A hand operated pump for evacuating air from a vacuum container having: (1) a barrel defining a conduit therethrough; (2) a plunger having a hand at one end and a piston at the opposite end, the plunger mounted within the barrel and capable of moving reciprocatingly within the plunger; (3) a cap closing a first end of the barrel and having an opening to receive and guide the plunger; and (4) an adapter connected to a second end of the barrel for engaging a valve on a vacuum container.