Water Containers?

[lenny flank]

You guys are being too imprecise.  There are at lease five different types of plastic used as liquid food containers:  #1 PET, #2 HDPE, #3 PVC, #4 LDPE, #5 PP.  

The cheap bottles are usually made from LDPE. They are usually the ones that have a "plastic" taste. That is not caused by the LDPE itself--it is from leftover impurities from the manufacturing process, which is why the plasticky smell and taste goes away over time (and it can be washed out with vinegar or alcohol).
LDPE can itself break down over time if exposed to sunlight and high temps, giving the water a "plasticky" taste. But the amount released is miniscule (parts per billion) and it is nontoxic and harmless to people.
As for BPA (which is usually what people are afraid of in water bottles) that has been studied to death,m and the science is settled long ago. The amount of BPA that can be released over time is miniscule and it has no measurable health effect on people.

 

[highdesertranger]

please stay on topic. if someone doesn't like using plastic there is no need to argue with them. highdesertranger

 

[Zil]

I use the blue plastic cube shape jugs from walmart. No bad flavor. No bad smell. If I'm feeling weak on a given day, I fill them less than 7 gallons. I can also pour gallon jugs into them. They have a large opening for my pump to fit. Two of them pack nicely into a cubical compartment and no wasted space.
There is much to be said about gallon jugs of filtered or spring water. I use the clear ones. Now we have a new Sec of Interior, the ban on disposable water bottles is lifted.

 

[lenny flank]

please stay on topic.  if someone doesn't like using plastic there is no need to argue with them.  highdesertranger

Meh, I don't give a ratshit if someone uses plastic or not.  (shrug)

But science-denial conspiracy theories are always a bad idea, particularly in forums where we strive to provide accurate information.

 

[Theme57]

Thank you for the replies everyone, I just read everything and had a few comments. 

So right now the 3 gallon jug I have will probably be replaced with the one in the picture since I am in a Prius and space is limited. However, what other tank recommendations do you guys have? I can carry a gallon up front, and the 3 gallon bottle I have fits in the back, but I plan on putting a compressor fridge and solar generator to fill the area. With rear passenger seat down I have space to storage some water containers since I will use some plywood and a short box to support the head of the bed. Only con the current container I have is when full and I set it horizontally I have noticed water leaking from the mouth which is why I ask about alternative containers that are durable and don't effect the water/taste. 

In terms of plastic taste and such there seems to be a lot of science pointing more towards glass, but like some have said, transporting the larger containers can be a pain, especially as I get older and conditions change from one location to the other. Also cleaning too! I am trying to balance health with practicality, especially if the container is knocked around a bit or temperature changes. 

Big thanks again from everyone. I am doing this in a Prius so space is a bit limited and having one large container to draw from with a pump into a smaller container seems practical to me. I have heard some people boiling their water to ensure it's safe to drink, but there will be times when I can't boil water before putting it into my smaller jug.

 

[Zil]

If you are going to explore remote national park and forest areas, water to carry is a more important consideration. I tend to explore museums, small towns, historic locations, and other civilized places. I can easily find bottled water and filtered water. The gallon and larger containers off the shelf are a reasonable choice. It is important that the empty plastic bottles are placed in a recycle center's containers, and not just dumped. Glass can become heavy to carry around. Maybe for a permanent container keep in the rv. But for me, I trust modern plastics. This is what I have. Got mine at walmart. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QC31G...t=&hvlocphy=9003994&hvtargid=pla-309679368222

 

[John61CT]

The bladders can be very flexible

 

[05kas05]

i too use the blue cube or reliance aqua-tainer i had a seven gallon one but recently found the 4 gallon version which is lighter when full of course but also fits better under my cabinet which allowed me to add another basket drawer for miscellaneous essentials.
 

 

[Theme57]

i too use the blue cube or reliance aqua-tainer i had a seven gallon one but recently found the 4 gallon version which is lighter when full of course but also fits better under my cabinet which allowed me to add another basket drawer for miscellaneous essentials.
 

And you've had pretty good experiences with taste and durability of the container?

