barely employed is sometimes a nice nearly invisible persona if you add a quarter in your shoe to encourage a shuffling limp. Glasses (even non-prescription) a hat and the COVID mask are a bonus.
I’ve shuffled past some of my coffee shop “Buddies” without comments.
good point. If they are looking for someone in jeans, red ball cap and a white short sleeve t-shirt, it could be a good idea to have a pair of khakis, black hat and a navy blue long sleeve in the vehicle as back up. Be the gray man.
I used to keep a change if clothes, including shoes, in my vehicle but I don’t now with a family… I need to get back into the habit.
I did the same, especially back when I worked jobs that required a uniform.
What size or model of vacuum sealer is suitable for clothing?
You can use those roll up bags that they sell for traveling. They work well and aren’t too expensive.
I use a Foodsaver unit with the 12″ bags. If you ROLL the clothes and seal them separately, they’ll fit in those bags. I keep a spare set of clothes in my vehicle’s bugout bag. You’d be surprised at how wrinkle-free they come out of those bags.
…Anyone who’s “trusted a fart” can appreciate having a spare set of pants and underwear around!!!
Hey, a good save. Similar happened to me years, a pants cut from right butt cheek to right knee (still have no clue how that happened, did not hear or feel a thing). I did not have any spare cover, so left the office to go home and return. Damn embarrassing that – glad you were spared the humiliation.
It wasnt so much me wanting to spare myself humiliation as much as it was me not wanting to intimidate anyone or make them feel inadequate.
From the great Irwin Fletcher: “It was something your wife said while we were in bed together. She said we had the same build. From the waist up I imagine.”
I question your tape measuring skills.
I’ve never tried it but my wife’s Food Saver will handle 11″ wide rolls. I’m pretty sure I could fold a pair of cargo pants down that small.
Bet those truckbox pants even had a fiat $20 and one Silver Eagle in the left front pocket. If they were mine they’d also have a Schrade Old Timer 3-blade stockman pocketknife in the right front. Great example of how prepping can save your bacon even if the world isn’t ending. 🙂
In lieu of a Vacuum Sealer, I store ‘extra’ Clothing in Vehicles and other Kits by Washing, Drying in the Sun, and then run in an Electric Dryer on Hot; then Immediately Fold and Bag in “Freezer-Grade” Ziplocks, pressing out all the air as possible. They tend to stay Tight for several Months or more. Sun and Heat are Important Treatments to Kill Bugs, Mildew, and remove Moisture.
What? No duct tape.
Why do personal bag. You know. Extra pants, shirt, socks, underwear. Shaving kit, first aid kit. Jacket. Shoes and/or boots.
Had a loss of clothes many years ago-was working for a tanker company and was doused with machine oil and metal shavings from a industrial cleanup. Clothes were completly unsaveable and with a temperature in the 20’s hypothermia was certain,luckily crew had a tyvek(paper) coveralls that prevented a dangerous situation to just uncomfortable. Have used the roll up style travel/storage bags to keep clothes ready. A good method of preparing is a “grunt roll” a t-shirt folded long ways with underwear and a pair of socks crosswise where when you roll it up tightly the open ends of the socks fold back over the roll to make convenient change of basics. May get a couple sets of the coveralls,may even work as snow camo.
There are clothing size bags that you suck the air out of with a vacuum cleaner that seem to work well. Gray Fox
I’ve had really bad results from those vacuum cleaner style bags. At most a 20% success rate. Some lose vacuum overnite, some take days or weeks. Frustrating. Gets expensive. Bags aren’t cheap.
Some I find ripped inside the box. Most have no evidence of where the problem is. Need to figure out how to pre-test them. Problem is coming up with a test fixture that has a reverse valve, and sticks to the bag so it can be pressurized. Testing it under vacuum would be more of a hassle. I’m assuming a seam leak, or pinhole. The fill valves look okay, generally.
I enjoy this banter. However, it also amuses me that you ran into the same problem I have – maybe a memory issue, but sort of forgetting what you have stashed away. Great job at having a cheat sheet to figure it out. I have created maps of my food stores, ammo boxes, etc. at locations I will not mention, but not of my clothing. Gonna work on that. Pisses the old lady off cause she has no closet space because of milk crates full of food, blankets, PPE, medical supplies, etc. etc….
Wait, I did give her one full closet wall for boxes of shoes..duh
When I used to wear a suit and travel, I did the following for accidental clothing emergencies:
1. Wore black/dark grey underwear.
2. Carried a few safety pins, a mini roll of duct tape, and a pair of black dress socks in my computer bag. You can cover up/patch up a lot with those three items.
I did actually have to use the duct tape a couple of times.
Now I travel with a complete set spare clothes and an old pair of running shoes in the truck.
My experience is that anything elastic is the first thing to break down in the spares. Elastic waistbanks in underwear, and socks are the first victims hear in the south.
Ah yes, the spare clothes! When the older two kids got their get home bags they were told to pack one complete change of clothes AND a jacket of some kind. I provided the basic first aid and a few other things, but the spare clothes were up to the kids, just whatever they wanted. Of course you end up recommending against the mini-skirt and tank top, but what is a parent to do? LOL!