At the outset I'd like to say this is a joint effort between many people in the Survival Forum here on AR15.com - I posted it but I want to give credit where it is due, to many smart people who come here to talk about common interests, and thanks to Feral for blessing off on it.  I hope newcomers get their questions answered here.

New Information as of May 23, 2014 - here is an excellent JLC review of several modern cans.  Here.

First question (the one that comes up most often) Where do I get them?!!!Answer:
link

and get NATO Jerry cans here...." target="_blank">Get Scepter MFCs here.  linkand get NATO Jerry cans here....</a>  As for "Stock-Number" - I am not sure how they were able to sell to civies for the length of time they did, but as of February 4, 2011 it appears they have stopped.  As you can see from additional posts below, there are other sources to get NATO cans and another type of container called "Blitz can" and these sources come and go, so take your pick.  At this point, I am not aware of a source for legally obtained Scepter MFCs, and as a result used ones may hit $75.00 again, and therefore I have no problem recommending the Steel Nato "Jerry cans" as they are superior to MFCs in my opinion anyway.

Which are better, Scepter MFCs or steel Jerry cans?
Answer: they both work for the intended purpose. MFCs swell with gas and sometimes with diesel too in hot weather - but never rust. Some leak, some don't. The Viton seal on a gas is designed for gas: if you put gas in a diesel can it will eventually cause the seal to fail. The Steel Jerry cans don't swell up but some require a touch of paint here and there periodically.  The main problem with older Jerry cans is they are lined with some form of layered material that can (and does) chip off.  Once the liner material becomes unstable and begins to chip, the interior of the can can oxidize and contribute to rusting of the can.    The water cans have a similar lining that has possibly changed in nature over the decades, but it is a food grade lining of unknown origin.  There are also French wife cans out there that become available from time to time with this food grade liner that should be inspected prior to purchase.  If you have more cans than you have floor space, Jerry cans and Blitz cans (discussed below) are actually stackable in a couple of different ways....MFCs are not.  And if you lay them on their side and stack them, when they swell from petrol offgassing, they won't be stabile and may fall.

What about Blitz cans?
answer: Here is the Blitz website.    The modern "Blitz can" is different than the traditional "Blitz style" can which had a flat face and a relatively large bung hole.  "Bung" is the threaded opening in the can that receives the lid or nozzle.  If you look about halfway down the page, you will see the red can that is labeled "obsolete - discontinued"  this is what most people think of as a blitz can.  I have some that are decades old.  The rest of the cans displayed on Blitz' website are modern attempts to comply with CARB.

Why so damn expensive? Answer: Market demand over the last few years has driven the price up, plus CARB regs made them contra legem..... There was a mad rush a year or so ago that drove the price up even more.

Why do my new carb compliant cans leak more than MFCs ever did?
Answer: facepalm. we don't know. why come here and ask that? GD is thataway...

Why did the government do this?
Answer: By product of environmental regulation and law happy lawmakers.  The old style cans were said to leak quite a bit when you attempted to pour them.  There was some sloshing involved.  The CARB complaint cans are known to leak/slosh just as much as the MFCs and now you are stuck with a crappy can.  Government at it's finest.

How much does a gallon of gas weigh anyway?  
6.073 pounds per US Gallon.
So doing the math, a typical 5 gallon container weights a tad over 30.36 pounds.   Some folks are tempted to store fuel in larger containers, but consider that if you bump up to a 10 gallon HDPE container, you are dealing with 60.73 pounds.  If you are injured, or if you are relying on your spouse to help move, you just limited the portability of your fuel.

Why not just get a water can and fill it with gas/diesel?the water cans are based on a pressure seal, there is no gasket.  You will ruin the can for it's intended purpose and on top of that you will have a can that leaks if you move them around or put them in a warm enviroment which causes excessive pressure which water cans were not designed to withstand.  The handles on water cans and fuel cans are different (one main handle on water, three on fuel) so that in in the dark you can tell if you are grabbing the correct can.

