"Jerry can" now covers three different products that share a silhouette and not much else. The Wavian is the current-production steel NATO can, made in Latvia to the 1937 pattern with 0.9 mm walls, a bayonet cam-lever cap, and a phenolic lining. The Scepter Military Fuel Can is the plastic can the US and Canadian forces carry: molded HDPE, about 5.7 lb empty, with a wide screw lid and a separately sold spout. The generic can is an imported pressed-steel copy that looks like a NATO can from ten feet away and sells for a third of the price. This guide puts the three side by side, spec by spec, with sources, and ends with a five-point check for telling a real NATO can from a look-alike.
Both competitors are legitimate products with a real use case. We are the exclusive North American distributor for Wavian, so read the conclusions knowing that, and check the sources yourself.
The three cans at a glance
| Specification | Wavian 20L NATO Jerry Can | Scepter Military Fuel Can (MFC) | Generic steel "NATO-style" can |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | 0.9 mm cold-rolled steel | High-density polyethylene (HDPE) | 0.7 to 0.8 mm steel, varies by seller |
| Capacity | 20 L / 5.28 US gal | 20 L / 5 US gal (nominal) | 20 L / 5.3 US gal (nominal) |
| Empty weight | 9.5 lb (4.3 kg) | 5.71 lb (2.59 kg) | 9.83 lb (4.46 kg) for the VEVOR 20L |
| Closure | Bayonet cam-lever cap, gasket, tethered locking pin | Wide-mouth screw lid | Cam-latch cap with gasket and pin, copied from the NATO pattern |
| Seams | Fully welded, recessed below the body line | None (molded) | Welded; often not recessed |
| Interior | Rezol phenolic lining | Bare HDPE | Painted or uncoated, varies |
| Breather | Internal breather pipe from the neck to the far side of the body | Not applicable (vents through the lid opening) | Often a narrow tube |
| Spout | Separate NATO spout locks onto the bayonet neck | Separate; Scepter says its spout empties 20 L "in under one minute" | Usually a 12-inch flexible spout in the box |
| Standards cited by maker | UN 3A1 steel jerrican | Mil-C-53109 / CID A-A-59592A, UN certified | Rarely any |
| Made in | Latvia | Not stated on Scepter's product page | Not stated on most listings |
| Price at time of writing | $119.99 | Varies by retailer | $37.99 (VEVOR 20L, vevor.com) |
Sources for the non-Wavian columns: Scepter MFC product page, Scepter MFC spout page, retailer listing for Scepter 12074 with dimensions and weight, VEVOR 20L product page, and Jonathan Hanson's inspection of a Walmart and Amazon look-alike for Exploring Overland. Wavian figures are our own product specifications.
Wavian: the steel NATO can
The Wavian is the design described in What Is a NATO Jerry Can: two pressed 0.9 mm steel halves welded along a recessed seam, three welded handles, an internal breather pipe, a cam-lever bayonet cap with a gasket and a locking pin, and a phenolic lining between fuel and steel. It carries a UN 3A1 marking, the code for a non-removable-head steel jerrican under 49 CFR 178.511. It is made in Latvia, and we have visited the factory.
Where it wins: fuel that sits, fuel that rides outside a vehicle, and fuel that gets poured in bad conditions. Steel does not permeate, swell, or degrade in sunlight, and the bayonet cap seals the same way every time. Where it loses: weight and price. At 9.5 lb empty it is nearly twice the Scepter, and it costs roughly three times a generic steel can.
Scepter MFC: the plastic military can
The Scepter Military Fuel Can is not a knockoff of anything. It is the can Scepter describes as "standard issue to the U.S. and Canadian Armed Forces," molded from HDPE and built to "Mil-C-53109 / CID A-A-59592A" (Scepter). Scepter's stated design goal is weight: the MFC "lightens the soldier's load." A European retailer lists the 20 L version at 2.59 kg, or 5.71 lb (jerrycan.ee), which is a real advantage if you carry fuel on foot or lift it over a tailgate a dozen times a day.
The trade-offs are the ones that come with any polyethylene can, covered in detail in Steel vs Plastic Gas Cans: the material permeates fuel vapor, swells and softens in contact with gasoline, and ages under UV. The MFC's wide screw lid is fast to fill through but depends on a large gasket seating on a plastic mouth. Overland writer Jonathan Hanson, who tested several, reported that "every other Scepter can I tried seeped at the wide lid" (Exploring Overland). That is one tester's experience, not a measurement, but it matches the mechanism: a threaded plastic mouth that has absorbed fuel is a different diameter than it was when dry. The spout is sold separately; Scepter says it "empties a full 5G / 20L of fuel in under one minute" (Scepter), which is fast.
Buy the Scepter if weight is the constraint and you turn fuel over quickly. It is a good can for what it was designed to do.
