Reliance Products Aqua-Tainer 7 Gallon Rigid Water Container

We use these extensively while we are out doing field research. We love them because they hold a lot of water (7 gal), are stackable with each other (we carry about 10 or so out in the field) and are pretty sturdy. However, we have found that the spigot is poorly designed. The design is such that when the container is on its side you can just turn the lever on and off for water. Great idea. But the spigot has to be facing down for that to work. In some cases, when you twist the spigot on, you either have to over-tighten the spigot for it to face down or not tighten it enough. Over-tightening eventually produces a crack in the threading and there is no longer a tight seal and you end up with a leaky container. Not screwing it on enough obviously will also cause it to leak. If you are only using one jug occasionally, this is not a big deal. If you use them for high volume activities, just beware of the issue.

Excellent product. Sturdy and virtually leak proof. We use four of them for "dry" camping. One we painted flat black to use as a solar shower. Although heavy when filled, they take can take a good beating. The big advantage for us is the wide mouth. We can drop a DC shower pump directly into the container without having to lift it all of the time.

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These are about the upper practical limit for one-person-portable water containers, weighing in at almost 60 lbs. when filled. Aqua-tainers are deservedly popular, being stoutly-made and having a very practical spout design with a nozzle that can be stowed inside the container, which is great for protecting it from incidental knocks when you''re hefting it around your campsite, house, or vehicle. Everybody should have a few of these (or smaller equivalents) stashed away somewhere; you never know when you''re going to need it.

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I was very glad to find this product available on the web. I purchased 3 of them about 8 years ago. I use the containers to mix salt-water so I can perform water changes on my marine aquarium. I wanted a couple of more. I found them!! The new ones have not changed much from the ones I bought 8 years ago. This is good because the old ones have been very good and durable. I would recommend them to anyone wanting a good water carrier.

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To begin with, this is a great idea. It''s the perfect concept for small families who are in need of emergency water supplies for any short-term disaster scenario. The plastics used are BPA-free, making them better suited t long term water storage. I bought 2, figuring to use these only for drinking water, with additional containers dedicated to other needs. According to ready.gov, "A normally active person needs at least one gallon of water daily just for drinking however individual needs vary, depending on age, physical condition, activity, diet and climate." The 7 Gallon size, weighing about 55lbs when full, is pretty much the maximum size container you would want to move around when full; and theoretically, at least, the spigot should make it easy to use the water during your emergency. Here are my experiences using the Aqua-Tainer.

Out of the box, there was a pronounced plastic smell when opening the container. I had no time to do a thorough was with soap, as the storm was about to hit. I added several quarts of water to each of the Aqua-Tainers, and shook them vigorously for a minute or two. After emptying the water, most of the plastic smell was gone. The remaining scent was faint, reminiscent of the scent of a pool liner or pool toy in the summer. It was not unpleasant at all, really.

Filling the Aqua-Tainers was easy. They are only 16" high (18" with the spigot attached, approximately 11" by 11" in the other dimensions. With a slight tilt, I filled most of the container under my raised kitchen faucet and then topped it off using a pitcher.

Then the fun began! As noted by other reviews, the Aqua-Tainer uses plastic threading for attachment of the vent cap and main cap/spigot. As soon as I turned the container on its side, both leaked. I had to reset the caps a couple of times each before I was able to get the seals to hold. With the plastic threading and a gasket on the main cap that also appears to be plastic, I wonder how well these will stand up to repeated use. This is especially true of the spigot, which is not set to automatically face downward when attached, and has be hand-tightened, and potentially over-tightened.

So, with a couple of tries I got the Aqua-tainers ready to dispense livesaving H2O. After 24 hours, I started drawing off some of the water for use. I was horrified to see that each glass had a faint, but noticeable, oil film on the top. I''ve drawn off several glasses from each so far, and they all have it. I washed the glasses in between so I''m certain there was no residue in the glasses that was causing this. Luckily, the storm passed uneventfully and we didn''t need the water for drinking. I would have been hesitant to give this to my family except in the most dire emergency.

I will update this review on next use of the Aqua-Tainers, and hopefully, will be able to raise my rating; if the seals hold up and the oily film disappears. I plan to wash them thoroughly with Dawn or similar detergent, which I should have done originally, time constraint or no. I''ll keep you all posted!

Update November 1, 2012

First I should note that I''m evaluating this unit thoroughly, but when it comes to drinking water for my family, I feel you have to start at one star and work up from there. Although my review is not complete, I''m increasing my rating to four stars based on two factors. No, three factors. The first is that there is a five-year guarantee, which allays my concerns about the longevity of the plastic threading and gaskets. The second is that I was able to easily remove the oily film from the units. The third is that the product is from Canada, and everybody I know in Canada is way cool.

Here''s what I did to clean the units. First, when I opened the unit for cleaning, the stored water smelled fine after 4 days of storage. I added one-quarter cup of Ultra Dawn, although you might prefer a product with less perfume. I reattached the spigot, which still faced nicely downward, then shook the container as best I could in all directions and let it sit for an hour. I drained the container, then flushed it twice with running water. Drawing water after the second refill showed no oily film! I rinsed the container once more just to be certain, then left it out to dry.

When you''re putting the container back, you''ll be taking the spigot off and reattaching it in the hide-away position. You''ll want to put something over the exposed outside, like a piece of masking tape, to make certain nothing gets inside the spigot while the container is in storage.

There are a couple of additional positives that I neglected to mention. The grips on the vent cap and main cap are really easy to get hold of, and your hand won''t slip, even if wet. Also, the water level measure on the side is a nice feature.

I will certainly update this review after I have had the chance of using the Aqua-Tainers a couple more times, and have every hope of being able to raise the rating to five stars if they hold up through multiple uses.