Tobacco Pouches: Better Than a Ziploc?

[makhorkasmoker]

I use quart-sized Ziploc freezer bags for tobacco pouches. There are good things and bad things to be said for this practice.

The good things are many. A ziploc holds a lot of tobacco, enough to last me a week or more. If it's windy, I don't have to worry about tobacco blowing away (as a might with a tin). I dip the pipe in, load, stick the pipe in my mouth, close the bag. No tobacco lost. If it's rainy, I don't have to worry about tobacco getting wet. I just hold the bag a little sideways.

If I don't have a flat surface nearby, it's no problem. I hold the bag with one hand, dip my pipe and load it with a press of the finger.

Once I'm smoking, I can jam the bag into my coat pocket, or my satchel, or the saddle bag on my motorcycle. It's compact, and tough enough that I don't have to worry about it busting open.

The Ziploc is the closest thing I have found to those wonderful tobacco pouches pipe smokers used for much of the twentieth century--those big floppy ones made of latex-lined sealskin or cloth, with a flap and a string.

The bad:

Ziplocs aren't pretty. I don't worry too much about that.

They need changing out fairly often. I don't worry about that either.

But for me there is one major disadvantage to the ziploc tobacco pouch. It's such a problem that I'm writing this post, hoping some of you might suggest a better alternative.

The problem is that ziploc bags are not smell proof.

Don't get me wrong. Smelling slightly of the burley in my pocket is no big deal. But if I shove my Ziploc pouch into a saddlebag and take off on a long moto camping trip, my tobacco will eventually begin to take on the odors of camping gear, moto gear, greasy tools, freeze dried vegetables, dirty laundry--and even worse things. In my experience, once such odors get into the tobacco, there's no getting rid of them. I have a choice of smoking a really nasty unintentional aro, or throwing it away.

So I'm looking into alternatives to the ziploc tobacco pouch. Ideally i'd like it to have all the advantages of the ziploc while preventing my tobacco from smelling and tasting bad. And if it looks good, so much the better.

I consider mylar, which I know many of you use for cellaring. But the metal looks stiff, maybe rough on the fingers.

I look at those "re-usable" ziplocs, made of heavier material, but I don't know that they'd solve the smell problem.

I really like those old school plaid tobacco pouches, lined with latex, vinyl, or PVC, but most I see look kinda small, and I doubt they'd solve the odor problem. I guess I could refill the plaid pouch or some other real tobacco pouch from a mylar bag every day... But it seems complicated after the simplicity of the Ziploc.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[PaulRVA]

Ahh, The good Ole Codger Scoop !
I love pouches for my bulk blends.
No, I absolutely adore them.
Several recommendations
1. Greg Polla at Merchant Service Pipes has some affordable but good pouches.
2. Northwest Gentleman however he hasn’t had any in stock for quite awhile. ( maybe email him)
3. Martin Wess a little pricy but worth the money.
4. Dunhill Rotator Pouch
They do work great in a fishing vest, sport coat or a cargo pocket!

Not a Pouch but Pocket Jars work well too !

 

[Auxsender]

Have you tried double bagging the heavy duty ziplocks? If that doesn’t work, try keeping the tobacco pouch away from stinky things but maybe that’s not possible.

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

Up until you noted motorcycle adventures I was thinking why not just keep in a ziplock or better yet, a two piece mason jar. But with your adventures why not try a classic tobacco pouch? If you’re concerned about smells look into products made for those who consume the devils lettuce. I don’t want to talk about cannabis but regardless of your views on it there are people and companies out there making quality smell proof pouches. I’d look into those as I have myself but have yet to buy anything so I don’t have any good recs.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

I use quart-sized Ziploc freezer bags for tobacco pouches. There are good things and bad things to be said for this practice.

The good things are many. A ziploc holds a lot of tobacco, enough to last me a week or more. If it's windy, I don't have to worry about tobacco blowing away (as a might with a tin). I dip the pipe in, load, stick the pipe in my mouth, close the bag. No tobacco lost. If it's rainy, I don't have to worry about tobacco getting wet. I just hold the bag a little sideways.

If I don't have a flat surface nearby, it's no problem. I hold the bag with one hand, dip my pipe and load it with a press of the finger.

Once I'm smoking, I can jam the bag into my coat pocket, or my satchel, or the saddle bag on my motorcycle. It's compact, and tough enough that I don't have to worry about it busting open.

The Ziploc is the closest thing I have found to those wonderful tobacco pouches pipe smokers used for much of the twentieth century--those big floppy ones made of latex-lined sealskin or cloth, with a flap and a string.

The bad:

Ziplocs aren't pretty. I don't worry too much about that.

They need changing out fairly often. I don't worry about that either.

But for me there is one major disadvantage to the ziploc tobacco pouch. It's such a problem that I'm writing this post, hoping some of you might suggest a better alternative.

The problem is that ziploc bags are not smell proof.

Don't get me wrong. Smelling slightly of the burley in my pocket is no big deal. But if I shove my Ziploc pouch into a saddlebag and take off on a long moto camping trip, my tobacco will eventually begin to take on the odors of camping gear, moto gear, greasy tools, freeze dried vegetables, dirty laundry--and even worse things. In my experience, once such odors get into the tobacco, there's no getting rid of them. I have a choice of smoking a really nasty unintentional aro, or throwing it away.

So I'm looking into alternatives to the ziploc tobacco pouch. Ideally i'd like it to have all the advantages of the ziploc while preventing my tobacco from smelling and tasting bad. And if it looks good, so much the better.

