How to Get Water Out of Your Water Can at Camp: 6 Ways Compared
Lone Rock Concepts · October 31, 2026
Every overlander hits the same moment. You've got water in a can strapped to the rig, and now you need some of it in a pot, a bottle or on your hands. How you get it out decides how much you spill, how much you lift, and how much you end up rationing because it's a hassle.
There are six common ways to do it. Here's how each one actually works, what it costs you, and where it makes sense. We make one of these, so we'll tell you where the others are the better call too.
1. Tip and pour
The default. Unscrew the cap, lift the can, pour.
It costs nothing and there's nothing to break. The problem is weight. Water weighs about 8.3 pounds per gallon, so a full 20L (5.3 gallon) can is roughly 44 pounds, and a 7 gallon jug is close to 58. Pouring that into a coffee mug or onto a toothbrush takes two hands, a good back and some spill.
Best for: occasional use, small containers, people who don't mind the lift.
2. Gravity spigot
Some containers come with a spigot near the bottom, or you can add one. Set the container up high, open the tap, and water runs out on its own.
It's simple and quiet. It only works when the container sits above whatever you're filling, which usually means a tailgate or a table. Flow also slows as the water level drops, since there's less weight pushing it out. A container strapped flat in a drawer system or on a roof rack generally can't use one.
Best for: base camps where the container lives on a table or tailgate.
3. Hand pump or siphon
A squeeze bulb or hand pump with a hose. Prime it, pump, and water moves.
It needs no power and it's cheap. It also takes both hands and some patience, and a siphon only works downhill. Fine for filling a big container once. Tedious for washing hands ten times a day.
Best for: occasional transfers between containers.
4. Drop in USB pump
These are the small battery pumps sold mostly for 5 gallon water cooler bottles. A tube drops into the opening and a pump sits on top.
They're cheap and easy to find. Because they're built for water cooler bottles, how well they fit and stay put on overland containers varies a lot. Threaded openings on most water cans aren't what they're designed for, so you may be holding it in place, or the cap stays off and dust gets in. Worth trying if your container has a wide, plain opening and stays parked.
We hear from a lot of customers who started here. Most of them ended up buying one of our kits after getting tired of a pump that didn't fit their can well or didn't hold up on the trail.
Best for: home water cooler bottles and containers that don't move.
5. Plumbed 12V system
An inline pump wired into the vehicle's electrical system, feeding a faucet, often from a built in tank. This is what most van builds run.
Flow is strong and it works at the push of a switch. It also means a permanent install: wiring, fittings, mounting, a fuse, and usually a dedicated tank. It's the right answer for a full time van. For a weekend rig with a couple of jerry cans, it's a lot of build for the job.
Best for: vans and full time builds with a fixed tank.
6. Adapter and pump kit (what we make)
This is the gap we built Lone Rock Concepts to fill. A CNC machined adapter threads onto your specific container in place of the cap, and a USB C rechargeable pump sits on the adapter. Press the button and water comes out the stainless steel spout. Your container stays exactly where it's mounted.
The numbers: - About 1 fl oz per second, so a 32 oz bottle fills in about 30 seconds. - About 30 gallons per charge, or 30 days on standby. - Full charge in 3 to 5 hours from a power bank, your rig's USB port or a solar setup. - It shuts off on its own after 30 seconds of continuous pumping. - Adapter CNC machined in Utah from food grade, BPA free UHMWPE. Food grade silicone hose, 304 stainless steel spout.
The tradeoffs: flow is lower than a plumbed 12V system, it needs charging, and each adapter is made for a specific container, so you need the right one. We make adapters for Scepter, RotopaX, Wavian, Reliance, Front Runner, Igloo, Swiss Link, military water cans, UPWOIGH style jugs and more. If you run two different containers, the pump moves between them and you only buy a second adapter.
Best for: rigs with mounted water cans, and anyone who wants water on demand without a permanent install.
Quick comparison
| Method | Lifting | Power needed | Install | Works on a mounted can |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tip and pour | Full weight | None | None | No |
| Gravity spigot | None once set up | None | Container must sit high | Rarely |
| Hand pump or siphon | None | None (your hands) | None | Sometimes |
| Drop in USB pump | None | USB battery | None | Depends on fit |
| Plumbed 12V system | None | Vehicle 12V | Permanent | Yes, with a fixed tank |
| Adapter and pump kit | None | USB C battery | Threads on in place of the cap | Yes |
Which one should you pick?
If you camp a few times a year and your can sits on a tailgate, a gravity spigot or plain pouring is fine. If you live out of a van with a fixed tank, plumb a 12V system. If your water is in cans strapped to the rig and you want water at the push of a button without wiring anything, that's what our kits are for.
Not sure which kit fits your container? Our fitment guide goes container by container, or email a photo of your opening to info@lonerockconcepts.com and we'll tell you before you buy.
