A smarter breed of camping water canister that looks like an award-winning design project come to life, the new Vaast G-Series 18-L tank is more than just a pretty piece of plastic. It streamlines both the form factor of the water tank and its usage, working seamlessly as a faucet and fill-up station without moving so much as a millimeter from the roof rack.
Australian company Vaast hit the scene on a mission to design a better breed of water tank for explorers, by explorers. Its G-Series is not only extra-sleek and rugged, it's designed to make the entire process of carrying water easier, from first drip to last drop.
The G-Series catches the eye with a unique slim form that's under 4 inches (10 cm) thick and looks like a cross between a rectangle and a parallelogram. The slashed corners are integral to the operation of the spout and air vent, keeping them at proper angles when standing, whether set horizontally or vertically.
The canister measures 28 in long by 13 in high (70 x 34 cm) and features a long, thin cutout in the middle that serves as both a mounting point and a grab handle. It's made from rugged rotomolded LDPE built to stand strong against 20,000 hours of UV exposure.
The G-Series isn't just designed to look cool on your expedition rig (though it does surpass the aesthetic boost of the popular white Rotopax canister, in our opinion), but to work more smoothly than other solutions. Its slim shape makes it easy to pack no matter where you decide to put it, although it's primarily designed to mount on top of a roof rack or on the side of a 4x4, camper, or vehicle-mounted carrier or accessory system.
When loaded with the spout pointed down, the G-Series provides immediate water access. The spout pours with a quick twist of the oversized orange outer ring, and the two-way black auto breather ensures that air can enter and escape without any need for opening or adjustment. The G-Series can also be used with a faucet kit; Vaast sells the magnetic-mount Joolca kit for this purpose.
That accessibility puts the G-Series ahead of some less-accessible means of water carry, but it's quite similar to how Front Runner designed its (much cheaper) 20-L Pro water tank. And it's only slightly more convenient than a jug or jerry can ready to slide out and pour from right inside a pickup tailgate.
Where the G-Series really differentiates itself is by filling up as conveniently as an RV water tank with external inlet. Vaast's G-Series' spout includes quick-connect inlet capability for easy filling from a hose. There's no need to turn the canister upside down or even remove it from the roof, simply hook the hose up and fill. Once full, the tank is already mounted and ready to go, no need to lug it around or hoist it up onto the roof or into the vehicle.
Of course, you can also fill the G-Series tank the old-fashioned way, by taking off the spout or auto breather and pouring into the 76-mm opening. That's a good thing if you don't have a food-grade hose for filling via the quick-connect, or are using a water tap at a campground or a filtration system from a natural source.
We'd love to see a cap that fits inside the twist-ring to protect the faucet from the dust and mud that are sure to collect during off-road use.
When carrying the tank, users can utilize the vertical or horizontal webbing handle or the central cutout. The webbing straps sit flat when stored, unlike a built-in plastic handle, helping maintain the sleek form.
The G-Series 18-L Tank retails for AU$229 and comes in charcoal, sandy taupe and blue color options. Vaast ships to the US and Canada, though it seems it could really use a distributor because buyers currently have to pay an AU$78 international shipping, ringing up a total of AU$307, about US$200, for a single tank. And that's before adding another ~US$125 if you want a single-canister mount to use on a roof rack, spare tire carrier, MOLLE panel, etc.
We'll stick with our $20 Jumbo-tainer or one of the myriad other cheaper water carry solutions out there, but the G-Series does seem like a more convenient way to carry and access water while camping and overlanding. And glampers and overlanders have never been shy about overspending for a little extra performance, convenience or cool factor.
See it in action:
Source: Vaast
