Thanks, I've been thinking of getting one of those vacuum sealers. They're surprisingly expensive but might be worth the cost because homemade jerky is so much tastier than any commercial jerky I've tried. When I've put my dehydrated vegetables and meats in the freezer in ordinary ziplock bags, sometimes they keep okay but sometimes they form ice crystals that cause spoilage after the bags are taken out to room temperature. Foods in ziplocks seem to keep better in the fridge than the freezer.

I've tried those commercial pemmican bars and hope never to again: imagine eating dry mud mixed with sugar. And yes, they contain dried fruit. I had dried fruit in all my resupply boxes along the CT, and that should be enough for a lifetime. All I wanted was Fritos, hummus and other savories. I'm planning four long hikes next year and might go stoveless on the JMT, so some tasty meal bars would be a great addition to summer sausage, cheese blocks, nuts, rehydrated beans etc.