CANTEEN D I Y PROJECT

TODAY WE WILL SHOW HOW TO PREPARE YOUR CANTEENS FOR USE AS WELL AS FOR STORAGE OVER LONG TIME SPANS. FIRST WE WILL BEGIN WITH HOW TO PROPER CLEAN OUT A METAL CANTEEN ALTHO THIS IDEA WILL WORK FOR PLASTIC CANTEENS AS WELL BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO KEEP THE TEMPS OF THE WATER NOT AS HOT. NEXT WE WILL ADD SOME DEVICE INDIE TO ACT AS A SCUBBER IN THIS CASE I WILL BE USING SATANDARD DAISY BB'S TO HAVE A SCOUR EFFECT INSIDE. WITH HOT WATER I WILL FLOAT OUT ANY JUNK THAT HAS BUILT UP INSIDE AND THE WATER WILL ACT TO CARRY IT OUT OF THE CANTEEN TO CLEAN IT.
I RECOMEND DOING THIS TO YOUR CANTEENS EVERY YR OR SO OR IF THEY WILL BE SET UP FOR LONG TERM STORAGE. THANKS FOR WATCHING SAFE JOURNEYS
#bushcraft , #camping , #woods , #secrets , #solo ,#WOODSMEN, # CAMPING, #STAYDIRTY , #WOODSTIME, #BOYSCOUT , #BOYSCOUT CANTEEN , # VINTAGE BOYSCOUT, # VINTAGE CAMPING GEAR, CLEAN A CANTEEN , SURPLUS CANTEEN, CLEAN SURPLUS GEAR, FIELD GEAR, CAMPING KIT , CAMPING GEAR , #WOODSCRAFT, #BUSHCRAFTKIT,

[@blackoracle69]

thanks for all the comments and support safe journeys everyone

[@voraciousblackstn]

Metal canteens have advantages and plastic canteens have advantages. This scrubbing procedure is great for any irregular shaped canteen with a narrow opening that a brush can't get into. I was Army for 12 years. Used Camelbaks almost the whole time. Now that I am out, I mainly use canteens. I have a few Camelbaks, but cleaning them is WAAAAAY harder than cleaning a canteen. There are advantages to any water carrying method. For me, the canteen (or any bottle) is still king for good reason.

[@forestgnome55]

Oops, I forgot one! Some brands of bacon come with thin plastic stiffeners in the package, save them! They have a bunch of uses around camp. they are lightweight, easily stored, and carried (just roll them and place them inside a cooking pot) and cheap (free). they make a great cutting board, food prep area, or breadboard, they can be rolled and used as a funnel, they can also be used as placemats to have a clean place to set your plate and eating utensils on an outdoor picnic table or on the ground. Chears, Pink.

[@tjfritts9013]

Never ceases to amaze me. I have friends who have $250 worth of water purification gear, will go to the woods with a half-full canteen they took out of their storage shed (no heat, no AC) after it's been in there 9 months. Drink all that, spend an hour perfectly purifying water to refill the canteen. That's like sterilizing your Chef Boyardee can, can opener, billie pot, and making sure it boils hard for ten minutes...and then serving it in a shoe you found on the highway median. Water contamination ailments isn't "common", but it's common enough that you can get a bad case of the shrieking both-enders and have your outing ruined. Lots of folks aren't blessed to live near their camping space. It'd stink to cash in hard-earned days off from work, spend $200 in gas getting somewhere, and then spend the entire trip contributing biologically to nature in misery, too weak to even load your gear to go home.

