5 Gallons of bugout gas

Trying to set my bug out plan into stone.

I'd like to carry 5 gallons of gas in the back of my jeep, which is enough to get me to the BOL and then some.
When the SHTF and people start lining up at gas stations, I want to skip that whole part and get the hell out of dodge.

What's going to be my safest way to carry gas? I don't want to have my vehicle constantly smelling like gasoline (that can't possibly be good for you, right?).

I would go with a roof rack. That way you don't have people stealing it when you stop in traffic.

The roof rack idea is good, but also very obvious if you've ever seen them. Often when I refill my 5 gallon jerry cans I have them in the back of my SUV. no smell whatsoever. I won't do this for the plastic self venting cans though.

The rectangular 4 gallon plastic ATV tanks might be a better option. Some come with a second tank for 4 gallons of water. much more low profile on the jeep or on the roof rack. I do not have any experience with these in terms of how well they seal/vent etc.

Either way would paint to match you vehicle color so they don't stand out.

Make sure you get a super siphon to keep under your seat. They empty a 5-gallon can very quickly.

And always make sure your tank never drops below 1/2 full. You'll be far ahead of most that way.

How you going to stabilize it? Particularly w/ ethanol?

Get yourself, while you can, the NATO steel Jerry cans. They have dozen of attachments of all sorts but in a pinch work just fine thrown in behind the back seat. I mostly just use a funnel but they do have spouts you can buy or you can simply siphon.

I know everyone is hot on the plastic, but I just don't care for them. The steel is going to bend where plastic will puncture and I think the steel holds up better to changing temperature/pressures.

I have four, two Israeli and two German. Unless you knew what they were, you sure couldn't tell they had gas in them from a smell.

Tj

The ATV tanks are a good idea, and just rotate your fuel every 2-3 weeks by dumping it into the vehicle & then refilling. I do that to avoid going the stabilizer route.

+1

Extra fuel cans exposed during a "shtf" or trying to get home and everyone is lined up for gas.. and your still driving??? Dont stop or I have a feeling people will be crawling on top of your vehicle or bustin out your window and dragging you out to take your vehicle and taking "your gas". WOuld not matter if you had them ontop, on the back... thier is always that other person that see's you driving and when you decide to stop to refill and thinks he has a better agenda to get home to his family or no matter what the cost.

Dont stop.. Or have a trusted buddy with a weapon be prepared to cover you while your refilling.

That's a lot of work, if you're planning on carrying gas for years at a time.

Maybe what the world needs is a gas can that's shaped roughly like a spare tire. Mount it behind the vehicle, fill it up, throw a tire cover over it, and nobody's the wiser.

that's the option that I use. basically, everytime I stop to put gas in either my truck or my car, I empty the can into the tank, fill up the car, and then fill the can back up and then put it back. That way, the gas is always fresh and stable. No need for stabilizers or anything else like that. that's also saved my butt a time or two when money has been tight and I needed gas to get back and forth to work till payday.

This.

I have carried one in the back of my Tahoe for the last 3 years... No better way and the only can I would store inside.

A lot of work??

It takes about 5 minutes to empty a 5 gal can..

Unnecessary...

I have run 3 year old gas that was treated with stabil and stored in plastic cans outside only covered with a tarp in a Honda e1000 and my Tahoe with zero problems...

Good for you. I use my method.

Stabil does dick for fuel past a month or so......if you havent drained the carb on your honda after use and it sitting for long periods of time consider yourself very lucky.......if your going to use a stabalizer i recommend sentry....will keep fuel fresh for over a year, no ill effects from ethanol

Knock your self out. He was just stating, for those that want the info, that it isn't necessary to change it out every 2-3 weeks...or months.

What I do is keep a hitch haul unloaded and I have five cans full of 93 octane treated with Sta-Bil marine. If I have to boogie, I top off the tank with one or two cans, put the hitch haul on the BOV, stick three cans on it with strap. Then I cover it with a small tarp and tie the tarp on with bungie cords so they don't stick out so much. Works pretty good for me. I put them on the hitch haul for two reasons. One is to utilize the bed space for rubber maid totes and water cans, and also to distance the fuel from the passenger compartment as much as possible. I figure as far back as possible is best in case of an accident or worse while bugging out. With this setup I can go for a while. Takes me about five minutes to load it up. Fifteen overall minutes before we're rolling with all the gear and the dog.....oh yea the wife and kids too.

Or one that is sized and shaped to fit into a spare tire...

(disclaimer, no connection to that linked blog, it just had nice pics)

"Trying to set my bug out plan into stone."


Don't do that...