 

[sephson]

I am doing this in a Prius so space is a bit limited...

I understand this quite well. If I'm not mistaken, I believe my Kia Soul is a bit smaller than a Prius, so I have similar space issues to consider. I can fit four of the containers I referenced in my earlier post on the floor between my front and rear seats, giving me 10 gallons of easily accessible and easy to carry water. I think a similar setup might work better for you than trying to cram one large water container into your Prius. It may well be that the containers I use aren't right for your setup, but I definitely think multiple smaller containers work better in a small space than one big one.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

As John61CT mentioned, water bladders are great in small spaces. They can conform to the floor of oddly shaped vehicles or fill in other odd shaped areas that are left over when the rest of the car is packed. I did a 3 month trek cross country in a two door wrangler and they worked great.

 

[Ballenxj]

  There are at lease five different types of plastic used as liquid food containers:  #1 PET, #2 HDPE, #3 PVC, #4 LDPE, #5 PP.  Then there are the mold release agents and other chemicals that come in contact with the bottle as it is processed.  Sometimes the only difference between a plastic bottle containing food and containing soap is the processing agents used.  The difference between food grade and non-food grade buckets (usually HDPE, but some are PP) is primarily the mold release agent used.
<-------->
I use 1 gallon PET jugs for water in my camper for three reasons:

1. easier to handle, weigh less so they are easier to pour.
2. easier to store, I have a number of small cubby holes that I can store them in.  I can carry 15 gallons without them being in the way.
3. easier to fill, I can fill them most anywhere I find a faucet.

There is a 13 page long thread on another forum I get some information from about reusing plastic bottles to store water in. If you want to take the time to read the whole thing you may be surprised at the results.
The thread,  http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=380043
The condensed consensus there is that rinsed out bottles of Arizona Ice Tea are amazingly good for water storage.

 

[karl]

I carry a 5 gallon food grade plastic similar to those at walmart, and a 2 1/2 gal "refrigerator jug" with the spigot ( also walmart) but have found that recycling 2 qt cranberry juice ( love cranberry juice!) jugs and 1 gallon water jugs to be the best/ easiest to store and handle. reuse until grundgy, then into a recycle bin.
I often mark( felt tip) containers as boil, chlorinated, campground, spring, etc so they only get used for washing, dog, whatever.
I don't drink pre made iced tea, but those look easy to handle and store.

 

[akrvbob]

I'm not a fan of Arizona Tea either, but I've bought it on sale ($2) and gave it away to someone else to drink as long as they gave me back the jug. They are GREAT bottles and worth it to me.

As far as bladders, I wonderful friend of mine lives in a Prius and recommends the MSR Dromedary bladders. They are terribly overpriced but they will last you the rest of your life and so on a per-year basis they are actually very cheap!

 

[Zil]

As far as reusable bottles, I use vinegar jugs. I use the distilled vinegar for sanitizing surfaces, cleaning stuff, and reliving Candidiasis rash.

 

[05kas05]

And you've had pretty good experiences with taste and durability of the container?

sorry for the late reply, i have not noticed any problems taste wise with either of these jugs and both have been fine as far as durability goes but to be honest when in the van i have it strapped down and it does not get moved around very much.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

So right now the 3 gallon jug I have will probably be replaced with the one in the picture

Could you tell me where you got that water container, how big it is, and how much it cost?
Here is a link to your original post with the picture: https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=25850&pid=323589#pid323589
Thanks.

 

[RVTravel]

Here is the link to that water container.
https://m.plastic-mart.com/product/10216/arlington-sp0006-2p
https://www.plastic-mart.com/tech_drawings/ace/SP0006-2P.pdf

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

Here is the link to that water container.

Thanks.

 

[Tool Amour]

I recently bought 5-gallon water bladders on Amazon: https://smartbottleinc.com/
As yet untested, but I like the double-layer construction and collapsibility.

They also carry 2.5 and 1 gallon sizes. The 5 gallon size fits perfectly in a standard milk crate. I'll be making aluminum nesting boxes to fit inside and over the milk crate, so I can start out with 20 gallons of water, then compile as needed to save space.