10L "Jerry can", 11L Dometic "Go Hydration" or Rotopax for water?

[Arclight]

I really like the 3.5 gallon / 13 liter Waterbricks. They stack like legos and don't leak. They were developed for NGOs delivering water and food aid:

- WaterBrick | Building Hope...Saving Lives!

www.waterbrick.org

 

[Sid Post]

How do these compare to the more common Military Water Cans? The website is a little basic so, openings and things like weight and durability are vague or not listed.

For larger water quantities, assuming you have a good flat surface to tie them down, they look like a good solution. At $37 for two and ~$11 shipping, they seem priced pretty well.

Not sure I would want them for my water storage application but, the food storage cubes definitely look good to me compared to something like a Rubbermaid Roughneck tub from Walmart. The half-containers initially look like a good option for things like bread and bagels to avoid crushing while not being overly large and bulky.

 

[Kingsize24]

Depends how involved you want to get. But I think this...



And a few simple mods would work well.

I built a 5 gal version recently, and honestly it's been amazing on trips. But as you say, a bit heavy. The 2.5 gal version would be perfect for what you want. Especially with a good faucet setup.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fjyudesA9IU?feature=share

I did a bit of a write up here... https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/12v-jerry-can-faucet-mod.234315/#post-3043440
It works with any cig lighter plug in.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07T755QKF?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MRR4HGK?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08SBZ8H7F?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

There are both more expensive and cheaper options. But this seemed simple enough for us, and has worked great the past 8 months or so that we've used it.

One could easily add a faucet filter, etc. Again, just depends on your wants/needs.

Jason


_________________________________________________________
Family Adventure Vehicle Build Thread

Family Adventure M1102 Trailer Build Thread

2018 Ram 3500 Cummins 4x4 G56

 

[Arclight]

Waterbricks


Pros:

Format - They stack exactly like legos, with matching posts and holes and the 1/2 and full size units are compatible. There are 3 types of opening available (3" water lid, food lid, or pet food). They even have one designed to store 1,000 rounds of 223 ammo.

SIze - 3.5 gallons is a lot easier for my wife and I to handle than 5 gallons. You can get the 1/2 size ones as well.

They fit into odd spaces, like you can have a long row of them along the bottom of your truck bed or trailer in place of a drawer or two.

I have two (one stacked on top of another the long way) in a compartment at the front of my bed. They are a good blend of not leaking and still having a lid that is big enough to get in and clean the inside from. An adjustable bungee cord holds them down nicely for severe off-roading.

Spout - the plastic one is "OK." It's probably the weak point on these, as it requires tilting the brick to get the last water out. They just came out with an electric spout that has a silicone hose however. It's only about $20 and charges from USB. I think this is the way to go. I just ordered one, so I don't have a report on it yet.

Cost - they are affordable for what they are. I bought a bunch and just rotate a new pair of them in after every camping trip. So my disaster stash of water stays fresh as we go camping. I used a chalk pen from Amazon to write the last date filled on mine and try to used them before 6 months.

Cons:
Not as heavy-duty as a Sceptre can. They are "UN relief" tough so they can go on a C-130 or bounce around in a truck on their way to a war zone, but not quite "military tough." They are a blend of "better than consumer" and "cost optimized." I put a piece of 1/2" foam mat down in my storage area, as they can eventually chafe and develop a pinhole leak if bounced around a lot on a hard surface.

They are a little awkward to access from stored unless you have the electric spout installed. I keep a 1 gallon jug in the truck for day use and just refill it when I camp.

How do these compare to the more common Military Water Cans? The website is a little basic so, openings and things like weight and durability are vague or not listed.

For larger water quantities, assuming you have a good flat surface to tie them down, they look like a good solution. At $37 for two and ~$11 shipping, they seem priced pretty well.

Not sure I would want them for my water storage application but, the food storage cubes definitely look good to me compared to something like a Rubbermaid Roughneck tub from Walmart. The half-containers initially look like a good option for things like bread and bagels to avoid crushing while not being overly large and bulky.

 

[jmmaxus]

Waterbricks


Pros:

Format - They stack exactly like legos, with matching posts and holes and the 1/2 and full size units are compatible. There are 3 types of opening available (3" water lid, food lid, or pet food). They even have one designed to store 1,000 rounds of 223 ammo.

SIze - 3.5 gallons is a lot easier for my wife and I to handle than 5 gallons. You can get the 1/2 size ones as well.