[@blackoracle69]

i can tell you from personal exp its no fun being way out in the woods with that kind of problem

[@d.gilmet]

Great reminder Blackie. I've also used this method to clean old glass bottles and jars before reusing them. Great for cleaning out that last bit of jam or whatever. In a pinch you can also use a SS neck chain (dogtags). Your comment about kids adding Kool Aid to the canteen for flavor brought back a hunting trip about 50 yrs ago. On our annual moose hunting trip in the far north of Canada, one of our group had his young teen age son along. While the rest of us were drinking mostly campfire coffee or other adult beverages, his son was surviving mostly on orange "TANG" crystals in his aluminum canteen. All went well for most of the week, until as you mentioned, it started spewing from both ends. Just what you need 10 hrs. by boat from anywhere. Couldn't immediately figure out what might have caused it as we all ate from communal camp pot. When we figured to check his canteen, the only thing that he alone drank from, we found that the acid in the orange juice has badly etched the inside of the aluminum canteen. He had just kept it filled, probably mixed a little on the strong side as it was just add roughly a pack and refill water. We eventually cut the canteen in half and you could see the different levels etched inside as he had drank it. So just a heads up to anyone still using aluminum - watch what you put in it. Keep up the good work.

[@blackoracle69]

very true and being that far out in the woods is no fun with a sick kid

[@alf3553]

I take Tang with me on some trips. Thanks to lockdowns & not getting out much, I found a package in my gear. I mixed it in a clear plastic container. What a pain to clean, it leaves an oily residue on the container that’s really hard to remove even with a good bottle bush & Lots of scrubbing. Make’s me wonder about drinking this stuff.

[@joemorganeatmyshortschannel]

That's one thing I like is the plastic canteen doesn't rust

[@blackoracle69]

they do have that advantage

[@forestgnome55]

Hey, Blackie way cool! Thanks! "Just a simple tip or trick". Your Boy Scout canteen get dented? Fill it with dry peas, pour in hot water screw on the top, the peas will swell and force out the dents, later you can hook out the peas with a bent wire. (from a 1950's Boy's Life article). Stay safe, be careful! Pink.

[@markgibbs904]

I have found that hard ice broken up with a hammer has such sharp edges that is will scrub out a metal or glass container when shaken. Great video as always!

[@blackoracle69]

ice is hard enough for sure

[@frankvazquez4050]

Good stuff to know. I have some of those plastic military canteens. Besides soap and hot water, some people use baking soda for washing out plastic containers to remove smells. Mine have never gotten stinky. Maybe that's the advantage of plastic. I do often look at used canteens and bottles in Goodwill and they often have some kind of dry funk going on. I never buy them because I am able to find brand new never used ones, but now I know what to do if I want one that is not clean.

[@Squibknocket]

I like the ASMR woodscraft intro

[@blackoracle69]

thanks for watching

[@zachariahlee3393]

Bake'n Soda and distilled vinegar along with bb's is my preferred method..

[@blackoracle69]

sounds good

[@josephdixon1827]

Hey Blackie, yeah its me again. LOL. I always used hot water and white vinegar. Shake up the canteen vigorously, then spill it out, refill again with just hot water, again shaking it, then spill that water out and add cold water, shake it, dump it all out and let it sit until dry inside, then refill with clean water and doing what you do with the small amounts of bleach. Before I go camping or every 6 months, which ever comes first, I empty out the canteens, refill, shake up, dump them out and refill. I never had any problems, but I haven't used one of those flat canteens since I was a Boy Scout. All of my canteens are O.D. Green, ex-G.I. MilSurp, even my big O.D. Green collapsibles. Again, excellent video.

[@blackoracle69]

thanks for watching

[@terrybest8973]

Right good job bud or little rocks work good to but BBS is the best yes sir

[@billfisher9247]

I have used alka seltzer tablets and water to clean my canteen followed up with several rinses and had good luck. Also denture cleaning tablets will clean out stains from cool aid and water flavoring powders followed with several rinses. I also remember my Boy Scout Leader in the 60's telling us to use gravel/sand mixture and water to clean out our canteens an cooking pots. Thanks for your videos, time and knowledge Blackie.

[@Mat-kr1nf]

Sand is very good, the type that you put in the cracks between your block paving. It’s very very fine and dry (use without water- acts as a very fine abrasive).

[@KevinSmith-os5yz]

Stainless steel cartridge cleaning media would work well also.

[@blackoracle69]

good idea

[@larryeddings3185]

Good canteen information, Blackie. Thanks for sharing.

