HydroBlu
Where has this been all this time?
Okay, I found something I am quite excited about! I have been looking for a better water container for a while now. Sure, cheap Wal-Mart jugs work, and for the 3 months before they start leaking at the seams they work decent. I looked into the big heavy military scepter cans. Bullet proof!…. but you need a special wrench to close them to the point that they won’t leak.
I started looking pretty heavy into building an onboard water system. It would pair nicely with my onboard hot water heater, but the idea of losing a ton of interior space to a giant water jug that will likely not be full on a lot of my trips bothered me. The Fj Cruiser is not a roomy vehicle, especially when you stuff a giant fridge in the back. I was starting to grow tired of the search and was about to give into another set of cheap water cans, and then, I found it.
A 4 gallon, pressurized water can with a build in purifier. Kick. Ass.
The HydroBlu Jerry is one of the coolest products you have never heard of. When I first pulled it out of the box my first observation was how tough it feels. This thing doesn’t feel like its going to break when your buddy tosses a camp chair in the truck and accidentally hits your Jerry.
It has 2 openings on the top, and 2 storage compartments on the sides for extra carbon filters. The filter is actually the pickup tube for the dispenser, and is rated for 10,000 gallons. The primary filter is a hollow tube type filter. (Note: it will need to be protected from freezing. A trick from hunting is to just throw it in your sleeping bag or under your blanket and it will be just fine.) The main filter is also back flushable, meaning if the water flow slows down you can use a sort of syringe (sold separately, but dirt cheap) to flush CLEAN water back through the filter. It will usually look all brown coming out of the other side. That gunk was messin up your flow!
The dispenser is an easy twist-on, twist-off. This isn’t like opening a can of pickles, so your partner won’t be asking you to crank it on for them. It’s just as effortless as turning on the sink at home. Every time the dog needs a fill up, or the kids need a top off, you won’t need to tilt an awkward container to do so. The port the water flows from features a barbed fitting that if you really wanted to run to another location, it wouldn’t be too hard to do that. The kit includes 2 small hoses for hooking to this barb, in case you finding yourself wanting a bit of extension.
The hand pump slides into a giant opening opposite the dispenser. I must note this opening is large enough to reach your arm into for cleaning! That is a major bonus to me. Too many water containers are a huge pain to clean. For getting the water ready to drink you pump it up a few times and you get an impressive amount of pressure out of the dispenser. It shoots about 4 inches from the spout so you can put your bottle right underneath it and fill it up without tipping the container. (Of course the less water inside, the more pumping will be required.)
The application of vehicular travel with this thing is a big deal. Water is heavy, as you probably know from lifting that giant 5 gallon jug to put 12 ounces into a bottle 3 times a day at camp. Water weighs in at over 8 pounds per gallon. If you are on longer trips and stuck carrying 10 gallons or more, that is a lot of weight to be constantly lugging! And when one can is empty you are stuck with a giant container still taking up space. The HydroBlu Jerry takes away a lot of these problems.
I live in Colorado. Water is everywhere! I can now carry 4 gallons of water at a time and not have to worry about running out for a weekend, or for weeks. Top that with the “shower kit” accessory, and you have yourself a damn fine cooking water dispenser. I bought this attachment specifically for cooking. Its sort of like your sprayer on your kitchen sink.
A bonus for me is ice cold, Rocky Mountain river water. I LOVE drinking naturally cold water. To me its better than anything. The HydroBlu combined with my HydroFlask 64oz growler are going to be a tough one to top from here on out. I will have cold water for hours. It can’t be beat.
I travel with a dog, a wife, and the occasional irresponsible buddy who didn’t plan well enough to have enough water. The HydroBlu Jerry is going to solve a lot of the water lugging issues I have found myself with.
For very remote or extended trips, I would recommend having a backup filter module. From my experience backpacking and hunting, it is always best to have a spare. I have experience with all sorts of filters from every company out there and the HydroBlu Jerry can’t be beat for car camping.
If you want to try any of HydroBlu products. please use the following link and enter coupon code “SAVE10TODAY” to save 10%. You can thank me later!
If for some reason the code doesn’t work, shoot me a message and I will get you one!
Note: I will never use a product, let alone recommend a product, that I don’t believe in. That is my promise to you. Some products from some companies I receive at discounted rates, most I do not. I use gear for its intended purpose and if I find flaws I will state them, no matter if I am paying full price, discounted, or free. The linked products are affiliate links.