It isn't necessary as long as the cans are sealed so that none of the volatile fractions are lost.

You might want to rotate the fuel every one or two years.

Don't buy the ethanol gas

It is usually 5-10 cents more here but I buy nonethanol gas

Not applicable to some more commie states Like TX

Edit looks like the fed will stop subsidizing ethanol gas, so I can hope E10 will go away.

Try your local airport. Mine has a mogas(car gas) supply for airplanes that are certified to use regular fuel. Airplanes cannot and will not tolerate ethanol. I haven't done the research yet, but aviation gas(100LL, 110 octane) is stabilized for long term storage. It's leaded though. I'm sure it would work in a pinch, but may or may not reek havoc on a modern vehicle. I know it gums up the catalytic converter.

It will also ruin your oxygen sensors. You would need to install platinum O2 sensors. I had to do it to run race fuel in my 03 cobra

I was under the impression that Ethanol can be stored pretty well provided the container they are stored in is very well sealed (no plastic blitz containers) to prevent moisture being absorbed. I have a new 5 Gallon Jerry can filled with stabilizer treated E10 gas and have no doubt the container has a good seal.

I USED to do that. I had 6 year old gas that was fine. since they put ethanol in all the gas now, except the avgas and marine gas, it only lasts a few months, even when stabiled with ethanol stabil or equivilents. it turns cloudy after a few months now. I know, I have 60 gallons of cloudy, milky gas in my shed right now and i'm hoping it lasts till summer so i can use it in my tractors, cuz there is no way i want that shit in my cars. I rotate my good gas now every month.

MY experience is 87 octane 10% ethanol blend with stabil added shows no performance difference after 12 months in steel jerry can. I've used this in my I/O boat all summer, that's how I rotate out the old gas.

Hoard with confidence.

Right back at you. I guess there's alot here that disagree. Dumping 5 gals back into the truck every 2-3 weeks & refilling the can isn't a f-n big deal. The OP stated carrying 5 gas around to top off the tank. That's definintely not storing up a ton of gas for SHTF for a long-period of time..

Against the law to sell fuel into anything but planes at A-P's I think....

I think you're right.

You might want to think about an Extended Range Gas Tank

completely agree with you here, no other tanks to worry about just the one that your filling up weekly, just keep it full. And no one can steal it unless they syphon it.

I often thought the gad cans that fit IN the spare were kind of cool and should be reproduced but the CARB nonsense kind of made them all collector's items.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-MERCEDES-VW-OPEL-VOLVO-FORD-BMW-SPARE-WHEEL-GASCAN-NOS-LOOK-/350518199385?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item519c834459

I don't think so, but they will get bent out of shape if you are on the property and don't have a reason to be there. People come onto airport property all the time to get gas for ultralights, LSAs, paragliders, whatever –– they have to have a reason. Almost no one gets stopped because they have a reason to be there.

Also, avgas is less stabilized than refined to not have gum and varnish in it in the first place. That and a lot of toluene will do the trick every time.

8 German and a Wedco.I've gone up to six months with no problems,no stabilizers using %10 CO mandated blend.
They are airtight,zero vapors.They cost $$,they have been worth it.

I am inclined more toward just keeping the tank fuller.

If one goes thru about 15 gallons a week one was to refill his tank twice a week instead of once a week, on average one would have 7.5 gallons of gas more in the tank, which is more than the 5 gallons you want to store.

My personal opinion is that for most people, keeping a can of gas in your car adds more to your risk than it is worth. The chances of needing it for a BO are virtually nil, while the chances of having an accident that might spill it inside your vehicle and ignite it are much higher than nil.

I wish it was easier to get vehicles with the second fuel tank already there.

That's my philosophy, too.

Get in the habit of fueling up when the gas gauge drops to the half-empty mark, and you'll always have a decent stash of fresh gas on hand - with no new worries about spoilage, theft, fire or fumes inside the vehicle.

If I go on trips I regularly carry at least a 1 gallon and sometimes a 5 gallon, both have Nato openings, the 1 gallon is Czech. I take the 1 gallon in the cab and the 5 in the bed of the truck. I don't need them but several times the 1 gallon has gotten me past an area where gas is 40 cents higher than 10 miles down the road. Honestly, if the seals are good, any accident you get in which crushes the can and leaves you alive, you are going to want to set it on fire yourself to put an end to the misery. I trust the cans more than the tank in the truck. I have had a tank leak just from skidding off the road and landing on deep snow. Some say that if you get in an accident and a can is in the bed of the truck, or in a suv, it may want to go in the back of your head. However, that applies to pretty much any unsecured object.

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