≡ Menu

How to Turn a Plastic Bag into a Cup

Turn a Plastic Bag into a Cup- Travel Tip #9 Have you found yourself at a water source with the desire to carry water with you but without anything to carry it in? Are you at a stream in the middle of the woods with a water filter but without a receptacle to filter to? [...]

Support VBJ’s writing on this blog:

Turn a Plastic Bag into a Cup- Travel Tip #9

Have you found yourself at a water source with the desire to carry water with you but without anything to carry it in? Are you at a stream in the middle of the woods with a water filter but without a receptacle to filter to? Do you need something to do with all of those plastic shopping bags that you have forced upon you every time you buy something? Or maybe you just need a stinking cup?

If so, then this travel tip is for you. How to turn a plastic bag into a cup- Honduras style.

I am currently in Northern Honduras working on an archaeology project at Copan. The most of the other archaeology crew members are Honduran rancheros with big white cowboy hats, button up plaid cowboy shirts, and cowboy boots. The men are cowboys in Honduras. What else can I say?

Well, these cowboys have a taste for Coca-Cola, and every time they take a break from excavating a skeleton or restoring an ancient stone wall, they drink down a couple bottles of pop using nothing other than plastic artifact bags as cups.

How to turn a plastic bag into a cup

This is how it is done:

1. Pick up plastic bag – I think just about any sort without holes will do – with the open end pointing up.

2. Fill bag with liquid.

3. Tie top of bag closed securely.

4. Turn contents of bag upside down so that the knot is now at the bottom.

5. Bite off a corner and drink away.

You have now just utilized a plastic bag as a cup.

You may occasionally find yourself without a water bottle while traveling, but, rest assured, you will probably never be without a plastic bag.

[adsense]A plastic bag could be more than just bag, things can be more than they appear, as Ubertramp says, “Dual purpose bonus!” Thanks to the Honduran capesinos who showed me this little trick. I will probably someday be a little less thirsty of a vagabond because of it.

As always, take this travel tip and use it, or leave it to adorn the trees of the developing world along with all of those other under-utilized and discarded plastic shopping bags.

Smiles,

Wade

www.Vagabondjourney.com

Filed under: Food, Travel Gear, Travel Tips

About the Author:

I am the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. I’ve been traveling the world since 1999, through 91 countries. I am the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China and have written for The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. has written 3699 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

Support VBJ’s writing on this blog:

VBJ is currently in: New York City

1 comment… add one

Leave a Comment

Cancel reply

  • Chris November 24, 2009, 1:51 pm

    Hey,

    Firstly, brilliant website! I know this article is a bit old but just a suggestion – a good bit of travel gear is a straw. Sometimes if you buy a bottled drink from a shop they've kept the bottles in dirty water although the seal is fine and the water inside is okay the water around the mouth piece outside the seal could be dirty, sometimes nice shopkeepers open the bottle for you and wipe the top with a cloth (which could be dirty). You could also drink straight from a plastic bag with a straw, among many other examples.

    Also if you carry a tin cup and boil water/tea/coffee directly over a fire then the metal could be too hot to hold or put your mouth against, and while the drink is just warm enough to drink (especially in cold weather when you don't want to wait for the cup to cool down) a straw will let you get at the drink without burning yourself from the metal.

    The straw is so light and easy to clean. On this note I also recommend chopsticks (if you get a thick straw you can slip your chopsticks into your straw to stop them snapping), if you know how to use them then you cook with them (stir, flip meat, scramble eggs, etc), use them to eat… and if you get bored you can practice drumming a beat while your pots are drying before being packed away.

    Cheers and happy travels,

    Chris.

    Link Reply