I packed some loaded mags a couple years ago in a vacuum sealed (heat) bag
while going through things yesterday, discovered that it had failed

these were commercial vac-bags, with the mesh(~) interior.

is this typical? is there some secret method I should brush up on?

After we used up the original vacuum bags with our sealer i bought similar bags from ebay because they were cheaper and suppose to be just as good..

I have also noticed that they dont hold a seal very well at times..  I have started making the back long and then double sealing them on each end after i vacuum them..

Im not sure what the 'mesh' is for, but i also found that it likes to stick to frozen foods until they thaw completely..

I doubt that I will by the mesh kind again.. I think it could be the ' you get what you pay for' scenario.

Brian

IIRC, these are seal-a-meal bags

the "mesh" (grid) inside the bag is to help get all the air out.

vacuum empties the bag real well, but I think we're all looking for a seal that lasts.