A standard NATO jerry can holds 20 liters, which is 5.28 US gallons, measures 18.5 × 13.5 × 6.5 inches, and weighs 9.5 lb empty and roughly 42 lb full of gasoline. The 10-liter version holds 2.64 gallons, measures 13.5 × 11.5 × 6.5 inches, and weighs 7.5 lb empty and about 24 lb full. Those two sizes cover almost every fuel-carrying job, and the choice between them comes down to three things: how much fuel you actually burn between fills, how much you are willing to lift, and what your holder or rack was built around. This guide lays out the numbers and routes you to the right can.
The sizes at a glance
| Wavian 20L Jerry Can | Wavian 10L Jerry Can | Wavian 22L Water Can | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 20 L / 5.28 US gal | 10 L / 2.64 US gal | 22 L / 5.8 US gal |
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 18.5 × 13.5 × 6.5 in (47 × 34.5 × 16.5 cm) | 13.5 × 11.5 × 6.5 in (34.5 × 28 × 16.5 cm) | 18¼ × 13¾ × 6⅞ in |
| Empty weight | 9.5 lb (4.3 kg) | 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) | 3.2 lb (1.5 kg) |
| Full of gasoline | about 42 lb | about 24 lb | — |
| Full of diesel | about 47 lb | about 26 lb | — |
| Full of water | — | — | about 52 lb |
| Material | 0.9 mm steel, phenolic lining | 0.9 mm steel, same construction as the 20L | Food-grade BPA-free resin |
| Closure | Bayonet cam-lever cap | Bayonet cam-lever cap | Screw cap with tap-thread spout |
| Made in | Latvia | Latvia | Australia |
| Holder | Top-loading 20L or front-loading 20L | Top-loading 10L | — |
| Price | $119.99 | $109.99 | $54.99 |
Full weights are calculated from published fuel densities. Gasoline runs 715 to 780 kg/m³ at 15 °C and No. 2 diesel about 849 kg/m³ (Engineering Toolbox), so 20 liters of gasoline weighs 32 to 34 lb and 20 liters of diesel about 37 lb. Water is 1 kg per liter. Actual weight moves a little with temperature and blend.
Why 20 liters is the standard
The 20-liter size is not a marketing choice. It is the 1937 German army requirement that produced the design: a can one soldier could carry full in one hand, two empty in each hand, with a total weight that a supply chain could stack, hand up a line, and fit in the footprint of a truck bed in fixed rows. Everything about the shape, the three handles, the recessed seam, the 6.5-inch depth, follows from that 20-liter target. The full story is in What Is a NATO Jerry Can.
Because the 20L became the NATO standard, it is also the size every NATO-pattern holder, rack, and bumper mount is built around. If you are choosing a can to live on a vehicle, the 20L footprint is the one the hardware expects.
20L: when it is the right can
Buy the 20L when the fuel is going into something with a real tank. Five and a quarter gallons is a meaningful range extension for a truck or SUV and hours of run time for a portable generator. It is also the size that makes sense for a reserve you fill once and leave alone, because one can is one thing to rotate and one thing to inspect.
The cost is 42 lb in one hand. That is fine for a tailgate or a garage shelf. It is less fine lifted overhead onto a roof rack, carried across a campsite in the dark, or poured into a generator inlet at chest height. If your fills are frequent and your lifting is awkward, read on.
10L: when smaller is smarter
The 10L is the same can at half the volume: same 0.9 mm cold-rolled steel, same fully welded recessed seams, same bayonet cap, same breather pipe, same factory in Latvia. It is five inches shorter and two inches narrower than the 20L, with the same 6.5-inch depth, so it stows where a 20L will not: behind a motorcycle seat, in a side-by-side cargo box, on a small trailer tongue, or in the corner of a truck bed next to a toolbox.
The 10L is the right can when:
- You are feeding small engines. Chainsaws, blowers, outboards, dirt bikes, and pressure washers take a liter or two at a time. A 24 lb can you can control one-handed pours cleaner into a small inlet than a 42 lb can you are steadying with your knee.