[@blackoracle69]

my pleasure

[@darrellclark8112]

A trick I learned from my time working in a hospital... cleaning coffee pots with ice and a lot of salt added just a little water and swish it around for a while always got all the residue out even if it was burned on.. might work well for this too

[@blackoracle69]

sounds good

[@williammccaslin8527]

I use either GI plastic canteens or wide mouth SS water bottles a bottle brush an soap an water let air dry completely, store with the lids open to the air, an gtg so far. But I don't use aluminum for anything. An I use to have that same BSA canteen for the scouts an hiking when I was one back in the 60's, think my younger brothers helped me out with alot of my scouting gear when I was overseas. Thx for the vid Blackie

[@blackoracle69]

thanks for watching

[@eugenethaden6316]

When I was a kid I found my Dad's WWII canteen in the attic, I thought I would fill it up and drink out of it. My Mom saw I had it and immediately took it away from me. She explained that it may have been found on the battlefield and the Germans were known to put poison in the canteens. After the house burned in 1955 I never saw it again but remembered this.

[@blackoracle69]

good story

[@jons2447]

Thank you, Blackie! I would store it DRY. Most water has enough acid in it to cause some corrosion over time. Specially down south where I am (may be different where you are). Clean it good, let it drain, keep it in air conditioning a few days to be sure it is dry. NEVER use a canteen w/out rinsing it really good, at least 3, maybe 4 times. I learned that at a young age, I'm 67 & I still remember, it *needs* to be rinsed. Store it spout down, some folks use a cotton wad to keep it open but not let critters in. It's prolly more important to do it w/ plastic to keep plasticizers out. Back 40-some odd yrs ago we used ball bearings, gravel & rocks, w/ sand in water. Dump your bearings, rocks, & sand down the spout, pour water in & shake it. May take a while, a dirty or rusty can, tank, etc., may need shaking like your depends on it. Shake it w/ the bottom side down the longest, the top down the shortest, sides in between. If it was real bad we'd take turns & shake it till it was clean. That was to clean old gas can or tanks, or really any container that needed cleaning. Even plastic fuel tanks were cleaned that way to be reused. Sand & gravel do a great job of loosening anything inside the container. Some folks like ice which is fine if you're not gonna' drink out of it. If you plan on drinking from it really hot water is needed & ice don't work. To store it wet consider using some alcohol in the water. Almost anything else is alkaline & will corrode metal. Remember, water has oxygen dissolved in it that will also corrode metal. Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!

[@blackoracle69]

thanks for your comment

[@oldsoldier181]

A neat trick I use for plastic canteens: denture cleanser. Wash it out with hot water, rinse it out, then put a couple denture cleanser tablets in there, fill it 3/4 full shake, top it off to the top, screw cap on loosely, let it sit overnight. Next day, empty, rinse, and use. I have done this for years, and it has always cleaned plastic ones

[@blackoracle69]

good idea

[@williammaurer9450]

A couple teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice added to a hot water end rinse after the BB's might be a good thing too.

[@blackoracle69]

yes it would

[@smoothvern165]

First time I’ve ever heard of these cleaning/storing techniques! I learn something new from every video!!!

[@frogmorepipester7490]

Funky! Cheers from the South Carolina Lowcountry!

[@blackoracle69]

thanks

[@johnfortwengler4496]

Nice looking camp

[@blackoracle69]

thanks

[@fredfreiberger7878]

Thanks Blackie this is very helpful

[@MichaelR58]

Good video and tips Blackie , thanks for sharing , God bless !

[@blackoracle69]

My pleasure

[@jimstewart5739]

Good stuff! Thankee!

[@jeffrichards5106]

Great information, thank you!👍

[@blackoracle69]

No problem 👍

[@oxxnarrdflame8865]

Good stuff, thanks.

[@blackoracle69]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@hiramhaji7813]

Great video

[@blackoracle69]

thanks

[@cadiastands3308]

Good information. Thanks for the upload.

