View Full Version : Elegant container for small amounts of stuff.
David S.
09-18-2006, 18:02
I had heard of someone using a drinking staw to store stuff in. This is how I figured out a way to make a very nice durable ultralight container that will not leak and costs pennies to make.
948
Its just a drinking straw. Diamond brand. 1/4" in diameter. The cap is the rubber caps that you can get a Lows or Home Depot in the shelving area. The caps are used to protect people from the sharp ends of the wire shelving that have been cut.
The attatched photo is a 3 day supply of toothpaste. (depending on how much you use of course)
Fill a regular drinking staw with the amount of whatever you want by sucking or pouring the product in. Cut the staw to the desired length for your needs and take a pair of needle nose pliers and crimp one end shut and melt it closed with a lighter. Put the rubber cap on the other end and your done!
johnny quest
09-18-2006, 18:15
the rubber tip is a good idea. ive used two straws together before but have experienced leakage. i like your idea better.
in addition to toothpaste i keep petroleum jelly in like containers
briarpatch
09-19-2006, 10:04
I heat seal one end as described, then fold the other end over and put a rubber band around it.
i just use one of those half ziplock baggies for toothpaste - nice and simple and light
johnny quest
09-19-2006, 12:26
what is a half ziplock baggie?
i have one of those campmor toothbrushes with toothpaste coming out the handle. lot of trouble.
The half bags are the ziplock snack bags. I guess you could also look at smaller baggies like ones made to hold jewelry or coins etc.
freefall
09-19-2006, 22:36
I used straws to carry salt, pepper and other stuff in. But I used the straw to hold the straw closed. Just cut 2 3/8" pieces off, fold the ends of the remainder over and slide the cut off pieces as sleeves over the folds. Takes a little practice but never ever leaked.
Lanthar Mandragoran
09-20-2006, 20:28
I used straws to carry salt, pepper and other stuff in. But I used the straw to hold the straw closed. Just cut 2 3/8" pieces off, fold the ends of the remainder over and slide the cut off pieces as sleeves over the folds. Takes a little practice but never ever leaked.
That technique was my first though as well... might could combine that with heat sealing one end... might be a little more durable.
atraildreamer
09-23-2006, 07:00
The half bags are the ziplock snack bags. I guess you could also look at smaller baggies like ones made to hold jewelry or coins etc.
Walgreens sells mini-zip lock Easy-Dose pill bags. 50 for $2.99. Approximately 3" x 3". Very durable. :sun
trailale
09-26-2006, 19:47
Ok..I thought this was a great idea and spent the latter half of the day yesterday working on this. I even biught a mini heat sealer. Yes I need to get a life. But anyway...the heat sealer didn't work, just burnt right thru the straw. I tried the lighter, and with some difficulty I was able to get a seal, but it popped open easily when I squeezed the straw. I resorted to folding the end and using rubber bands, but then found that the rubber caps didn't fit right. Might I have better luck with a different brand of straws? The only ones I could find were cheapo ($1.02 for a bizillion) solo brand. Is the trick in using the needle nose pliers? I was burning free hand. This may seem like a petty post but I'd really like to use this idea so any feedback would be welcome.
Skidsteer
09-26-2006, 20:23
Ok..I thought this was a great idea and spent the latter half of the day yesterday working on this. I even biught a mini heat sealer. Yes I need to get a life. But anyway...the heat sealer didn't work, just burnt right thru the straw. I tried the lighter, and with some difficulty I was able to get a seal, but it popped open easily when I squeezed the straw. I resorted to folding the end and using rubber bands, but then found that the rubber caps didn't fit right. Might I have better luck with a different brand of straws? The only ones I could find were cheapo ($1.02 for a bizillion) solo brand. Is the trick in using the needle nose pliers? I was burning free hand. This may seem like a petty post but I'd really like to use this idea so any feedback would be welcome.
Try this on the end you intend to seal:
-Put the straw in the middle of a thick hardcover book.
-Leave about 1/8"-1/4" of the end you intend to seal protruding from the book.
-Place the book with straw atop a table and slide toward the edge so that the edge of the book and edge of the table are aligned and parallel.
-Hold your Bic 5-6" below the straw and gradually, slowly, carefully move upward while also moving the flame horizontally beneath the straw until the plastic begins to melt together.
-Wet your fingers and pinch the ends of the straw to get a good seal. Careful!
-When cool, dab on some waterproof Elmer's or other glue that you feel is safe to use.
Don't ask! :cool:
Oh yes! One more thing. Welcome to White Blaze. :welcome
vipahman
10-03-2006, 11:59
I love the drink straw idea. Ingenious!
trailale
10-05-2006, 20:53
Thanks for the welcome Skidsteer.