What is the difference between the gaskets?
answer: Cans designed for petrol have a substance called "Viton" that forms the seal.  If you are rehabilitating an old MFC for gas/petrol, you need a Viton Gasket.  A member here going by "Vatopa" is the gasket man and can probably get you what you need.  "Pish posh" you say.  "I'll just skip the Viton upgrade and use my regular MFCs for Petrol!!!  I'll show them!"  OK.  but you are going to crack your flange and have to replace the flange portion of the lid AND buy the proper Viton gasket.  So why not just buy Viton to begin with?  Here's a case in point.  

The MFCs that hold diesel have a form of rubber gasket.  Obviously if you put petrol in a can with a rubber gasket, the petrol (or according to Vatopa the additives in the patrol) will begin to break the rubber down and degrade it, causing leaks.  The water cans have a friction seal instead of a gasket.  This means they are not generally suitable for anything but water for long term storage.  

Other than that, if I insist on using water cans for gas, are water cans and MFCs made out of the same material?  
yes.

Where would I get water cans?
Try LCI

Regarding water cans, some have "Scepter" on them and some have "LCI" - so are LCI cans and Scepter water cans the same?Answer: depends on who you ask...I have both and my Scepters don't leak, but I have 2 LCIs that do.  They look different side by side.  New production may look identical, but at some point they were different.  For my money, buy Scepter if you can but in the end, both will probably do just fine.  I will say the Scepter water cans are vastly more expensive, but if we are talking emergency drinking water, go with what you trust.

Found some old cans and bought them - now I see they have RUST inside...how do I fix this?
Answer: Quarterbore linked to a prior discussion on this, for convenience I will repost it here.

HELP!  My MFC Lid is STUCK!  
ANSWER: get a strap wrench.  
Awesome technical data below....Thanks Coltrifle!

For those that are interested, Rover Parts has the Valpro NATO fuel cans back in stock again (they were cleaned out after the recent pipeline issue).

https://www.roverparts.com/off-road-accessories/jerry-cans/GJC20K4/

That's not a bad price. About what I paid for mine 12 years ago.

They're legit Wavian cans for sure, but persec.

Some are in a covered ventilated space that's not hot except during the day a couple weeks a year, and some are in a garage that stays fairly cool even on hot days.

Just checked one the other day, it had a trickle of orange-ish stuff that had seeped out again.

If I pop the lids when warm they have pressure built up and they don't leak when upside down or sloshed around, so beats me.

Has anyone found any powered pumps for the Wavian style cans? My Durango has a capless filler and the funnel for those are so small I struggle with not spilling all over the fender or not getting the flexible filler all the way in to avoid spilling into the overflow. Capless is a stupid design but it's what I have for now.

This spout will work with capless vehicles. I have a capless F150 and it works fine.

You could look at a shaker siphon to fill from a fuel can too.

@Escotch in this thread buried is an adapter to use a Jerry can as a fuel tank. I'm sure it would work attached to an external pump to achieve your goal.

Probably not a good idea, the tube diameter is only 8mm (about 5/16").  This works great to run a generator but it's way to small to use for filling a truck tank.

Here's the adaptor.
https://lexingtoncontainercompanysonlinestore.mybigcommerce.com/jerry-can-adapter-1-tube/

Ordered the 4 pack Wavian from Atlantic British on Sunday afternoon and got them today fedex.  I got the flexible spout as well.  I am impressed, obviously brand new but they  are well built and being brand new super clean inside and out.  Love them.
I don't mind paying a little extra for something that will likely last me the rest  of my life.

Atlantic British is good.

However these folks sale the Wavian Brand. Their price comes out cheaper because they ship free.

Also the have the 10L for $40

Wavian Free Shipping

Thanks for the link. I picked up a couple of the smaller ones so my wife could move them easily to fire up the generator if I'm out of town. I appreciate it.

Guess it depends on where you live.  Was $50 cheaper shipped from Atlantic British for 4 cans + a flex spout.  Good to check both and see which is cheaper.

I think it depends on how many cans you want to buy. Atlantic British charges very similar charges to ship 1 vs 4 cans so the more you order the less per can the shipping is. When I order from them they ship super fast and I usually have my order within 3-4 days.

I got my 4 wavian cans this week from Atlantic British shipping was about 3 days and the cans are beautiful

Why are they listed as not being approved for fuel usage?

