NATO Style Fuel Cans
Reviewer: robert574
5/9/2008
A group of us bought a bunch of these at work a couple of years ago (from CTD). I have (8). I cleaned up and painted (4) red and kept the other (4) as is. Mine all have the marker tags that can be slid out and flipped over to show what is in the can. All of the cans are lined with a coating and it's condition will vary can to can. Not so much of a problem except you should have a nozzle with a screen. I also purchased different nozzles. Don't buy a cheap nozzle, buy a military one. The nozzle I use mostly however is a plastic hose assembly that fits into the can upright and has a nozzle similar to a regular gas station pump. (I purchased it at Ace Hardware). When you squeeze the handle it pumps and then will siphon. I set a small throw rug on the top of the car trunk and set the can there on top. This makes the process effortless and empties the can completely. (any can)
These NATO cans are used and you can expect some dings and light rust in places, but it is the same wherever you order surplus cans. At the current sale price of $10 each, this is probably your best bet unless you have somewhere close enough to pickup and eliminate shipping.
Use 2oz of (new) Stabil to store gas for 1 year. Stabil itself keeps for (2) years once opened, so don't get carried away and buy the largest size bottle. Give your old Stabil away after the (2) year period and buy more.
If you have leaking seal problems for any reason. you can find them on the internet or maybe here now. These NATO cans are common. Rinse out your cans with some gas with the lid closed and you'll see a seal leak if it's there. Your cans need to be tight. For a quick fix just lay a thin piece of rubber gasket material from the parts store across the tiller top and close it. One of the (8) I have leaks slightly and I have used the gasket now for (2) years. I just ordered (4) extra seals.
These cans hold 20 liters (5 1/4 gal). Put your stabilizer in first then fill to the bottom of the spout inside the can leaving the least amount of air inside. When you open a can it may have 10-15psi of pressure on a hot day. Tilt it back 30 degrees and put the opening up to prevent spewing any fuel. All cans have this kind of pressure if they seal. It is the vapor pressure of gasoline. This is one of the reasons you are buying metal ones designed to be set out in the hot sun for years.
This is about plastic cans only - If you have the common new red unvented plastic cans and you haven't yet bought metal ones, make sure you put the black plastic nozzle on the OUTSIDE of the can when it is full and turn the nozzle straight up. These cans have a very tiny warning label that explains, but if you put the nozzle back inside the can as it came, it will leak (vent) out all of the gas onto the floor down to the bottom of the nozzle. Remember the nozzle is the vent.
I keep (8) cans stabilized for one year and change them out each spring (just did it). That will last me (3) days on a generator. There is no comparison between the common plastic cans and these military cans in the quality and amount of fuel stored in the can after one year. I used plastic for the first year, a lot of fuel evaporated and one of our cars wouldn't hardly run on the gas when I used it. This is not the case with the metal ones. They are still full and sweet after a year. The Stabil acts as a type of injector cleaner and should not be a problem for the engine.
I required (45) 5 gal cans of gasoline for the power outages during the Florida hurricanes 3 years ago (not to mention a lot of damage). What a nightmare. All I can say is, whatever the emergency is you are thinking about, be prepared now. Gasoline should be on the bottom of the list compared to the safety of your family and home.