I consider mylar, which I know many of you use for cellaring. But the metal looks stiff, maybe rough on the fingers.

I look at those "re-usable" ziplocs, made of heavier material, but I don't know that they'd solve the smell problem.

I really like those old school plaid tobacco pouches, lined with latex, vinyl, or PVC, but most I see look kinda small, and I doubt they'd solve the odor problem. I guess I could refill the plaid pouch or some other real tobacco pouch from a mylar bag every day... But it seems complicated after the simplicity of the Ziploc.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

You can definitely spend more money on a nice leather tobacco pouch, but it won't out perform a Freezer Ziplock

 

[makhorkasmoker]

Ahh, The good Ole Codger Scoop !
I love pouches for my bulk blends.
No, I absolutely adore them.
Several recommendations
1. Greg Polla at Merchant Service Pipes has some affordable but good pouches.
2. Northwest Gentleman however he hasn’t had any in stock for quite awhile. ( maybe email him)
3. Martin Wess a little pricy but worth the money.
4. Dunhill Rotator Pouch
They do work great in a fishing vest, sport coat or a cargo pocket!

Not a Pouch but Pocket Jars work well too !

Love those merchant service silk pouches. Very tempted by one of those

 

[Waning Embers]

The problem is that ziploc bags are not smell proof.

Neither are tobacco pouches.

 

[doug535]

How about a plastic screw lid jar, big enough to put your ziplock in, for tossing in the saddlebag. You can take it out when not riding.

 

[Scrapyard Ape]

Not sure if this the kind of thing you want, but the products are customizable and they don't have order minimums.

Custom Packaging, Bags, Pouches - The Packaging Lab - https://www.thepkglab.com/

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I prefer my tobacco dry, so I’m not worried. I sometimes use old tins, tobacco pouches, or whatever is handy.

If you are smoking from the pouch, there’s really not much of an issue, unless it will take you over a year to smoke it.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

Up until you noted motorcycle adventures I was thinking why not just keep in a ziplock or better yet, a two piece mason jar. But with your adventures why not try a classic tobacco pouch? If you’re concerned about smells look into products made for those who consume the devils lettuce. I don’t want to talk about cannabis but regardless of your views on it there are people and companies out there making quality smell proof pouches. I’d look into those as I have myself but have yet to buy anything so I don’t have any good recs.

thank you. I have been reading up on these after your post. Apparently these bags rely on a layer of activated carbon. The carbon can be reactivated by heating up the bag in the sun, a dryer, etc. How long it will continue to work, I don’t know, but it’s an interesting alternative I have not considered before

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

A Scotte pipe kit has a two pipe holder and small tobacco pouch that fits in the travel case. The accessories are worth the price of admission.

 

[PiperdownCan]

My 2c for what its worth - the trifold pouches with rubber lining keep the moisture in pretty well, zippered ones aren’t worth using.

There‘s also a product called Jyarz for weed which are awesome little containers, glass inner with tough plastic outer and very good seals on them.

 

[PaulRVA]

Just a thought but Pocket Jar now has the large tube versions for cigars. Those would hold a lot and ride in a saddlebag etc pretty well.

 

[Sobrbiker]

Just a thought but Pocket Jar now has the large tube versions for cigars. Those would hold a lot and ride in a saddlebag etc pretty well.

@makhorkasmoker-And you could roll up your ziplock and stick it in the tube.
Out of tube and in pocket for codger scoop ease while ambling off scoot, in tube in saddlebag and safe from tobac taking on odors.

 

[PaulRVA]

@makhorkasmoker-And you could roll up your ziplock and stick it in the tube.
Out of tube and in pocket for codger scoop ease while ambling off scoot, in tube in saddlebag and safe from tobac taking on odors.

I love my Leather Pouches and see the Tobacco Odor as a right of passage.
As a matter of fact my Sister In Law was all over my Wallet yesterday at lunch because of the tobacco odor.
She said Daaaamn what’s that and I said what ? Ohh that! That’s called HU Director’s Cut and she responded with keep smoking that !

 

[Sobrbiker]

View attachment 412534
I love my Leather Pouches and see the Tobacco Odor as a right of passage.
As a matter of fact my Sister In Law was all over my Wallet yesterday at lunch because of the tobacco odor.
She said Daaaamn what’s that and I said what ? Ohh that! That’s called HU Director’s Cut and she responded with keep smoking that !

Tobacco odor=good; swampy saddlebags odor getting into tobacco=bad
I believe that was the gist of the OP’s quandary.

Now, onto the issue of a sister in law sniffing your wallet….I could somehow see that not turning out well

 

[PaulRVA]

Tobacco odor=good; swampy saddlebags odor getting into tobacco=bad
I believe that was the gist of the OP’s quandary.

Now, onto the issue of a sister in law sniffing your wallet….I could somehow see that not turning out well

Ahh, swampy saddlebags must be a Pan or a Shovelhead.

 

[Sig]

You might want to look into silicone freezer bags. The smell will not be an issue.
They come in all sizes, shapes, thickness, closure type, colors....
You can keep garlic in them with absolutely zero smell escaping.
I'd ASSUME they will keep smells out too.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

You might want to look into silicone freezer bags. The smell will not be an issue.
They come in all sizes, shapes, thickness, closure type, colors....
You can keep garlic in them with absolutely zero smell escaping.
I'd ASSUME they will keep smells out too.

Thank you. I’ve been reading up on the silicone ziplocks, as well as other reusable ziplocks made out other materials—except Mylar as I don’t wanna be dealing with sharp metal edges multiple times a day . I’m not sure which are best—but I may just start with some silicone and go from there