It’s a loop hole. They are not CARB approved (although you can get a CARB approved spout for them….$$$$). They just say not for fuel use so they can sell them in the US. They even come with an easily removed sticker that says “Not for fuel use” on them. Peel it off, fill them up with gas or diesel or kerosene and go on with life.

It would not surprise me if one day the government cracks down on it but for now the little warning serves as their loop hole to claim they aren’t selling non approved fuel cans. That’s why I bought as many as I have. May not be able to one day but you can now.

Gotcha.

Thanks!

Has anyone bought the carb approved Jerry cans with the retarded spout? Is it stamped anywhere on the can differently than the "not for fuel use" cans?

Not sure because I have no use for CARB spout. However, if it’s a NATO can the cans are identical.

Wonder if they aren’t selling well because last time I looked at the CARB spout it was more expensive.

https://lexingtoncontainercompanysonlinestore.mybigcommerce.com/jerry-fuel-can-nozzle/

Best OD paint to use when repainting cans?

I’m sure the rattle can stuff from Wally World will dissolve the minute gas touches it.

Urethane paint will survive gasoline.

Who sells 2 or 2.5 gallon cans these days?  Need a few for gas storage in my shed.  The few times I tried to empty the one I have into a car to rotate the gas, it was a hassle, so something lighter in weight and less clumsy would be nice.

Bonus would be a decent 1 gallon can of some sort for snowblower use.

Atlantic British sells and has in stock 10L (2.6 gal) cans and 5L (1.3 gal) NATO type cans.

Look into Rotopax.   They are expensive at MSRP, but if you find their store on ebay you can try making an offer.  I did that a few years ago and got two of the diesel 2 gal containers for the price of one. They also have a fast pour “water” spout which works great, only about $7.

I just got the 10 liter Wavian can from them.  On the bottom is a sticker that says for Non-Potable water only.  I'm assuming it's Ok to use for gasoline other than it not being painted red?

Yep. Don’t use it for water. Fuel only.

@Escotch


I don’t have one so have no idea if they are worth the money or not but look up Tera Pump. They have multiple models and a couple of their models would work for NATO cans although they aren’t specifically designed for NATO cans.

Big fan of the Terra pump. Use it with my Valpro / Wavian NATO-spec cans all the time. Here's the model I have. It is currently going for about $44 at Amazon:
Amazon: TERA PUMP TREP01-T Multi-Purpose Battery Powered Fuel Liquid Transfer Pump with Quick Stop Flow Control

Thanks for the feedback. How well does the fuel in the hose drain back into the can after you are done fueling?

I have a tractor I fill with diesel and while I don’t mind filling my other mower, ATVs and vehicles from cans, the tractor is a bit of a headache due to the fact there’s a loader on it and the tractor tank is in front of the steering wheel. It’s virtually impossible to fill from ANY fuel can without spilling a little so I’ve been thinking about getting a Terra Pump for filling the tractor.

Thanks

You are welcome.

I wish I had a better answer, but each time I have used it I have typically run the jerry can dry, or I have lifted the base of the pump just above the fuel level and kept the pump running and spout open so as to pump any remaining fuel out of the pump before completely lifting it out of the fuel can for storage. That seems to have been pretty effective, but I don't know if that would be ideal for your use/application.

Thanks!

I got the Tera pump.  Actually got two of them.  First one I got was the D cell battery powered model Trep01.  It works pretty good.  I wanted a longer hose mainly for filling the tractor so I got the Trep03.  It's the model that uses 12 volts and has a 120v-12v wall plug and a set of battery clamps to run off a battery. I don't want to hook it up to the vehicle battery but still wanted it to be battery powered.  So, I bought one of THESE.   I cut the clamp cable and connected it to the battery adapter.  The battery adapter uses Milwaukee M12 batteries and I have plenty of them around the shop.  I made some hangers so I can hang the battery pack off the NATO can handle.  Works very well.  

My biggest concern with the Tera pump is the hose seems to be pretty cheap and flimsy.  I contacted the manufacturer and asked about getting a new hose.  I was told they don't sell replacement hoses.  I guess long term durability will tell over time.

thanks!!

