Plastic or metal?

Although the jerrycan has remained largely unchanged since 1939, you can now also buy polyethylene plastic fuel containers – which have the advantage of never rusting.

Plastic containers are slightly cheaper than jerrycans – around R450 for a 25 ℓ plastic can versus R650 for a quality 20 ℓ jerrycan. In addition, polyethylene doesn’t contain bisphenol A (BPA) that can poison you if you use it as a water container. Another advantage, of course, is that plastic weighs less than metal – so it won’t be such a chore to carry if you run out of fuel and have to walk to a fuel station.

But this is where the benefits of plastic containers end.

Jerrycans are more durable than plastic cans and you can manhandle them without a second thought. When a plastic container springs a leak, you usually have to throw it away (although a small hole can be mended) while you can patch a hole in a jerrycan with steel epoxy. A jerrycan’s flip cap won’t go missing, while a plastic screwcap is easily misplaced.

After dropping a plastic cap in sand, petrol might leak past its thread, but this can’t happen with a jerrycan. You can transport a jerrycan inside your vehicle (when cresting tall dunes and you want to carry weight down low) while polyethylene is porous and will release petrol fumes inside the cabin. For this same reason, you shouldn’t store fuel in plastic containers for long periods, because the polyethylene lets air through which eventually lowers the octane – after a few months, it may not ignite in a vehicle’s engine.

Jerrycans that are prepared to hold water won’t easily rust, and you can bury them in desert sands for many years without the water spoiling. Plastic cans allow evaporation and will eventually empty out despite the cap being screwed on tight.

Plastic will deteriorate in the sun, while metal lasts a lifetime.

Jerrycans are more durable than plastic cans and you can manhandle them without a second thought