NATO Fuel Can Source

[Beowulf]

Pretty sure they are both real. The Wide Mouth version is actually much more rare. It is/was used by the German Military. The off set one that is common in the US and associated with NATO is also, real, just two different version. The companies that made/make these are Wavian and Wedco. I believe Wedco had this "V" like emblem on the side, where Wavian just said Wavian. This is of course for the civilian market. For the Military, they add all the military markings like shown on the Wide Mouth one.

 

[lqdchkn]

So at the end of 2012 I bought a 4 pack of the NATO cans from Deutsche Optik and I designated 2 to fuel and 2 to water. Since they were brand new I wanted to make sure there was no manufacturing residue or anything in the ones for water I washed them out with some dish soap and water rinsed thoroughly and filled for storage. I wanted to test them and make sure they didn't pick up any funky odor or taste before actually needing to depend on them. Well here it is roughly 2 (maybe 3) months later and I decide to open them (they've been stored in the corner of my living room) and to my disgust they are full of crap floating in the water that looks like rust. They don't look rusty inside but since they have a rust colored "liner" it's hard to know for sure.



Start of poor of stored water

End of poor of stored water

Added a little more water to swish it around and rise it out.

So I guess I'll need to take these out and give them another through washing and test them again. Super disappointed in these so far I can only imagine what the other two I filled with fuel look like :/

 

[NothingClever]

Sorry my bad ,this is the real one


View attachment 140369

View attachment 140370


View attachment 140368

These are beyond a shadow of any doubt the real thing. That's the correct NSN and the spout IS centered.

 

[Louisd75]

So at the end of 2012 I bought a 4 pack of the NATO cans from Deutsche Optik and I designated 2 to fuel and 2 to water. Since they were brand new I wanted to make sure there was no manufacturing residue or anything in the ones for water I washed them out with some dish soap and water rinsed thoroughly and filled for storage. I wanted to test them and make sure they didn't pick up any funky odor or taste before actually needing to depend on them. Well here it is roughly 2 (maybe 3) months later and I decide to open them (they've been stored in the corner of my living room) and to my disgust they are full of crap floating in the water that looks like rust. They don't look rusty inside but since they have a rust colored "liner" it's hard to know for sure.

... photos removed from quote ...

So I guess I'll need to take these out and give them another through washing and test them again. Super disappointed in these so far I can only imagine what the other two I filled with fuel look like :/

The cans meant for water storage have a different liner inside. It's a mottled gray color. The outside will be powdercoated blue. The fuel cans have the reddish color liner. I've got four of the green Wedco cans with the red lining from Atlantic British that I use for gasoline and have had no signs of rust visible in the can or when pouring. I've been rotating and refilling twice a year for two years now. I also have two surplus cans that came with tags that could be changed for whatever fuel was going to be used.

The smaller style nozzle, seen on the two cans in the back, does not fit the surplus can seen in the front left. They take the same gaskets, but the vent line in the can is a slightly different shape. The nozzle that fits the surplus cans can be used on the new cans though. Plus, it has a strainer basket inside which is kind of nice. I don't have any pics of the surplus nozzle, but it looks like this:

Here's a pic that shows the liner color of the water can:

The small rust colored spots are rust. Turns out the food grade liner isn't perfect. I've been keeping an eye on mine and so far the only rust visible is near the spout. I read somewhere that Wedco recommends storing the water cans empty (!?!). When the rust becomes a bigger issue than it is now, I'll likely swap over to the plastic scepter cans.

The surplus cans can't accept the nozzle holder that the newer (small) Wedco fuel nozzles come with due to the placard holder in the way. The surplus cans each came with two tags that can be placed to show what is in the can along with a nifty label in case you need to interpret the tag:

All of the cans are made by Wedco and have the V stamped into the sides.

 

[lqdchkn]

Yeah super weird, today I went out and checked the other two cans that have had fuel in them this same whole time and they are perfect inside. I'm not sure if this (rust colored) liner for fuel has some special reason that it can't be used with water or if somehow the dish soap I used to rinse these out reacted poorly with the liner and caused it to degrade. After rinsing and drying the cans there's no rust I can see but I can see the liner is degraded in places. Thanks for the info Louisd75, I looked around and found some websites that mention how to refinish these and found an enamel to use to recoat them. I guess I'll be ordering some food grade enamel and relining the inside of these two for use with water.

 

[NothingClever]

Eeek :Wow1: !

I was talking out my fanny.

That IS the correct NSN but the latest iteration of fuel cans DOES have the spout on the side which I sheepishly recognized last night as I filled a diesel heater.

Apologies for the misinformation. Next time I'll "check myself before I wreck myself".

 

[LBPtaco]

but it looks like this:

Anybody know where I can get my hands on one of these?

never mind... http://www.pinzgauer.com/

 

[86tuning]

My green steel jerrycans are awesome. Came with stickers saying 'non-potable water only' or some similar nonsense.