I've been playing around with the drink straw thing, and indeed heat shrink is the way to go. I also found that if the rubber caps are a little too small for your straws, they can be stretched out a little so they fit better. Thanks to David S. for the original post. I can finally ditch my bulky salt/pepper shaker.
trailale
10-16-2006, 10:26
One final post Re: this drink straw thing. If you are carrying bulky spices, use a tent peg to tamp the spices as you fill the straw. I havn't tried this, but I bet holes could be drilled thru an extra rubber cap to be used as a shaker top.
David S.
10-16-2006, 18:28
Hi guys, I just getting back to this thread and I am curious about how you are utilizing the heat shrink. Would love to try it but I'm not sure what your doing with it.
trailale
10-30-2006, 11:36
I bought some shrink tubing in the electric section of Home Depot. There is one size that fits the drink straws just right. I had to buy a variety pack with different sizes but that's no big deal cus it's real cheap and the stuff goes a long way when used in this capacity. Auto parts stores would have it too. I folded over one end of the straw, slipped on a section of the shrink tubing, and heated with a lighter while rolling the straw between thumb and forefinger.
Walgreens sells mini-zip lock Easy-Dose pill bags. 50 for $2.99. Approximately 3" x 3". Very durable. :sun
REI also has a good selection of mini and micro zip-locs in that size range.
Fiddleback
04-05-2007, 10:30
Check the Crafts sections of stores like Michaels, WalMart, etc. Lots of mini-ziplocs there, too.
FB
beamarshall
04-27-2007, 15:04
But are they food-safe? Emit innocuous gases into their contents or floro-cloro-whatever-ethane? best know at you are eatind!
betsy
Photofanatic
04-28-2007, 06:24
Ok..I thought this was a great idea and spent the latter half of the day yesterday working on this. I even biught a mini heat sealer. Yes I need to get a life. But anyway...the heat sealer didn't work, just burnt right thru the straw. I tried the lighter, and with some difficulty I was able to get a seal, but it popped open easily when I squeezed the straw. I resorted to folding the end and using rubber bands, but then found that the rubber caps didn't fit right. Might I have better luck with a different brand of straws? The only ones I could find were cheapo ($1.02 for a bizillion) solo brand. Is the trick in using the needle nose pliers? I was burning free hand. This may seem like a petty post but I'd really like to use this idea so any feedback would be welcome.
"Yes, I need to get a life."
Welcome to the our world. We are always trying to improve something or make something cheaper that works the same. They say the best inventions are improvement on someone elses invention. At least you spent your time constructively working on something. I on the other hand am vegging out until my jaw and face no longer feel as though someone took a sledge hammer to it.
Oh, yea I did do something constructive. I can only eat soft food at the time so I worked on perfect trail rice with the goal of using little fuel, short cooking time and real rice. Not minute rice. My solution is as follows. This works for all rice, basmati, short grain or long grain and wild rice etc.
Soak rice for at least an hour while you are hiking. When you are ready to cook it drain off all of the water. Put rice in pot with exactly the same amount of water as rice. 1:1 (1 cup of rice and 1 cup of water). Bring to a boil, take a quick peek under the lid to see if it is boiling. Reduce the heat to keep it cooking but not boiling, the equivilent of medium heat. Cook for 6 minutes. Take pot of heat. Do not lift lid, let stand for 5 minutes and your rice will be done all the way through. Not sticky at all, fluffy from the top to the bottom and nothing stuck to your pot. I added butter and was able to eat it one grain at a time but at least it was real food.
As for your invention, when you are out and about. Pick up straws from the fast food places, or convenience stores. Then you can test lots of sources without buying billions of straws that may not work for what you want.
Great idea. Thanks David S and Trailale.
Get a life???? LOL.
Hey FD, picture this, mad hiking scientists in the cave. Freeze-dried bat wings in the pot, blue flames curling up and the roar of a svea. Little bits of pepsi cans on the floor, ramen wrappers on the wall, mouse jerky recipes and candle powered dehydrator, scale in micro-ounces, an ancient singer sewing machine pumped by a flying monkey.
Who is this?
I see those extra long fat straws for the super-duper giant soft drink cups at truck stops, they're at least a foot long. Packed with much gatorade and crystal light.
But are they food-safe? Emit innocuous gases into their contents or floro-cloro-whatever-ethane? best know at you are eatind!
betsy
Are you serious:confused:
Some the junk I've eaten and the places it has come from ,would make you shiver;)
Dances with Mice
04-28-2007, 09:35
But are they food-safe? Emit innocuous gases into their contents or floro-cloro-whatever-ethane? best know at you are eatind!
betsyThey may allow some seepage of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide into the container. All those are innocuous (http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?innocuous)gases.
sparky2000
04-28-2007, 12:17
Will powdered baking soda in a zip lock do for tooth paste and soap?