Quote Originally Posted by Tenson View Post
Actually I'm curious how any hose soft enough to bend easily can support a vacuum inside without squashing closed?
With a vacuum inside a circular hose you've got inwards pointing radial forces, so a circle is the strongest shape to use. Bending the hose is not the same, as you're applying the force in different directions.

Bear in mind that at best the difference in pressure from your vacuum approaches atmospheric presssure. This is much smaller than for example an air compressor where over 10 times atmospheric pressure is common.