[@blackoracle69]

glad it was helpful

[@jeffechols5302]

Excellent tips thanks

[@blackoracle69]

thank you

[@TerryC69]

Hi Blackie! Excellent demo and perfect follow-up to the recent canteen videos.

[@blackoracle69]

thanks for watching

[@boomshanka8743]

Nalgene canteens sure take a lot of beating and they don't oxidize. I was lucky enough to put a few away before they stopped making them, but I sure hope they resume production again.

[@blackoracle69]

i love mine

[@user-he6nj1zv9f]

Another informative video that I will be putting to good use, thanks Blackie.

[@blackoracle69]

glad to help

[@neilwarnock1449]

Hi from Down-Under Blackie. When I was in the army and using the plastic 1qt GI type bottles/canteens, I would periodically clean & disinfect them with a denture cleaning tablet in warm water. Used to bring them up a treat. :-)

[@blackoracle69]

hi back and thanks for the comment hope your having a good winter down there

[@aubreymetcalf1940]

Short piece of peerless chain. Some 1/4" square nuts. Even some sandstone chunks.

[@blackoracle69]

good choice

[@donross5995]

Bingo !! A page out of the past. Thank you. Ever since I’ve had a dehumidifier, I store my aluminum BSA canteen, using that water. I always thought chlorinated tape water would react with the aluminum. Maybe I over thought my procedure. Thanks again.

[@blackoracle69]

as long as the chlorine is a weak mild level it has not given me trouble

[@joshuajohnson4396]

Thanks Blackie

[@blackoracle69]

thanks for watching

[@woodrowbrimm2805]

KISS Principal. Just use coarse Sand ,Water & Dish Soap. Rinse Well and let dry.

[@darrellh1840]

What an awesome tip! Thanks Blackie!!! I have to get some zinc bbs…

[@blackoracle69]

Any time!

[@ernestrautenberg3041]

Thanks blackie

[@blackoracle69]

my pleasure

[@frogmorepipester7490]

I’m gonna hire you to play B.B. Canteen with my band. Funky!

[@blackoracle69]

lol

[@suecharnock9369]

I have a useful plastic canteen which I now dont use because it became 'funky' - despite my best efforts to clean it. Thank you Blackie. Knowledgable as ever and a new technique I am definitely going to use from now on!

[@blackoracle69]

Glad it was helpful!

[@goatman3828]

Add some citric acid. Same stuff you clean your coffee maker. I've been able to clean out old tractor fuel tanks using BBs, citric acid and REALLY hot water. Then shake shake shake. Works better than those $100 kits of mystery gunk.

[@blackoracle69]

thanks

[@motomuto3313]

One of my high school teachers did 3 tours of Vietnam with a Boy Scout canteen. He got it from his mother after writing to her telling her about the gear shortages during the early years of the war.

[@blackoracle69]

awesome

[@allanpeterson2364]

I use small stainless steel screws, nuts, washers and bolts I have in my screw organizer drawer. I add a little vinegar or bleach in hot water and as you say "swish, swish" it around. Great video topic on keeping what some may say is "Old" or "outdated" gear as good as new! Thanks!!!

[@blackoracle69]

that should work

[@Dusk3e]

sigg makes bottle cleaning tablets, if they're something you may wanna look into, but since its basically an oxygen-based bleaching tablet, i dont think it would do anything more than kill everything that is alive that you may not want in the corner of your bottle, like that mold you were referring to.

[@blackoracle69]

i have seen such tabs to clean out water bladders as well

[@jem6205]

Great idea. My current method that I have been using now for over 25 years. I use white vinegar and water to a rolling bowling and let sit for 15 mins with shaking/spinning. Then rinse with Dawn soap until you can smell the vinegar. Finish with fresh hot water until it runs out with no bubbles and clear water. Then add water with water tabs let sit overnight. The next day, I would empty, dry, and add about 4 oz of Everclear. The Everclear acts like a coating. Think about it like a protective coating for storage. Then pour out the Everclear in a glass and drink it. Dont waste the Everclear and coat your joints ;) from there just let it dry for about 10 mins and seal it up airtight. To test if it is air tight simply squeeze it under water and check for bubbles. Or, you can use soap and water in a spray bottle soaking the outside to see if you see bubbles after squeezing. Sometimes, I have to use a new rubber gasket to seal some of the old canteens/flasks/jugs to get an airtight seal. Best to test before putting it away. Since doing this method, I have never had any of my metal containers rust, moldy, or get that white substance. I have had one empty in my wife's vehicle for 4+ years before I checked it out and it was like new. No rust and the canteen was well used and over 30 years old at that point. For service, rinse with fresh water before use. The fresh water rinse is not needed, but it's more for my own peace of mind.

