The free, fold flat, 18 gram camping cup

MeZillch has a new video up about collapsible water bottles. In it, he demonstrates squishing down a juice box to fit in an Altoids Tin.

That got me wondering: what if I lopped off the top of an empty soy milk carton? Would that leave me with a useful container?

Fortunately, we had just finished a box of soy milk, so this was an easy test to run. I peeled up the corners of the now empty carton, which allowed me to flatten it with ease. I then cut the top of the container off. After giving it a through washing, here's what I ended up with:

And there you have it: a free, fold flat, 18 gram cup!

Over the last week I've folded and unfolded it a number of times, and it still hasn't leaked. I even poured boiling water into it with no (visible) ill side effects.

I wouldn't want to depend on this as a primary container while camping, but given how lightweight and packable it is, it seems like an ideal sidekick.

Poking around the web, I learned that re-using these containers is Totally a Thing. From vases to a slick coin purse, people make amazing things these out of Tetra Brik packaging. Basically, any project that calls for a durable and possibly water-tight square shaped form is a good candidate for reuse. As for me, my projects tend to far more crude, but no less fun or functional.