They fit into odd spaces, like you can have a long row of them along the bottom of your truck bed or trailer in place of a drawer or two.

I have two (one stacked on top of another the long way) in a compartment at the front of my bed. They are a good blend of not leaking and still having a lid that is big enough to get in and clean the inside from. An adjustable bungee cord holds them down nicely for severe off-roading.

Spout - the plastic one is "OK." It's probably the weak point on these, as it requires tilting the brick to get the last water out. They just came out with an electric spout that has a silicone hose however. It's only about $20 and charges from USB. I think this is the way to go. I just ordered one, so I don't have a report on it yet.

Cost - they are affordable for what they are. I bought a bunch and just rotate a new pair of them in after every camping trip. So my disaster stash of water stays fresh as we go camping. I used a chalk pen from Amazon to write the last date filled on mine and try to used them before 6 months.

Cons:
Not as heavy-duty as a Sceptre can. They are "UN relief" tough so they can go on a C-130 or bounce around in a truck on their way to a war zone, but not quite "military tough." They are a blend of "better than consumer" and "cost optimized." I put a piece of 1/2" foam mat down in my storage area, as they can eventually chafe and develop a pinhole leak if bounced around a lot on a hard surface.

They are a little awkward to access from stored unless you have the electric spout installed. I keep a 1 gallon jug in the truck for day use and just refill it when I camp.

Aqua Brick is an alternative and seems like a better alternative I bought two and they are nearly as robust as Scepter cans. The plastic is twice as thick as Water Brick and they have built in handles vs bale handles and the spout isn’t in an awkward spot near the handle.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jmmaxus]

Cheaper military water cans that is a supplier like Scepter are LCI. Buy direct for around $30 sometimes cheaper.

Water Can - 5 Gallon - Desert Tan

Water Can, Desert Tan - 5Gal5 galCapacity: 20 Liters / 5 Gallons

www.buylci.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Northland]

Consider MSR Dromedary 10L bladders.
Their big advantage is that they fit in odd shaped spaces, like the back seat floor. I can easily store 20 gallons of water on the right side floor.
They are expensive, but very tough.

I am a big fan of bladders for that very reason. I’ve traditionally used the surplus Swiss military bladders, but have gone to the six-liter versions from Sea to Summit (similar to the MSR in size) for portability issues.

 

[mep1811]

I have been looking for the Scepter 10L/2.5G "Jerry Can" water jugs but, they seem to be hard to find and expensive unless I missed something in my searches. 2 of these are ~$80 plus ~$30 shipping!

The Dometic Go Hydration 11L water jugs are ~$70 delivered but, I wonder about the durability with them and the strap handles. Size-wise, they are essentially the same as the 10L Jerry Cans.

Rotapax has its place but, with the 2-gallon models, the spout stored inside seems like a good way to foul my drinking water! I do have one of the 1-Gallon modes which is pretty handy for use in my car and along the road to make some hot tea or heat some Soba Noodles!

I need water for car camping in dry locations. I have tried the soft-sided carriers and, while they work, I find them to be a real PITA at my campsite. I need enough water for a minimum of 4-days, but I frequently spend a week or more away from water so, I need adequate volume to support that and any unplanned extensions.

For anyone that is suggesting the 5-Gallon/20L Jerry cans, I can get them for a reasonable price but, the problem is their size car camping and the extra weight lugging them around (~40lbs vs ~20lbs). Tipping a full one into a ~1L drink bottle or soup pot is awkward as well and often messy with spilled or splashed water!

1 gallon water jugs and 2L soda bottle are just not worth the effort for the modest capacity. So, what are the better options these days that are not super expensive? Any web links or store recommendations would be appreciated. I will most likely be at the Expedition Portal show again in Colorado around Labor Day if there are some good options there. I did pick up a HydraPak "expedition water bag" but, it just doesn't work that well for me car camping; if I was an area where ground water was an option backpacking, I could see it working much better than in my car camping situation.

TIA,
Sid

REI has the 2 1/2 gallon Scepter can

 

[Mike McMullen]

Water Block or Bricks for their win! I don't have any but if was going to purchase new water containers these are what I would buy. My water containers are 40 year old 2 gal water jugs we used on El Capitan. pretty built proof, but they are round a a little funky size wise.

 

[dstefan]

One of the cons to Scepters is the odd size thread on the small cap. One of the big pros is the flexible spout Scepter makes.

