Reliance  Aqua-Tainer - 7 gal.

Live in Reno, Nevada and I bought 2 for emergency water for Fire and Earthquakes and stored in the garage so not exposed to the elements. While tightening the spigot on to one of them the thread cracked away and wouldn't line up directly down. The second one lined up perfectly so now I just transfer the cap between the them. Had to evacuate quickly for a fire while getting a suitcase down from a shelf above I guess it made contact with the spigots; the cracked thread one it disintegrated the spinning part can't find it anywhere and the good one cracked quarter of the way around the cap. I only have these filled with 6 gallons at a time too. These are absolutely garbage they should change their name from Reliance, go read reviews on Amazon and do not buy!!!

I bought two of these from my local REI and filled them up when I got home. The first one leaked immediately from the threads where the white spigot connects to the blue jug. It may have been fixable with some thread sealing tape (plumbers tape) but rather than deal with that I returned that one. The two I have now seem to work just fine though I haven't used them much. I wouldn't buy this product from anywhere that doesn't have a generous return policy, like REI. These jugs seem to be very inconsistent in quality. If I new there were a better product out there, I'd probably go with that. But as of now, this is the best I've found.

So far this has worked beautifully for us car camping. We transport it upright, and flip it down when we're settled in camp. If you thread the spigot into place carefully so it goes in exactly straight, it works perfectly in our experience--leakproof and reliable. Open the little valve at the top and the water flows fast. It's great for handwashing, dishwashing, and of course filling water bottles. Washed it out with hot water and a little vinegar before first use and it's stayed clean and nice-smelling. And I really appreciate that it's manufactured in Canada and not overseas. For the price and utility, an unbeatable buy that's made camping even better for me.

Having the the spigot invert & hang upside down from the cap is a good idea but they didn't think it through. There is no cap for the exposed spigot at the cap. You can't safely leave the paper label covering the exposed hole because if you sanitize the container, caps, & spigot (I used approx. 10% unscented 6% bleach) the paper label will be wet & provide a perfect medium for growing mold. Also, the label can be easily perforated allowing contaminates into the spigot. After filled the container with tab water & 1/2t unscented 6% bleach, I closed the cap with the spigot tightly, then I covered with a plastic sandwich bag & used plastic twist ties to hold the bag over the cap (rubber bands will break over time under tension). See the attached pictures. There should be a small cap to plug the spigot hole. Another problem is the design of the vent & its cap. There are few threads on the vent stem & it is easy to cross-thread the vent cap which will make it leak when you put it on its side. If water can leak out microbes can get in. Also, if you tighten it too tight it will leak. A longer vent stem with more, & higher quality threads, would probably solve this problem. Be sure to lay the container on its side & check for leaks before storing.

The rubber gasket on the inside of the spigot is missing. Otherwise, the container is great. The real problem is that neither the manufacturer or REI responded to our request for a replacement gasket. I have been searching hardware stores for a suitable replacement. Unscrew the spigot to verify that the gasket is installed.

They do tend to leak, the threads on the spout don't seal well with the screw lid. I fixed it with several layers of pink (heavy duty) plumbers tape around the threads. The vent cap leaks, the blow molding was uneven. That can be fixed by using fine sandpaper with a sanding block to smooth the seal. The stop cock turns too easily and can slip off, that can be fixed with the thick rubber broccoli band. It works now with the modifications, but I shouldn't need to do this.

Overall this is a good container for car camping and emergency water storage. Holds lots of water and the included spigot is very useful. As mention by others, the spigot leaks some. My learning experience... best bet is to keep the spigot on top and tip the container to its side when water is needed to prevent leaks. Same goes for storing these containers. I've had mine for over two years and it's held up well. It's always topped off with water in the garage for emergencies. It has been on probably 8 - 10 camping trips, mostly 4x4 trips.

We only used this once so far so I can’t speak to its longevity, but it worked really well as a water station at our camp site. We used it for filling water bottles, washing up, etc. Some reviewers said it leaks: yes, that’s true, when the spout is in its down position, but if you screw it tight when not in use it doesn’t leak. People also said the spout was hard to turn. It wasn’t super easy, but if you have normal hand strength you should be fine. My young kids needed a little help but neither my husband nor I had issues. Overall, great item! It will be part of our standard car camping gear.

I ordered mine online and picked it up in the store. I thought they gave me the wrong item at first. The product I received must be a newer version than the one pictured because it's shaped differently. It's been working great for me for camping and it hasn't leaked. I've had one of the square versions in the past like the one pictured and I actually like the new shape better. The plastic seems sturdier on this one also.

The spigot is what sold me on this, but it does leak. Went to Home Depot, spent way too long sizing up a proper rubber O-ring to stick on the end of the spigot and now it works perfectly. Had a great time car camping with multiple people and not having to worry about fetching water every day. It really begs the question: Why don't they just include a 30 cent o-ring?