Generic steel cans: what the price buys and what it does not
Search "20L jerry can" and most of the steel results are imported cans styled after the NATO pattern, sold under rotating brand names on Amazon, Walmart, and marketplace sites. VEVOR's is representative and better documented than most: "0.8 mm cold-rolled steel," "9.83 lbs / 4.46 kg," a cap "with an airtight sealing gasket" secured by "an anti-slide locking pin," "coated with rustproof red paint," a 12-inch flexible spout in the box, $37.99 (VEVOR). On paper that is close to a NATO can for a third of the money.
The differences are in the parts a listing does not show. Hanson bought a look-alike sold at Walmart and on Amazon and took it apart. His findings: "The steel is thinner... .7mm." "The interior is uncoated and rusts instantly." "The handle is attached with spot welds rather than strip welds." "The breather is a tiny tube rather than the generous orifice" of the European cans. And "critically, the welded perimeter seam is not recessed as it is on authentic NATO cans; thus you cannot effectively store these cans on their backs" (Exploring Overland). His summary: "Absolutely nothing about these ripoffs except the styling is the same as the European-made containers."
Not every generic can is that bad, and VEVOR's 0.8 mm claim is thicker than the can Hanson measured. But the pattern holds across the category: the visible parts are copied and the invisible parts are where the cost comes out. Whether the interior is lined, whether the seam is recessed, whether the breather is a pipe or a straw, and whether the gasket material tolerates gasoline are things you find out after purchase.
Buy a generic steel can if the price is the constraint, you will inspect it, and the fuel is not going to sit for long or ride outside.
Five checks that separate a NATO can from a look-alike
1. Run a finger along the side seam
On a NATO can the weld sits below the body panels, inside the line of the ribs. You feel steel, not a lip. A seam that stands proud of the body, or shows a crimped or folded edge, is the single fastest tell. Fully welded, recessed seams, no crimped metal like cheap knockoff cans.
2. Look at the cap
A NATO can has a bayonet closure: a small-diameter cap that a cam lever pulls down onto a gasket, with a locking pin through the lever. There are no threads. Copies often reproduce the lever but use a lighter casting, a thinner pin, and a gasket that is not rated for fuel. On a Wavian the pin is tethered to the can so it cannot be lost.
3. Look down the neck
Inside a NATO can's neck you can see the mouth of the breather pipe, which runs to the top corner of the body so air enters as fuel leaves. On a copy it is often a short narrow tube or missing. The interior should also be visibly coated, not bare grey steel.
4. Weigh it
Steel gauge shows up on a scale. A 0.9 mm 20 L can weighs about 9.5 lb empty. A can noticeably lighter than that is thinner than that, whatever the listing says.
5. Check the markings
A genuine Wavian carries a UN 3A1 marking stamped into the body. A can with no UN marking has not been through that certification.
Which one should you buy?
Carrying fuel on foot, or lifting it constantly: Scepter MFC. The 4 lb difference is real, and HDPE takes drops that would dent steel.
Occasional use, tight budget, fuel used within weeks, stored indoors: a generic steel can is defensible if you inspect the seam, cap, and interior before you trust it.
Fuel that sits for a season, rides on a bumper or rack, or has to pour cleanly when it matters: the Wavian 20L. That is the job the design has done since 1937 and the reason it has not changed.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Scepter can a NATO jerry can?
No. The Scepter MFC is a US and Canadian military fuel can molded from HDPE to Mil-C-53109. A NATO jerry can is the 1937 pressed-steel design with a bayonet cap and recessed welded seams. They are different designs for different priorities.
Are cheap steel jerry cans the same as Wavian?
They copy the shape. Independent inspection of look-alikes has found thinner steel, uncoated interiors, spot-welded handles, narrow breathers, and seams that are not recessed. A Wavian uses 0.9 mm steel, a phenolic lining, a full internal breather pipe, and a fully welded recessed seam.
How much does a Wavian 20L jerry can weigh compared to a Scepter?
A Wavian 20L is 9.5 lb (4.3 kg) empty. A Scepter 20 L MFC is about 5.71 lb (2.59 kg) according to a retailer listing. The Scepter's advantage is weight; the Wavian's is that steel does not permeate, swell, or age in sunlight.
How do I know if a NATO jerry can is real?
Check five things: a recessed welded seam you cannot feel as a lip, a bayonet cam-lever cap with no threads, a visible breather pipe and coated interior inside the neck, an empty weight near 9.5 lb, and a UN 3A1 marking on the body.
Does Wavian sell the Scepter or generic cans?
No. Wavian USA sells Wavian steel NATO cans, holders, spouts, and replacement parts. This comparison uses each manufacturer's published specifications and cited third-party testing.
