I used to use the mesh because I thought it would help spread the spores. But when I'd get home I found the mesh had ground the ridges off a lot of my shrooms. I'd have a few ounces of waste from a 1 pound bag. To hell with that. I use plastic and I don't care what anyone tells you: spores are so small that the slightest breeze can send them MILES away, and that's not just my opinion. Ask anyone with a mycology degree. (Yes I know a guy). If u are concerned about spores being stuck in a plastic bag, just do what I do- every time I open the bag to put in more mush I give it a good gust of breath. And when I get home I transfer my quarry to a paper bag and loosely fold the top down and stick em in the fridge till I want to cook em. I've kept fresh ones for two weeks in a paper bag, any longer than that then u better dry them or cook and freeze them. And as for the lack of finds the last few years, the drought of 2012 is def partly to blame. In hard times like this, u gotta stick it out, find new spots with prime conditions. I've only found a few pounds this year and I've had to put in over 20 hrs of searching to find them. Yeah I wish I had more, but a bad day walking in the woods beats a good day doing anything else for me...