Scepter Water Container Spout | REI Co-op

Don't get drenched while filling up your water bottle or pasta pot—the Scepter water container spout screws snugly to your Scepter water container (sold separately) to make pouring hassle-free.

www.rei.com

The spigot can be clicked on to run or very precisely controlled for water conservation.

The spout wasn’t long enough for me, so I put both ends on a longer hose. It just took a 1/2” SS barbed straight connector on the can end and pressing the spigot‘s barb into the new hose.

I put my Scepter on a riser and made a real vent hole sealed with a SS 1/4-20 bolt. The hole was tapped for the bolt. Scepter’s are plenty stout to tap a thread into. We have found the gravity feed to work far better with less water, weight and complexity vs an electric pump.

I set it up as a simple dispensing station that makes solo hand washing or other use simple — just tap the blue lever with arm or elbow.

The magnetic ball head is sturdy, but easily pulled off for use on the tail gate or inside the camper.



We often cook inside the camper (usually reheating or coffee, etc) but there’s plenty flow to fill a or cup or water bottle inside. We leave the whole system set up and ready to use with no setup with the spigot secured to a small steel plate magnetically mounted above the Scepter on the camper wall.

Its never come loose on even the roughest trails. No drips, no spills, no errors … so far!

 

[Umbrarian]

Dometic + the re-chargeable faucet. I f additional water is needed, blue 5 gallon jugs.

 

[Sid Post]

Cheaper military water cans that is a supplier like Scepter are LCI. Buy direct for around $30 sometimes cheaper.

Water Can - 5 Gallon - Desert Tan

Water Can, Desert Tan - 5Gal5 galCapacity: 20 Liters / 5 Gallons

www.buylci.com

I like the Scepter MWC a bit better for the lids mainly. They are a bit cheaper if you want the 20L MWC. They don't make smaller versions so, that is another issue that took me to the Scepter 10L MWC versions.

If I had a Jeep or similar vehicle that was going really far off-road like I did some living in Arizona, I could see getting 4 or more LCI 20L versions for safety and security if I had a breakdown or something similar.

 

[Sid Post]

REI has the 2 1/2 gallon Scepter can

I was at an REI in Fort Worth, Texas where I saw them. Amazon was significantly cheaper at the time. I did get one 2G Rotopax which I like but, I'm thinking a 1G version would have been a bit more useful for me overall, being easier to pour directly out of with a refill from a larger source.

 

[Sid Post]

One of the cons to Scepters is the odd size thread on the small cap. One of the big pros is the flexible spout Scepter makes.

Scepter Water Container Spout | REI Co-op

Don't get drenched while filling up your water bottle or pasta pot—the Scepter water container spout screws snugly to your Scepter water container (sold separately) to make pouring hassle-free.

www.rei.com

The spigot can be clicked on to run or very precisely controlled for water conservation.

The spout wasn’t long enough for me, so I put both ends on a longer hose. It just took a 1/2” SS barbed straight connector on the can end and pressing the spigot‘s barb into the new hose.

I put my Scepter on a riser and made a real vent hole sealed with a SS 1/4-20 bolt. The hole was tapped for the bolt. Scepter’s are plenty stout to tap a thread into. We have found the gravity feed to work far better with less water, weight and complexity vs an electric pump.
View attachment 770443
I set it up as a simple dispensing station that makes solo hand washing or other use simple — just tap the blue lever with arm or elbow.
View attachment 770444
The magnetic ball head is sturdy, but easily pulled off for use on the tail gate or inside the camper.


View attachment 770445
We often cook inside the camper (usually reheating or coffee, etc) but there’s plenty flow to fill a or cup or water bottle inside. We leave the whole system set up and ready to use with no setup with the spigot secured to a small steel plate magnetically mounted above the Scepter on the camper wall.

Its never come loose on even the roughest trails. No drips, no spills, no errors … so far!

I'm looking for one of the accessory caps, forget the website, with the threaded 1/2" NPT-thread MWC cap to rig up a common 5-gallon USB-powered water pump to run with my 10L Scepter cans.

 

[Sid Post]

Dometic + the re-chargeable faucet. I f additional water is needed, blue 5 gallon jugs.

A good solution for many but, to me, it seems more travel trailer oriented. The web strap handles weren't my thing and, that powered faucet is really expensive. The 11L water containers are expensive too! My 10L Scepter MWC were almost half the cost of the Dometic 11L version.