I have two of the red and two yellow for our tractor, I could drive the tractor into town but I'd rather not for several reasons so we've used these for years for diesel that are stored in a pole barn that has heat but no real humidity control and never had a problem. The reds are filled with 93 octane and they have held up great. One gets used all the time, the other stays sealed and I have noticed no condensation buildup. I haven't tried them for long term because I haven't owned them long enough lol. We have had the reds for about 3 years now. I had a Focus ST with a E30 blend tune which is why I had the cans to keep my 93/ethanol mix in because when running that tune turned a Focus into a 9 mpg silly rocket. Now, they are just storage. No issues yet. Will buy a few more. Fumes are minimal to none if you have to transport these in a SUV or something as long as you fuel them out of the vehicle and close everything back up correctly and wipe any spillage off the sides if there was any and you should be good to carry in an enclosed vehicle, but I wouldn't be comfortable with them being in there with me for too long unless it was some kind of emergency.

I just got a couple of these. If I fill them full to the top, how long do you think fuel will last? 3-6 months? I plan on rotating fuel but in my area we only have heat stupid ethanol blends

I just ran through 40 gallons of three year old 87 octane treated with stabil. My F-150 had no issue.

Nice! I remembered arfcom liked the NATO Jerry cans and I remembered seeing the fuel can oracle so I thought I would check in.

Here's an online resource for locating stations that sell pure gasoline.  
https://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=VA

I fill my cans up with pure gas.  No stabilizer, no additives.  
Typically, I'll pour into my Jeep when it's a little below 1/2 a tank.  I've used gas over 2 years old with no ill effects.

These things are fucking amazing

I'm making the drive for pure gas tomorrow.

Is there any reason I can't put gas in the tan Scepter cans?  Do I need to change the o-rings?

Do you mean the water cans?  I would not.  They aren't designed to hold pressure like a real gas can should.  No reason to when you can get good gas cans.  

If you mean the tan Scepter fuel cans...yes they will hold gas just fine...but you might need viton gaskets.

Here is my solution to storing gasoline. It was on the back burner until gas prices shot up.
Now I put it together and filled it this week.
I bought an old propane tank that was no longer useable for service.
Propane tanks are set up to draw liquid from the bottom or vapor from the top.
Attached File

The new pipe is from the liquid draw. The yellow cap is where they empty the tank before moving it. The tee on the left replaces a pipe plug and holds the pressure gauge and propane fill port. When the tank is filled it is sealed and pressurized to prevent loss of the light fractions in gasoline. Loss of these is what causes gasoline to go bad. I'm not sure if the air fitting is enough by itself to hold pressure. They do tend to leak.
Attached File

I replaced the pressure relief valve since this will not hold near the pressure of propane. A 3/4" ball valve replaces it to fill the tank. The vapor valve is opened to allow gas vapor to escape when the tank is filled. A cap and nipple keep the weather out.
Attached File

I have a transfer tank that holds 140 ish gallons and takes two trips to completely fill the storage tank. I got it from a truck. A drain valve on the bottom connects to a transfer hose. I need to raise the back end one more block.

(More to come)

Very cool.  Would love to see some more pics.  

Do you pressurize with propane once full?

Yes. Propane dissolves into the gas and the pressure drops but it keeps a little pressure. I have more pics I'll post later.

ETA: I put about a thousand dollars into it this week.

Who has the best price these days?

Probably Atlantic British for NATO cans.

More pics of the build.
Attached File

Attached File

The pressure changes with temperature and sun intensity. It hasn't gone over 7 psi yet.

That’s very interesting, but in rural areas you might be able to get a loaner tank free from a local farmers co-op.

Friend of mine farms and when the last Democrat was in office and gas was four bucks a gallon, he got 1000 gallon tank from the co-op.  

They even come out to his house and fill it up.  

He, his wife, and his farm hands use it and he tries to fill it back up when prices drop.

For the rest of us, Jerry cans are nice.  My four from major surplus finally shipped Friday. $20 each and included a spout.

This is more backup/ long term storage. Keeping a head of pressure on the tank keeps the gas fresh. As long as it stays sealed it doesn't lose the light fractions that makes gas go bad.

Here's an interesting watch for those unfamiliar with the history of the Jerry Can and all of the design details that make it almost perfect.