The brilliant engineering behind the humble jerrycan

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You've probably never given much thought to the modest "jerrycan", a sturdy liquid container constructed of pressed steel. Typically used to store gasoline, it's used by the military and civilians throughout the world.

However, until the early part of the twentieth century, one of the most serious but little-discussed issues was the inconvenience caused by military fuel containers. In this video by the YouTube channel Calum, you can learn more about the jerrycan's extraordinary design, engineering, and history, as well as its origins as a WWII secret weapon.

Its origins can be traced back to the 1930s when the German government held a competition to design a military can. This was the birth of a completely new design that was not only more convenient but also more durable than its predecessors. The design was then reverse engineered and, with minor alterations, duplicated by the Allies during World War II.

The original jerrycan design, as well as other variants, is still widely used in the military today. To learn more, make sure you watch the video embedded above, and as always, enjoy.