[@blackoracle69]

lol sounds like a good method

[@benterwellen]

Blackie, this looks like a great method to use on water containers, what I have done for the longest time and so far works for me, is the day before using the water container I use some of those efferdent denture tabs, it seems to work well so far…

[@blackoracle69]

thats a good method

[@brianvannorman1465]

What about white vinegar to soak the inside of the canteen? I'd soak an hour or two, maybe, overnight then rinse very thoroughly. That procedure for oxidation cleansing. But interesting idea on storage. Maybe use a sieve or coffee filter to separate BBs from water when dumping the canteen. Hydrogen peroxide for the funk.

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

Speaking of funky canteen. I was doing pre-deployment at fort Irwin. One of the guys in my company decided to fill his canteen up in the morning with chocolate milk. Know its was in the middle of summer in death Valley. I am sure you can guess what happened. A few years later was on a Ruck March. Its was a fairly long Ruck March and I ended up running out of water. So i ask my buddy if I could get some of his water. I was in for a shock when i drank some..... It was Jack Daniels mixed with Coca-Cola.

[@blackoracle69]

yep thats not a good idea in the heat

[@keithmoore5306]

rust is one reason they coat them Blackie the other is the barrels of most BB guns are rifled and they do need to have a little bight in the rifling!

[@blackoracle69]

very true

[@KaylynnStrain]

another reason to keep your canteens full is you have an emergency water supply. I store all my water bottles and canteens completely full

[@timlacy2284]

Blackie , Thanks for sharing that Tip and Trick about cleaning out the canteens , it can be a huge health issue. I greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge and wisdom from time in the outdoors. Yes You Are The Master Woodsman and Buschcrafter. Can you tell me where I need to go so that I can get you mailing address to send you something . Thanks Again Tim L.

[@blackoracle69]

thanks for watching

[@Flashahol]

As much as it is satisfying to scour a pot with a bunch of BB's, it still sounds like an army of nails on a blackboard even in recording LOL! That's an excellent trick I totally forgot about.

[@blackoracle69]

lol yep it is a bit loud for sure

[@davidbush6236]

Great canteen care video. Do you know where I can find a ring top for the sterno like the one in this video?

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

DOOD!

[@blackoracle69]

DUDE!!

[@davidhanson5871]

Grwat to know. I aquired a Boy Scout canteen that's one of the larger ones and need to do that to it. I think I measured its capacity and it came out to be about a half gallon.

[@blackoracle69]

big pack canteen nice find

[@Traderjoe]

A good scrubber for the inside of things is crushed up egg shells. You can wash the eggshells in boiling water to sterilize it, and then add them like the BBs and the little jagged edges of the eggshell scour the inside nicely. I saw someone strap a small gas tank they were trying to polish the inside like that and they strapped it to a drive wheel of a car that was jacked up and they let it spin for an hour, though a clothes dryer would also work.

[@blackoracle69]

had not thought of that thanks for the info

[@jerryhallman1742]

Blackie could small pebbles like pea gravel do a similar job

[@blackoracle69]

yes they will work well

[@marclee5250]

Cool tip on the BBs. Any thoughts on long-term storage with those Silica Gell inserts instead of water?

[@robertmiller2629]

I like this way that you did this. I have 2 canteens that I carry both are steel one is a Stanley canteen that I carry daily and the other is a military surplus with cup and stove. Can I ure this process to clean them?

