Resealable plastic bags, commonly called zip lock bags (after the brand, Ziploc), are one of the most common household kitchen items there are. Their ability to seal out air and water, while conforming to a shape, makes it extremely useful for storing leftover food items. While their initial usefulness is clear, it’s prepper usefulness can be easily forgotten.
Zip lock bags serve one incredibly helpful purpose, they’re waterproof. While usually this is meant to keep your food safe, this can keep literally anything safe from liquids. Are you hiking and it starts to rain? Put that cell phone in a bag! Need to kayak/canoe along a river at your remote bug out location? Bag it up! Literally anything that needs to stay dry, you can store it in a bag. This is ideally when setting up a bug out bag, or an emergency car kit, because you never know when or what conditions you’ll be in when you need it.
You don’t need to be preemptively storing your belongings in the bags at all times. With the exception of important dry items (like matches), you can simply have a roll of these bags stored away with your other preparedness kits. Keeping a box of Ziplocs in your car or with your camping gear will make you the hero of the day next time the rain falls.
Don’t sleep on the zip locks, preppers.