TravelVac Test Fired by Hunting & Fishing: ‘GET AHEAD OF THE GAME’
TravelVac 12 Volt Portable Vacuum Sealer – Testfire, By Leigh Sirett, Otaki Hunting & Fishing NZ.
“Unreal piece of kit. When I first got this sealer I tested it on an empty coke can at the office to see how powerful the vacuum was. The coke can didn’t stand a chance, the can was crushed in the vacuum seal bag through the sheer power of the vacuum pump on the sealer. From here I was so excited to try it on some fresh vennie. Key features include the built in battery, making this unit fully portable. As well as the USB power source to charge – whether that’s your ute, laptop, solar powerbank, or standard USB wall adapter.
For those that don’t vacuum pack your food, you’re missing out on preserving the quality of your catch or the spoils from your hunt. The key to all good preserving is removing as much oxygen from the vacuum sleeve as possible to reduce food oxidation. The solution to removing air starts with a quality unit, then good quality bags through to a strong sealing machine to lock out the air and lock in the flavour. A big fear that’s prevented some people from not using a vacuum sealer is perhaps a misunderstanding that there is extra admin involved in processing your own food this way, however this unit is super simple and fast with no messy clean-ups!
Being fully portable is an absolute winner. It becomes the ultimate accessory at the campground or any other place where you have things fish or game to process and no power source. Imagine this at duck-shooting or on the boat. You’ve had some luck on the mallards, breasted them in the field when they’ve cooled down, then straight into the vacuum sealer out in the field. Or used a remote outdoors bench to fillet-off the snaps having first chilled them off on ice on the boat, then pop straight into the vacuum bags where you’ve filleted – reducing mess at home and meaning you can relax sooner after the trip. With nothing to attract flies at home you’ll also be keeping the family happy, with the cleanup as simple as bringing the fish frames home wrapped in newspaper ready for dumping in the wheely bin! Taking the portable sealer on a recent fly-fishing trip to Turangi I was able to pack down some beautiful rainbows on ice back at the ute after fishing. This kept them super fresh and preserved the quality of the fish so when it’s served up with friends and family back home a few days later it tastes like it’s just come out of the river. This is super convincing but for the best results Zero Pac suggest slightly pre freezing your meat allowing the meat to retain the moisture getting an even better seal.
This sealer is a super powerful .8bar tough built unit. Vacuum modes for dry, moist, pulse and canister. Pulse mode gives great control for more delicate foods as the .8bar will crush soft or delicate foods like lettuce for example. Takes both pre-made bags or invest in the whole rolls so you can seal your bags to the desired length. The sealer is a single strip sealer so if you like double seals you’ll need to heat seal it twice. Not that I think you’ll need to double-seal as not one seal has given way on any of the vennie front and hind leg meat I’ve processed once sealed up, versus my previous sealer where the odd bag would break a seal after a few days especially on a wet seal – but not this guy. Invest in this unit as after all, getting the most from what you harvest is what its really all about. Then enjoy packing/preserving your game over a couple of frothy lemonades with a few mates this season, with the satisfaction of knowing you are doing full justice to whatever you have just caught or hunted.