[@blackoracle69]

yes you can

[@stevepenney2073]

I just use a clear plastic juice bottle for a canteen

[@terrybest8973]

Daisy bb gun bbs

[@terrybest8973]

Do you have a old vintage daisy bb gun from years gone by blackie lots of fun plus I build them with a high performance 327 cobalt spring and a 7/64 air tube so you can small game hunt with the guns I build I have got a few shooting very close to 500 fps mostly about 400 to 450 fps if it's buffed and sanded really good inside and a 1/8 spacer you get a little closer to 500 fps every now and then

[@elihaywood3187]

At least one ounce or more of alcohol like 80 proof vodka will keep the funky stuff from growing.

[@blackoracle69]

true

[@planetsideagent]

Blackie, fellow KZbinr/outdoors-man here. How did you get the hashtags to show in your video title? Thanks.

[@mikelgeren149]

Blackie would pecan shells work in a pinch instead of bbs ? 👍👍👍👍👍

[@blackoracle69]

i would say no the shells may have a form of mold on them and might leave it in the canteen

[@warlock.420]

Blackie, I bought a new stainless steel military style canteen(not actually military) and it smells like some kind of oil, how do I get it out?

[@BarToutdoors3303]

How long can I store a new canteen that has never had water in it?

[@mrkultra1655]

Thanks Blackie. A long time ago you recommend using sand, is that something that you still do, or do the BB’s work that much better?

[@blackoracle69]

if i am in the field for a few weeks i will use clean sand this bb method is for back home

[@worm_vaquero]

I never put my lips to the spout, no backwash no funky

[@Bill23799]

Hey Blackie , thanks for the interesting video. If I open my metal canteen and I see white stuff I would have been thinking it was calcium from the hard water we draw where I live. Would CLR or white vinegar help at all with oxidation?

[@mikelgeren149]

I've used orange juice to clean stainless steel , don't know how it might react with aluminum . Citric acid is the trick .

[@blackoracle69]

yes i would stay away from the CLR too harsh and might poison the canteen

[@jem6205]

@Bill23799 check out my method to clean the white calcium build up and hard water in the comments. It is safe and will help prevent from future build up. Stay away from CLR

[@jelicoe]

Can you boil water in a boy scout canteen?

[@kbrackins]

Blackie, most water purification tabs are either based on chlorine or iodine. Don’t both react with aluminum in a long term storage situation?

[@blackoracle69]

they are a weak enough solution ( we got to be able to drink it ) so it should not effect the canteen

[@Keith-do2jm]

I saw one of your videos you used salt Is this acceptable or bee bees better Have canteen from Korea and used salt and food grade sterilizer after would this be safe to drink from canteen is military aluminum

[@blackoracle69]

either are good

[@eddieburton4583]

Hey blackie Eddie here I have a canteen where it is round and it's got the gray red black white felt like stuff on the side can I still do it the same way that you do the aluminum and the other plastic army canteen

[@blackoracle69]

yes you can it should work well

[@FishTheJim]

Could you use ball bearings or sand? How about vinegar or lemon juice?

[@blackoracle69]

yes to all of those

[@reivertim7586]

Chlorine in the tablets react vigorously with aluminium to format aluminium chloride, do not leave the canteen filled with this as it will eat your canteen from the inside out

[@blackoracle69]

good to know

[@aubreymetcalf1940]

Short piece of chain

[@blackoracle69]

that will work

[@smd482000]

I used marbles

[@blackoracle69]

that can work

[@aaronzierke9920]

Im sorry. But i don't waist money on bbs. Why. I don't want the problem so i use pebbles. They are more abrasive and work much faster then boil.

[@vairon7474]

That’s a lot of procedure… 50/50 water and white vinegar is your friend…

[@Shards-of-Narsil]

Surgation definition: Meanings (archaic) An erect penis; an erection. I'm fairly sure you didn't mean that.

[@kaitsamari]

It is inaccurate to say there is no oxygen in the water. There is dissolved oxygen in water.

[@blackoracle69]

you are correct water boiled for 5 minutes would be better as oxygen levels dop in it thats why it tastes flat