Why a picture of two empty gas cans? These two cans are on their way to the Gas Station, they got used to top off my truck and car as part of our gas storage and rotation system. The goal? To rotate gas storage by using and filling one gas can per month.
JustRite Gas Can (front) and Eagle Type II Safety Can (rear), both metal, both seal great, both American made. I like the JustRites better, but they are more expensive… Both cans get the job done.
The goal: Fill one gas can a month
I try fill one gas can a month with gas, so I can have 60 gallons of gas stored. Each can is marked on it what month and year that it is filled, and it is used 1-year from the day that it was purchased.
The key to making this work is using air-sealed high quality (American made) metal gas cans. The cans must be COMPLETELY filled and have zero air exchange or the gas will deteriorate.
If you use steel cans that seal well, and if you fill them completely full (limiting trapped air) they last just fine for a year.
One can a month is manageable, and once you buy the cans and pay for the gas the first time it costs no extra money (you fill the car out of the can, then refill the can, it’s a net zero event).
I don’t claim that this is an original idea, I heard it in a podcast a couple of years ago. It does work though, if you have the space for the cans, give it a try.
UPDATE: We’ve got some more information for you!
As often happens here at 3BY, as time goes by we revisit some of our core preps and we ad more information about a subject than we had in our original story.
In a sense, the following story supersedes this one, but there is some unique info presented here so we decided to leave it and just drop a link to the updated topic here:
Give it a click and see the rest of the info!
Not wanting a bunch of gasoline around is one of the reasons I am trying to switch over to diesel BOVs. Diesel can sit longer and isn’t as explosive.
I like what you mention about the importance of air-sealed cans for long term storage. It makes sense that this could help make sure no contaminants get into the fuel while keeping it stored. I’ll have to keep this in mind because I’m wanting to get a large supply of fuel as a backup and think a proper tank is the first place to start.