NATO fuel cans

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B

burnoil

Joined
Sep 2, 2010
Threads
44
Messages
276
Location
Anaheim, CA
In the DPRC (Democratic People's Republic of California) it is pretty difficult to find any kind of NATO 20L (5.3G) fuel cans that aren't being offered for an astronomical price...if they are even in stock. Thank the politburo for CARB protecting us from ourselves.

Ok, diatribe over. Anyone got a line on these things? I need 2 or 3. Thanks.
 
Astronomical price?

US$50 for a Wedco CARB compliant 20L jerrycan is comparable to what the standard Milspec NATO cans cost here in Australia. It's worth it to get your cans new.

DSC09914.jpg


Source: Wedco Jerrycans -- EE -- Expedition Exchange Incorporated

See the little logo pressed into the can in the photo? I have four green NATO cans (with the standard flip-top/cam lid) made by the same manufacturer - some mob in eastern Europe - and they are an outstanding fuel can. Definitely built to military specs. One of mine has french writing on it mentioning "L'Armee" and "Terre" or something, indicating that the can was a contract overrun from a batch built for the French "Army of the Dirt" :lol:

They are awesome cans and, although I find Kali's nanny state policies as repugnant as I find Australia's, a non-spill spout grafted onto a steel NATO can can only be a good thing.

That's the sort of thing I'd buy if they were available in the shops here. Finding good aftermarket pouring spouts for a NATO can in Australia is difficult.
 
Army of the dirt! Now, that's funny. :)

I guess I am going to have to look harder, now, right? I was looking at surplus recently. I'll see what I can turn up new. Thanks for the reply...
 
I thought it was IPRC (Idiotic People's Republic of California).
I would love to find a source of non-CARB incompetence-friendly jerry cans. There was a salvage yard here in SR that used to carry old Mil-spec cans years ago, I haven't been back to check in recent times, though.
 
I have a couple of the wedco can's shown above and it is a nice can. My recommendation is to toss the nozzle, though. I use a super siphon. With my gas cans mounted on my bumper swing out, I can siphon gas out of the can into the tank without removing the can form the bumper.
 
I think the NATO cans are great. The cap is terrific. No leak ever on mine. And they pour great.

They are still around in the PRK. Or at least were a year or so ago when several of us bought some from some surplus place in LA. Probably only used / surplus though.
 
Last edited:
2mbb said:
I use a super siphon. With my gas cans mounted on my bumper swing out, I can siphon gas out of the can into the tank without removing the can form the bumper.
Click to expand...

+1.

I can't find a decent non-spill spout for my NATO cans here in Aus now that the Swiss mil surplus ones have dried up, so I use a jiggler while the jerrycans are still in the rack.

Jigger I use is just like this one...

JSB1513.jpg


YouTube - Super Jiggler.wmv
 
Combat Chuck said:
I thought it was IPRC (Idiotic People's Republic of California).
I would love to find a source of non-CARB incompetence-friendly jerry cans. There was a salvage yard here in SR that used to carry old Mil-spec cans years ago, I haven't been back to check in recent times, though.
Click to expand...


Howdy

Check this guys Deutsche Optick
I just bought a Nato 20 Liter Jerry Can brand new and the quality is great. I have in my cruiser the few days the jerry can full with gasoline and no smell at all or leak. Lets hope will stay like that :D.

:cheers:
 
Last edited:
craigwanderer said:
Astronomical price?

US$50 for a Wedco CARB compliant 20L jerrycan is comparable to what the standard Milspec NATO cans cost here in Australia. It's worth it to get your cans new.

DSC09914.jpg


Source: Wedco Jerrycans -- EE -- Expedition Exchange Incorporated

See the little logo pressed into the can in the photo? I have four green NATO cans (with the standard flip-top/cam lid) made by the same manufacturer - some mob in eastern Europe - and they are an outstanding fuel can. Definitely built to military specs. One of mine has french writing on it mentioning "L'Armee" and "Terre" or something, indicating that the can was a contract overrun from a batch built for the French "Army of the Dirt" :lol:

They are awesome cans and, although I find Kali's nanny state policies as repugnant as I find Australia's, a non-spill spout grafted onto a steel NATO can can only be a good thing.

That's the sort of thing I'd buy if they were available in the shops here. Finding good aftermarket pouring spouts for a NATO can in Australia is difficult.
Click to expand...

I have one green nato cans style to with this logo from Deutsche Optick. Hmmm !!
 
Fast Eddy said:
"Sorry, we no longer ship this item to the state of California."
Click to expand...

More appropriately read:
"We only ship to Californians who have friends or relatives in Nevada and Oregon who can drive them over, or reship to the sucker in the overbearing state that looks like a sock.":hhmm:
 
It is just awesome that we have to sneak things into our state from others we know in "free" states.

