I’ve always joked about wanting an extra set of hands to hold bags open while I put stuff in them. And the problem is even worse on the boat, as I store more stuff in plastic bags to save room in the refrigerator, Dave is often doing something else, and the slightest little motion of the boat will tip over the bag that I stood up on the counter. Of course, dog Paz loves the spillage potential.
Longtime reader Diane Dashevsky to the rescue! She left a note on a post with her favorite galley gadget — an extra set of hands that costs just $6. “Works like a charm…one of the coolest things I’ve gotten for the galley!” she told me.
It definitely works best with Ziploc-type bags as opposed to ones without a “ridge” at the top and it also is best with quart or gallon size bags. And note that you can’t just dump stuff in any old way — you do still have to be at least a little careful so you don’t pull the bag out of the hands. But it makes the job a lot easier than just trying to stand a bag upright and pour something in without any assistance!
The arm length is adjustable, but you do have to be somewhat gentle in making adjustments so as not to strip the plastic. Rubber around the bottom makes it non-slip on the counter (always a HUGE factor on a boat).
Overall, this looks like a neat little gadget to me, particularly if you use as many storage bags as I do — and don’t always have someone else available to hold the bag open!
- Jokari Bag Holder on Amazon (about $6 with FREE shipping)
NOTE: see how I use this for garbage.

Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Judie Ashford says
I keep a lot of things in heavy plastic bags in our motorhome, and even at home I find that an extra pair of hands is busy doing something else. So I put the plastic bag into a one-quart or two-quart bowl. Bonus if I can fold the top of the bag over the rim of the bowl. I usually use a regular food storage bag (without a zip top) to directly hold the food, and then put that into the more expensive heavy-duty plastic bag. Saves washing the heavy one, which saves water! The double bagging system also seems to keep food fresher just a bit longer, especially if you can press the air out of the inner bag around the food. This is especially efficacious with unsauced pasta leftovers, which are pure gold for making another meal very quickly and easily. Think eggs, cheese, leftover veggies!!
Sara Peterson says
I just picked one up at Publix near the ziplocks. It was $4.99 and it works like a charm as advertised. For $4.99 I couldn’t pass it up. : )
Christine Barber says
Cool tool! I am usually forced to use what I have on hand, so I put my zip lock bag in a canning jar talked with a canning funnel… works like a charm!