what did you do this week to prepare

[crashdive123]

Congratulations. Everybody starts someplace, and every journey requires that first step.

[Rick]

It's never too late to get in the game. Every little bit you add is a bit closer. The truth is there is no end to it, however. Millions of dollars and dozens of decades later you'll still be saying, "Oh, look. That would be great if......".

[crashdive123]

It's never too late to get in the game. Every lit bit you add is a bit closer. The truth is there is no end to it, however. Millions of dollars and dozens of decades later you'll still be saying, "Oh, look. That would be great if......".

Hehehehe. Take stoves for instance....

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I purchased 20, 5 gallon gas cans for fuel storage. Up till now all I had was 3 boat tanks and 3 gas cans for a total of 22 1/2 gallons. I feel much better with 100 gallons more.

[ravenscar]

i learned to make a "jacks survival bow". so far i have had poor results with it, as it has a range of 5-10 yards and always knocks the arrow to the right
I also taught myself how to knapp an old toliet into arrowheads

[Rick]

AS, what kind of cans did you purchase? The old Blitz cans are no longer manufactured because they don't pass current regulations and they no long stock parts for them except the spout.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

AS, what kind of cans did you purchase? The old Blitz cans are no longer manufactured because they don't pass current regulations and they no long stock parts for them except the spout.

I don't know the brand. They are red plastic like so many I have had before. I looked at tanks but the ones I saw would add about 4 dollars a gallon to the price of the fuel and most said for diesel only. The plastic cans add about two dollars per gallon and easier to fill and use. I used to have a boom truck with a 100 gallon tank on it I would keep full to syphon gas but traded it for 600 yards of gravel. It is about the right amount for my fuel storage needs.

[Rick]

I picked up four of the metal Blitz cans a couple of months before the regs changed (naturally) so I had a tough time finding the rubber gaskets that fit under the bung when one of them went bad. When I finally found them I order a bunch just so I'll have them. I keep 25 gallons of gas rotated and would like to store more but I really don't have any place safe to store that much fuel. Of course, one gallon vaporized would probably level a whole block. My house for sure.

[Trabitha]

Organized my camping/survival stuff and spent WAY too much at Sams Club. OUCH!

[randyt]

are blitz cans the same thing as a jerry can? I have several jerry cans that are in need of spouts.

My preps consisted of simmering my traps in logwood, they had hung in the barn so long they had rusted a bit. Lined up some navy beans for 30 dollars a 50 pound bag. added a few hens to the flock. spread leaves on the garden. gosh there is probably more but I forget. oh yea I need to add, I made a door for the outhouse. as a cosmetic touch I simmered a couple rusty hinges in the logwood to give em a nice black color.

[Rick]

Jerry can is just a generic name applied to any number of metal fuel cans. Germany was the first manufacturer of metal fuel cans in the '30s (I think). Anyway, the Allies began using the term to denote metal fuel cans. And, yes, Blitz is one maker of Jerry cans. So are Wedco and Scepter. I think those are the big three in the U.S. As far as I know, all three are CARB compliant.

[crashdive123]

Jerry can is just a generic name applied to any number of metal fuel cans. Germany was the first manufacturer of metal fuel cans in the '30s (I think). Anyway, the Allies began using the term to denote metal fuel cans. And, yes, Blitz is one maker of Jerry cans. So are Wedco and Scepter. I think those are the big three in the U.S. As far as I know, all three are CARB compliant.

I just learned something new. Are any of the parts (like the gaskets you acquired) interchangeable?

[Rick]

No. As far as I know they are all proprietary. At least up until CARB regulations went into effect and I think they are still different. The Wedco can, for example, has a male "bung" (for lack of a better word. It's not really a bung) and requires a female spout. Blitz is just the opposite with a female bung and male spout.

I would also guess that all the cans made for military use and/or NATO use are interchangeable.

[crashdive123]

I guess in a pinch, if you could find something like gaskets, you could pick up a sheet of gasket material and make your own.

[randyt]

my cans are probably at least 60 years old. I have no idea if they are carb compliant. I probably should think about upgrading.

[Rick]

Crash, you're correct. In fact, I had gone to Lowe's and did that very thing with the intent of making my own. I'm not certain how fuel will react with the gasket material but I was going to try it anyway. You'll find it in the plumbing section. They have two different thicknesses. 1/4 and 1/8 I think. That's by memory, however. That evening I found a site that had the gaskets so I ordered them. I kept the gasket material simply because with gasket material and JB Weld you can make just about anything.

I found the gaskets at:

http://www.galaxyarmynavy.com/item-536.asp

They are twice as thick as OEM gaskets and you have to push down on the bung for the threads to catch. Otherwise, they are perfect. If you make your own remember that Blitz can seals have to be wide enough to cover the vent hole above the bung hole or they will leak.

[crashdive123]

I was thinking gasket material from an auto supply place might be a good source. You can probably ensure that the material is resistant to petroleum products.

[oldsoldier]

You can always use the old "shade tree mechanic" version as well. use an existing gasket as a pattern and draw it out on a piece of cardboard like cereal boxes are made of. cut several layers and glue them together with a petroleum proof glue. Beleive it or not it works. I have needed a gasket in a pinch while doing a repair, parts stores were closed so I made my own. I've made them for carberator, head, valve cover gaskets and they work just fine. I actually had one I made for a carb gasket and it lasted 2 years without problems and was still functioning 2 years after I sold the vehicle to a friend.

[Rick]

Is he still a friend? I've actually never heard of that so it's something new for me. Thanks. Like many of you I did all my own work on my cars growing up. I didn't have any money to pay to have things done so I did it myself. That's one I had never ran across.

[randyt]

we made gaskets by taking the part that needed a gasket and laying the gasket material against it, then take a ball peen hammer and tapping the gasket material with the ball of the hammer. after a few gentle taps the edge of the part should cut the gasket material with the design the gasket needs to be.