I have called every Surplus and other shop in a 40 mile radius that may carry these and they are either out with no ETA or just don't have them

Who knew carrying fuel in California would be harder than the blokes in Road Warrior. :)
 
So what's the deal with Kali and the other US CARB states? Possession of these deadly child-incinerating, ozone depleting fuel containers is illegal or just their sale? Screw the hand-wringing officialdom and see if the Mud Ship system can offer any joy vis importation of petrol cans... Hey, there's a business opportunity for someone... jerrycan smuggling.

How come, if the Californian head political honcho is a bloke who made his name and his bank balance punching camels and taking out aliens while trying to alternately assassinate and save the leader of the Human Resistance, you folks end up with nanny state laws regarding fuel cans? Arnie's turned out to be a numbah wun girlie-man. Is he trying to suck up to the :flamingo: and :princess: demographic in SF or is it the Green vote he's after? Man, I grew up watching Arnie movies and now all of my childhood dreams of taking out bad guys with a ridiculously big combat knife while throwing out cheesy one-liners have been crushed - all because of a bunch of banned jerrycans. Maybe Chuck Norris would be a better Governor next time? Just sayin'... :cool:

Do you guys realise that the NATO and even the Spectre cans are fully legal and available in the biggest hand-wringing state of them all, the UK. Hurts me in my heart to see the Home of the Brave going down hill.

But, back on topic...

Cowboyup said:
I have one green nato cans style to with this logo from Deutsche Optick. Hmmm !!
Click to expand...

Don't sweat it man, the green NATO cans with the Mark of Awesomeness are really um... awesome. Definitely MILSPEC and they are on issue to a bunch of NATO countries including the aforementioned Army Of The Dirt.

The only problem I've ever had with them is that the seals don't last without some TLC in a very dusty environment like Cape York and they should be replaced every couple of years anyway. I carry diesel in my jerrycans so it's not that much of a problem, but if you were carrying petrol/gasoline in them inside your vehicle and the can falls over, then that could be unfortunate for the carpet in your trunk or for you if you're a smoker.

The seals are dirt cheap and I have a bunch of them in the glovebox in case I need them.

Quick tip for the Mark of Awesomeness NATO cans -

You'll notice they come with a locking bar with a ring pull on one end. You can actually lock your jerrycans by a quick modification of this locking bar.

The end without the ring needs a hole drilled in it to accept a small padlock while the end with the ring has the ring replaced with a piece of thin round bar welded in or a piece of heavy duty fencing wire put through the ring hole (enlarged with a drill of course) and bent up enough that it can't be quickly and easily undone and removed like the split ring can. It'll stop the honest thieves anyway. Remember... if it wasn't for dickheads who don't lock their jerrycans there wouldn't be any thievery in this world. :D

My cans are basically tied into the carriers with a heavy duty cable lock covered in hose to stop rattles, which makes it very difficult for anyone to remove the cans from my vehicle and the cans themselves are locked as described above.
 
Just bought a really cool 10L mini NATO can from a UK seller on EBAY

http://cgi.ebay.com/SLIM-army-10lt-Metal-Jerry-Gerry-Can-fuel-petrol-diesel_W0QQitemZ250571193655QQcategoryZ31348QQvarZQQcmdZViewItem

He ships quickly. I don't know if he'll ship the full size cans to the US
 
Well Craig The Governator may have impacted you greatly as a youth, but Han Solo was my hero, which makes me fond of this Jerrycan smuggling ring idea. Let me call up my family in Oregon and see what I can arrange...

The problem with any one governor we've had in our state is that the beuracuracy behind them is sluggish on the best of days, rebellious and useless on the worst and just generally incompetent in between. When Arnold first took office, he was on fire to get stuff done, but he's been in eight years of quagmire and lunacy ever since.
IMO they guys patching pot-holes should take office, the the guys in office should be marooned on a disabled ship in international waters.
 
What is up with Deutsche Optik. I got their latest catalog yesterday and in it their "cans" are advertised as "NATO SPEC. WATER CONTAINERS" with a statement along with not being sold or shipped to Kalifornia says "These Jerry Cans, regardless of size, are not to be used as, nor sold as, "portable fuel cans." Anyone knows what is going on?
 
The Wizard said:
What is up with Deutsche Optik. I got their latest catalog yesterday and in it their "cans" are advertised as "NATO SPEC. WATER CONTAINERS" with a statement along with not being sold or shipped to Kalifornia says "These Jerry Cans, regardless of size, are not to be used as, nor sold as, "portable fuel cans." Anyone knows what is going on?
Click to expand...

wink and nod ;)

also, pay attention to what you buy D.O. sells both fuel cans and actual water cans that have a larger mouth and a food safe lining. The water cans will work for fuel but the NATO spec fuel can nozzles won't fit the larger opening.
 
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