- You mix fuel. Two-stroke premix should be made in small batches and used. A 10L can is a sensible batch size; a 20L is not.
- Lifting is the constraint. Two 10L cans weigh about the same full as one 20L, carry the same fuel, and can be lifted one at a time.
- The mount is small. Motorcycle racks and compact vehicles often have room for a 10L holder and nothing bigger.
The 10L uses the same Wavian spout as the 20L, so one spout covers both sizes.
What "5 gallon jerry can" actually means
"5 gallon jerry can" almost always means the 20L NATO can. It holds 5.28 US gallons, so calling it a 5-gallon can undersells it by about a quart. The confusion comes from the US military's own World War II can, which was a 5-gallon (18.9 L) copy of the German design with a different footprint. If you are searching for "5 gallon jerry can dimensions" to check a holder or a rack, the numbers you want are the 20L's: 18.5 × 13.5 × 6.5 inches.
Reading the label: liters vs gallons
Every Wavian can has its size embossed into the steel on the front face: "20L" or "10L". The 20L is 5.28 US gallons or 4.4 imperial gallons; the 10L is 2.64 US gallons or 2.2 imperial. The color of the can does not change its capacity. Red, yellow, blue, olive drab, and black are all available in both sizes, and the color is a fuel-type convention (red for gasoline, yellow for diesel, blue for kerosene) rather than a spec difference.
Holder fit is size-specific
A 20L holder is built around the 20L body and will not secure a 10L. A 10L holder is built around the 10L body. Wavian holders are made in Latvia alongside the cans, and each is listed with the size it fits: top-loading 20L, front-loading 20L, and top-loading 10L. Top-loading drops the can in from above and locks a lever across the handles; front-loading slides the can in horizontally behind a locking bar, for mounts where you cannot lift the can straight up. Decide the can size first, then the holder.
The water can is a different size for a reason
The Wavian 22L Water Can holds 22 liters, or 5.8 US gallons, in a food-grade BPA-free resin body with a screw cap and a tap-thread spout. It is built in Australia, not Latvia, and it is not a fuel can. The extra two liters and the plastic body make it about 52 lb full, and the different footprint (18¼ × 13¾ × 6⅞ inches) means it does not share holders with the steel fuel cans. Keep water and fuel cans visibly different on purpose; the 22L's shape and material do that for you.
Choosing quickly
Truck, SUV, generator, or a fuel reserve: 20L. One can, one rotation, the footprint every mount expects.
Motorcycle, small engines, premix, or a small mount: 10L. Same construction, half the lift.
Both jobs: one of each. They share the spout, the replacement gaskets, pins, and lids, and the same color code.
Drinking water: the 22L Water Can, and only that.
Frequently asked questions
How many gallons is a 20L jerry can?
20 liters is 5.28 US gallons, or 4.4 imperial gallons. It is commonly called a "5 gallon" can, but it holds about a quart more than 5 US gallons.
How much does a full 20L jerry can weigh?
About 42 lb with gasoline and about 47 lb with diesel. The Wavian 20L weighs 9.5 lb empty; 20 liters of gasoline adds 32 to 34 lb and 20 liters of diesel about 37 lb, based on published fuel densities.
What are the dimensions of a 20L jerry can?
The Wavian 20L measures 18.5 inches tall, 13.5 inches wide, and 6.5 inches deep (47 × 34.5 × 16.5 cm). Those are the dimensions NATO-pattern holders and racks are built around.
What size is a 10L jerry can?
The Wavian 10L holds 2.64 US gallons and measures 13.5 × 11.5 × 6.5 inches (34.5 × 28 × 16.5 cm). It weighs 7.5 lb empty and about 24 lb full of gasoline.
Do the 10L and 20L Wavian cans use the same spout?
Yes. The Wavian fuel can spout fits both sizes. Gaskets, lids, and locking pins are also shared.
Will a 10L can fit a 20L holder?
No. Holders are sized to the can body. Use the 10L top-loading holder for a 10L can and a 20L top- or front-loading holder for a 20L can.
