LIFESAVER Jerrycan | Best water filter for long term Overland travel

The past few summers have exposed me to the whole Overland movement. Exploring and camping right out of my Toyota Tundra. With any capable four wheel drive vehicle, one can not only explore the beauty of this country, but less accessible areas close to home. With a nice stretch of favorable weather, my 15 year old son and I decided to explore an area just south of where we live. One key item that we packed was the Lifesaver Jerrycan 10000.

Lifesaver Jerrycan Video Demonsration:

Capable of filtering 10,000 liters / 2641 Gallons into clean drinking water, the Jerrycan removes viruses, bacteria, cysts and parasites instantly. The LifeSaver Jerrycan holds up to 18.5 litres of water which was more than enough for our little weekend adventure. One of our first stops was a beautiful river enroute to our destination. Here we filled up the Jerrycan directly from the river. We planned to use this water mainly for cooking and washing as most of our beverages and drinking water were staying cold in our cooler.

Note** When using the Jerrycan for drinking water, I suggest you not allow the spout to touch potentially contaminated water sources when filling.

Even though we didn’t use the water procured from the river for drinking, the Lifesaver Jerrycan is designed to be used for just that purpose. Unlike other water filtration systems, the Jerrycan only filters water as it’s demanded by the user. Eliminating the possibility of contaminating a large storage of clean water. Basically, you store the raw, untreated water in the Jerrycan and produce potable water only as needed from the included spigot.

How it works:

Utilizing the built in pump, the user pressurizes this robust container to provide suitable water flow through the filter. I found the pressure to be good enough for cleaning pots and pans, washing dirty hands and brushing teeth. Due to the sheer size of the built in filter plus the charcoal filter, the water doesn’t exactly gush out. Which is a good thing during an extended camping trip while trying to conserve the water supply. Although Lifesaver offers a shower attachment for the Jerrycan, we used our Roadshower 4 to clean up.

We’ve logged many trips all over the country and the Jerrycan has always been an integral part of the equation. It’s fool-proof and ridiculously durable. From mountain streams, desert oasis’s, ponds and the Great Lakes, the Lifesaver hasn’t failed us yet. Additionally, I was recently sent a Jerrycan mount for the Yakima LockNLoad rack so I’ll have a new way to transport the Lifesaver in the spring.

The Jerrycan is just one of many clever products from Lifesaver. Check out our review of the Lifesaver Liberty here. These products were developed out of anger due to the consistent lack of clean drinking water in areas following a catastrophe. Adopted by the British Military, these products can stand up to the abuse and just plain work. Take a look at their website and don’t let yourself become a victim. Because you never know when or where the next natural disaster will occur. Be prepared…

Lifesaver Jerrycan 10000UF specs courtesy of iconlifesaver.com

• VIRUS REDUCTION*: > 99.99%        (Log 4)
• BACTERIA REDUCTION*: > 99.9999%    (Log 6)
• CYST REDUCTION*: > 99.9%          (Log 3)
• FILTER MEDIA: Ultra Filtration (UF)
• CHEMICAL REDUCTION: Activated carbon filter removes chlorine, taste and odour, improving the palatability of water
• DRY WEIGHT: 3.9 kg/137 oz
• VOLUME OF WATER FILTERED**: 10,000 litres/2,641 US gallons
• INITIAL FLOW RATE**: 3 litres/min @ 0.6 bar (g)
• JERRYCAN STORAGE CAPACITY: 18.5 litres/4.9 US gallons
• REPLACEABLE CARTRIDGE: YES
• WARRANTY: 2 YEARS