While spouts are cool, I prefer to use a safety siphon or super siphon to transfer fuel. That way I'm not holding 25kg up high waiting for fuel to fill the tank. Instead the jerry cans can sit somewhere while the fuel transfers itself.

Not my pix, just randomly borrowed from the interwebz

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Yeah super weird, today I went out and checked the other two cans that have had fuel in them this same whole time and they are perfect inside. I'm not sure if this (rust colored) liner for fuel has some special reason that it can't be used with water or if somehow the dish soap I used to rinse these out reacted poorly with the liner and caused it to degrade. After rinsing and drying the cans there's no rust I can see but I can see the liner is degraded in places. Thanks for the info Louisd75, I looked around and found some websites that mention how to refinish these and found an enamel to use to recoat them. I guess I'll be ordering some food grade enamel and relining the inside of these two for use with water.

Do yourself a favor, get some proper water cans designed for potable water only (and labeled accordingly). I picked up 2 Scepter baby blue 20L cans for about $35.00 each. No flavor to the water at all even after a few days in the heat. The liners and enamel you are talking about is not food grade... these could expose you to chemicals you should not be ingesting. Buy some tank liner (POR15 makes one) and blast out the rust and re-line, or better yet toss the rusty ones out!

Sure hate to pour rust and possibly liner bits into my fuel injection system.

http://www.dstactical.com/index.php?cPath=16&osCsid=6796133d5a0baf38444354a9703b72d0

DS Tactical is awesome and ships quick!



Better safe than yucky!

 

[lqdchkn]

Do yourself a favor, get some proper water cans designed for potable water only (and labeled accordingly). I picked up 2 Scepter baby blue 20L cans for about $35.00 each. No flavor to the water at all even after a few days in the heat. The liners and enamel you are talking about is not food grade... these could expose you to chemicals you should not be ingesting. Buy some tank liner (POR15 makes one) and blast out the rust and re-line, or better yet toss the rusty ones out!

Sure hate to pour rust and possibly liner bits into my fuel injection system.

http://www.dstactical.com/index.php?cPath=16&osCsid=6796133d5a0baf38444354a9703b72d0

DS Tactical is awesome and ships quick!

View attachment 144361

Better safe than yucky!

Haha, too funny. I just did yesterday.

I tried last weekend to reline them with a food grade enamel and it ended up being a horrible time consuming mess that still didn't work and left me with a 2lb heavier can. Total FAIL doesn't even describe this, LOL

So rather than waste more time and $$$ trying to fix these I just bought 2 Blue MWCs just like you posted. I actually found them a bit cheaper at Lexington Container $28.50 +shipping each:friday:

 

[Jagdflieger]

Perki
Have you used this can with gasoline? Usually the seals are made for diesel.
Are the seals leakfree with gasoline?
Thanks

 

[Marc1904]

Has anyone ordered and recieved NATO fuel cans from this source? http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/Nato-Jerry-Cans.html If you have are they the "REAL McCOY" or a knock off?

I ordered a set of 4 red cans before heading to Utah a couple months ago. When I called, I initially asked them for 2 blue cans and 2 red cans so I could use 2 for water, and they told me not to because none of the cans they sell have a food grade liner. I also figured it would be a lot easier to have red cans in CA instead of the green ones.

They came nicely wrapped and powdercoated. They are definitely NOT the "real deal" NATO cans. Where the "V" is they are labeled Wavian. Other than that, the only other stamps on the cans are "20L" here and there. The spout and bracket fit nicely, but came with the wrong hardware (2 little screws.. had the correct ones laying around)

On the trip, they worked as they should have. The first gas was carried from Oregon to Utah for about 4 days, then used. The 2nd use was in Mojave after about 8 days of storing the gas in the can. I haven't filled it with water and waited around for it to corrode yet, and I probably won't.

 

[Beowulf]

I have many Wedco and Wavian cans. I cannot tell the difference besides the stamping.

 

[Antichrist]

Pretty sure they are both real. The Wide Mouth version is actually much more rare. It is/was used by the German Military. The off set one that is common in the US and associated with NATO is also, real, just two different version. The companies that made/make these are Wavian and Wedco. I believe Wedco had this "V" like emblem on the side, where Wavian just said Wavian. This is of course for the civilian market. For the Military, they add all the military markings like shown on the Wide Mouth one.

Just came across this thread.
I have 4 of the large centered wide mouth cans with white spouts indicating they are for water (white 'X' on the sides is another way to identify water cans). I've never seen spouts to fit them making me think they really are for water (which is what I use them for).
The NSN description on NSN-NOW is just "Can, Military"
All my fuel cans have the smaller off-center spout.

 

[Beowulf]

I have not seen any of the large centered mouth versions for years and never seen a nozzle for them. Since I use the Super Siphon, I guess the nozzle not so important and more.