Does anyone use a Foodsaver to vacuum-seal their food? I'm thinking of using something like this as an alternative to MRE's or freeze-died food.

I have one. I seal meats and other stuff in it for freezing. Stuff definitely lasts longer when you take out as much air as possible. It lowers the risk of freezer burn, but doesn't eliminate it when storing stuff in an auto-defrost freezer. Things like breads are tough to do, because the vacuum process sucks all the air out of the bread. But it still preserves it and it tastes fine, even if it has a dense sort of texture. I recommend staying away from breads, pastries, etc.

It works great for bulk meats. I have not used it for anything I didn't freeze, except for non-food items (BOB clothes, dryer lint for tinder, etc.).

Is there a particular Foodsaver brand or model number you would recommend?

I have the base mode, the V2450. It works great...no complaints. If you're vacuum bagging, I don't know that any other models would be better. If you're using canister attachments, or want additional features, such as automatic liquid detection, etc., then you can look into other models. For what I use mine for (mostly meats), the base model is great.

I found this review page:

http://www.galttech.com/research/household-DIY-tools/best-vacuum-sealer-bags.php

They didn't mention your model, but did recommend the V2840 model - a mid-range unit. They said it costs around $150, but on Amazon it is currently sells for $210.

We have the Sears Kenmore "Select Seal and Save". We've been using it for 3 years mostly for freezing meat and veggies, but we also vacuum pack the fruit and veggies that I dehydrate. It was $90 when we bought it. They didn't have it in the store, we had to order it online.

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And To The Republic For Which It Used To Stand

We have a foodsaver sealer at home. I'm not sure what model it is, but we got it at Kohl's. It works well but we don't do a ton of sealing. We should use it more.

I did use it once to make some homemade MRE's, about a year or so ago, and they are still sealed up nicely with no air getting in. Still a very tight vacuum seal.

I think the unit was about $129.

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If it's in your pack, but you don't know how to use it...it's useless. So, always test your skills as a form of preparation...Don't wait until your life depends on it. That's a lesson you don't want to learn the hard way.