Easy way to open breather bags

[whuntley]

I found the small (unprinted) bags are very difficult to open.

When I am bagging fish, I don't like any delays or slowdowns that further stress the fish. As a result, I tinkered with various ways to get the bags opened quickly and smoothly, so I can squirt in the proper amount of prepared shipping water.

Wetting and rubbing the edge did, eventually get one bag open, but it was pretty unreliable and too slow.

The way to do it is to apply two pieces of Scotch Magic Tape (actually any tape with good "sticky") to opposite sides of the end you think opens. If it does not when you pull the two tapes apart, then use the other end and it will open. Misalign the tapes so a major portion doesn't overlap and you have two areas to grab for the separation. It is quicker and easier to do than to describe.

Wright

[RonWill]

Too 'academic', Wright. Treat it as you would with plastic bags hung on-a-roll at the grocery section and rub the bag between your palms. Opens up like a charm... better than Ali Baba's "Open Sashimi" (or was that "Sesame" )

[whuntley]

Perhaps that works for you, and it does for me on the printed bags.

My clear bags don't even begin to open under that treatment. Maybe they are from an older stock?

Wright

[RonWill]

From what I understand, the clear bags are earlier in production than those with prints, perhaps not as old as the ones you experienced when breather bags first became available (IIRC, some tore, ruptured?)

Aside from having to separate clear bags along the perforation, the rub-between-palm works for both types.

I was speculating perhaps you have beefy fingers, thus less user friendly? Humidity might cause some plastics or vinyl to 'stick' but from where you are, that wouldn't be possible either.

[whuntley]

Could it be the other way around? Humidity is typically between 10-15%, but the swamp cooler must run it up a whole lot.

Wright