Replace a Jerry Can Cap with a Drum Bung
The CARB compliant gas can law means all gas cans and gas can lids sold in this country have to have a vapor lock on them. The extra spillage associated with the new caps causes a lot more hazardous material to be released than the vapor it was trying to prevent. Which by the way is still released when you open the darn thing. That matters because you cannot buy caps for the military 5 gallon jerry cans anymore.
I have seen several functional 5 Gallon Jerry Can gas containers in surplus stores around Tennessee, but I never bought them because they did not have lids.
Jerry Can Comes from the GI Term for Germans
Imagine my surprise when I realized that when we stole the idea from the Germans in North Africa during WWII. Then, we redesigned the cans to use standard bungs from steel drums.
I did not want to take this at face value. To investigate, I went to Nashville Drum and Barrel to get a bung as well as a steel drum for a homemade charcoal post I am working on.
I do not get any compensation from them; they just have always treated me right. Therefore I wanted to pass their information to those interested. They are located in Fairview TN and their phone number is 615-799-9449.
The reason I like these guys is not just that they are the only game in town for small purchases, but because when I tell them what I am doing, they try to get me a used drum that best fits the intended purpose.
They will not sell you a used barrel for projects involving potable water. However, they will tell you what was in the drum you are buying. That is nice when you are making a rain barrel or a barrelponic setup.
Sometimes when I go to other stores and explain what I need and what I need it to do the clerks get funny looks and tell me they don’t have the parts. When I went to the drum store and tell them what I want they help me the best they can. When I told them about the bung fitting the jerry can, I was pleasantly surprised when they gave me a drum bung just because they thought it was interesting.
Jerry Cans are Great for Preppers
So to get back on topic, the bung fit the jerry can perfectly. Now, I have a spare for my gas can. From now on every time I find a jerry can on sale without a lid I buy it.
They are perfect for preppers, 5 gallons is a fine balance of weight for one man to carry, and capacity. They are strong, easy to store and stack, and because of the three grips on the top, one man can carry it by grasping the center handle, and two can carry one by grabbing the grips on each side.
Jerry cans are a wonderfully engineered product, let’s just hope modern government stops stealing bad ideas that collide with good ideas our past governments won by conquest…
